My new little find…

I happened to run across PicJumbo the other day and I was happy that I did. The site hosts a variety of free images that have an open license so that you may use them for personal or commercial projects. Even though I am no professional photographer, I try to use my camera as much as possible and as often as possible. But when I need a professional photo for a project PicJumbo will be the first place I go to. The images are high quality and easily accessible . Creative Market is my next go to for images. I go to these not because they have larger collections, or even better quality of photos than the “Big Name” places, but because they are designers and people just like me. I will always buy from a design community before I look elsewhere. If you like PicJumbo, or have your own favorite place to get your images I would like to know.

You can send me an email here.

James Benavides

Awful Type

It sure is satisfying when…

It sure is satisfying when a client goes through a group of typefaces and picks out two that were recent purchases. I knew that I liked them and I was happy to add them to my collection, but when they chose those two I was pleasantly pleased. The fonts happened to be on sale, or they were reasonably priced which is a bonus. I tend to keep up to date with what is trending at Creative Market because their font choices tend to be well thought out and versatile. Here are the two fonts that I led me to write this post. Let me know what you think. The original post and images can be found here.

Eveleth

Eveleth is a letterpress type font that has a nice texture to it, but it also comes in a clean version. Here are a few looks that convinced me on purchasing it. 

First was the price. 16 fonts for $9!!! I am a sucker for a good deal.

Nanami Rounded

The rounded look of the Nanami Rounded font is what initially caught my eye. It is a very subtle roundness, but it comes off as a nice, clean, and versatile font. The font also comes in a variety of weights, which is another feature that I look for in this type of sans serif font. I have used it in headlines and body copy and the overall effect comes off as clean and crisp. I also did a little research and this font was highly recommended because it is the successor of the Original Nanami font. It has been my font of choice since purchasing it. It is versatile and the rounded corners are a nice touch and they are eye-catching. Did I mention my proclivity for good deals? It was 75% and worth every penny.

Do not be fooled by the name of the site. Of course we seek out Awful Type, but at the same time we are looking for inspiration. No one likes a “Debbie Downer,” so here are a few inspiring designs that we came across today.

James Benavides

Awful Type

Inspiration in the Oddest of Places

As a seeker of type I have scoured the web looking for inspiration. The odd thing about coming across awful type, is that it seems to somehow inspire me. When I look at something so awful, I think to myself, what would I have done different? The people at Stop-N-Shop had me asking that same question today.

James Benavides

Awful Type

Looking for Inspiration

This sign was located on the corner of a high volume intersection in Austin, Texas. To me, this is another case of a do-it-yourself owner trying to save a buck by not hiring a designer. Rather than seek help from someone familiar with design, they chose to try their own hand at it. Good design is usually unnoticeable, unless it is really good or if it is really bad. Every time I see awful type I wonder to myself, how could I have improved it? It is part of my own inspiration to try harder.

James Benavides

Awful Type

The Awful Type Project

The internet and the world around me is filled with creative designs. My name is James Benavides and I live in Austin, Texas. As a graphic designer, I look for inspiration and ways to improve my skills on a daily basis. I am fortunate to be living in Austin, because the city is filled with talented designers. I have, like many other designers, scoured the internet for inspiration. One day while I was driving I noticed this awkward signage that had a severe stroke that engulfed most of the back of its logo. As I stared at this God Awful Type, I started to ask myself: What would I have done different? Other than remove that hideous stroke, ideas of changing the logo, wordlists, and random thoughts of re-creating a new logo started popping in my head. All this while driving in my car. That was the birth of the Awful Type Project. I claim no superiority in typography or design, but I am a student of design. I will be a student for the rest of my life, because I plan on learning more and more for as long as I can. I have dabbled in oil paints, photography, and I still go to Meetups to learn more about Bootstrap, WordPress, or just about anything else available during my free time. This project has raised my awareness about typography and design. I plan, if time allows it, to revisit these designs and do a 10-minute recreation of their designs. This is to show the DIY owners what could be done if they hired a designer, instead of saving money and creating it themselves.

Thanks for visiting my site. If you have your own Awful Type images I would love to share them on my site.

James Benavides

Awful Type