“Think before you speak.” We’ve all heard that advice. Now that people are sending 200 million tweets a day — 2400 per second, according to Mashable — the pressure is on to get information out there first, which means less fact-checking and more errors. So it’s time for an updated version of this mantra: “Google before you tweet.” When this bit of high-tech advice appeared on a letterpress print designed by Veer’s Joe Newton, we couldn’t help but smile at the irony.
As head of type for Veer, it’s Newton’s job to create type specimens for each new typeface released by the company. He often shares these with John Boardley of I Love Typography, who encouraged Newton to create a specimen for type designer Randy Jones’ font Olduvai.
At the time, Jon Parker, brand director at Minigroup, was Newton’s workmate at Veer. “We agreed that the concept should be contemporary to create some tension with the old-timey feel of the typeface,” says Newton. With that in mind, Parker created the “Google Before You Tweet” slogan, and Newton used the Olduvai font to design it. “My general rule with specimens is to use only the elements of the font with no significant alterations. All elements, including the borders, are part of that font family.”
The 8.5 x 11-in. letterpress poster ran as a limited edition of 100 and sold out at the I Love Typography shop. Joe reports a reprint is underway. Set your Google alert. [SJ]
