montdor

SD street

2012-01-22T13:16:00.001-08:00

North Park and South Park, San Diego

Pinterest, Blue Bottle

2011-11-09T19:58:00.000-08:00

I'm loving Pinterest as a place to keep "boards" (collages) of my favorite images. Just moved and I have BOXES of magazine clippings form over the years. I'll never give em up, but my luggage just got a whole lot lighter....

Source: kaper22.blogspot.com via jackie on Pinterest

To live by ...

2011-10-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

The HP Way

We have trust and respect for individuals.

We approach each situation with the belief that people want to do a good job and will do so, given the proper tools and support. We attract highly capable, diverse, innovative people and recognize their efforts and contributions to the company. HP people contribute enthusiastically and share in the success that they make possible.

We focus on a high level of achievement and contribution.

Our customers expect HP products and services to be of the highest quality and to provide lasting value. To achieve this, all HP people, especially managers, must be leaders who generate enthusiasm and respond with extra effort to meet customer needs. Techniques and management practices which are effective today may be outdated in the future. For us to remain at the forefront in all our activities, people should always be looking for new and better ways to do their work.

We conduct our business with uncompromising integrity.

We expect HP people to be open and honest in their dealings to earn the trust and loyalty of others. People at every level are expected to adhere to the highest standards of business ethics and must understand that anything less is unacceptable. As a practical matter, ethical conduct cannot be assured by written HP policies and codes; it must be an integral part of the organization, a deeply ingrained tradition that is passed from one generation of employees to another.

We achieve our common objectives through teamwork.

We recognize that it is only through effective cooperation within and among organizations that we can achieve our goals. Our commitment is to work as a worldwide team to fulfill the expectations of our customers, shareholders and others who depend upon us. The benefits and obligations of doing business are shared among all HP people.

We encourage flexibility and innovation.

We create an inclusive work environment which supports the diversity of our people and stimulates innovation. We strive for overall objectives which are clearly stated and agreed upon, and allow people flexibility in working toward goals in ways that they help determine are best for the organization. HP people should personally accept responsibility and be encouraged to upgrade their skills and capabilities through ongoing training and development. This is especially important in a technical business where the rate of progress is rapid and where people are expected to adapt to change.

Back to school ... I mean, work

2011-08-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

I start a new job in September. New company, new colleagues, new enterprise, and a very new location. The whole thing reminds me of shipping off to college, in a way. Here are the essentials I've laid in for my first day.

Black Pearl erasers
I'm obsessed. Love the look and the feel in your hand. How did these not exist earlier? Again, obsessed.

Ticonderoga Black Pencils
The same pencil my mom started me with as a kid, but sleeker. Also intrigued by the Black Warrior, but pencil afficionados seem mixed on it, so for now I'll stick with my tried and true.

Moleskine Reporter
Duh. Of COURSE a Moleskine. Only one comment worth mention here: I prefer the Reporter for its bind on the short end — no spine to get in the way or hand ink, my specialty.

Sharpie fine point pens
The permanence in a finer grain. Black only, naturally.

Execution
The book that "could have been Tim Cook's Bible." I actually bought this before the last week and its news events, but safe to expect a spike in sales.

Covet: laptop shoulder bag

2011-08-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for the ideal handbag configured as laptop case, suited to the realities of life in tech. We need day-to-night, without compromising the practicality or the chic. Liking this Acme bag in black.

Operating on instinct

2011-08-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

"Mr. Cook...described his decision to join Apple in 1998 as the most significant of his life and one that allowed him to engage in 'truly meaningful work.'

Joining Apple was not obvious at the time, he said, because of its precarious state, which made many people think it was on the road to bankruptcy.

A chief executive whom he did not name told Mr. Cook that he’d be a fool to leave Compaq, where he was vice president of corporate materials. His ultimate decision was not an obvious one, he conceded, adding that engineers are taught to make decisions analytically and without emotion.

But Mr. Cook, who speaks with remnants of a Southern drawl, said: 'There are times in all of our lives when a reliance on gut or intuition just seems more appropriate — when a particular course of action just feels right.'

Compaq, which seemed so solid to that friend issuing the warning, no longer exists. In 2002 it was bought by Hewlett-Packard — itself a troubled company these days. There are no sure things in technology for longer than about a month."

From the NY Times

Perhaps my favorite Jobs insight

2011-08-25T19:25:00.000-07:00

Hard to pick, but this may be the winner.

"You're asking, where does aesthetic judgment come from? With many things—high-performance automobiles, for example—the aesthetic comes right from the function, and I suppose electronics is no different. But I've also found that the best companies pay attention to aesthetics. They take the extra time to lay out grids and proportion things appropriately, and it seems to pay off for them. I mean, beyond the functional benefits, the aesthetic communicates something about how they think of themselves, their sense of discipline in engineering, how they run their company, stuff like that.

...We thought, why don't we take the extra few days or weeks and do it right? We had a fundamental belief that doing it right the first time was going to be easier than having to go back and fix it. And I cannot say strongly enough that the repercussions of that attitude are staggering. I've seen them again and again throughout my business life. They're just staggering.

In my experience, people get far more excited about doing something as well as it can be done than about doing something adequately. If they are working in an environment where excellence is expected, then they will do excellent work without anything but self-motivation. I'm talking about an environment in which excellence is noticed and respected and is in the culture. If you have that, you don't have to tell people to do excellent work. They understand it from their surroundings. You may have to coach them at first, but then you just get out of their way, and they'll surprise you time and time again."

Excerpted from an interview in Inc. Magazine
Entrepreneur of the Decade, 1989.

More summer travel; a word on packing for travel comfort

2011-07-12T07:28:00.001-07:00

En route to NYC and then Belize. Notes to self: pack sooner, (even) lighter, and get a 22" rolling bag that works in cabin. (see mireille guiliano's travel recs for the ultimate in chic practicality despite the anachronisms -- cassette tapes! the concorde!). I'm getting better, but there's further to go. I hereby swear this is the last time I carry my luggage on my back.

SF summer

2011-07-07T13:59:00.001-07:00

A favorite patch of green in the midst of nerd central. Love it here.

Painting Downtown LA

2011-06-27T10:51:00.001-07:00

A series of sketches...

blue letter paper

2011-06-19T11:59:00.000-07:00

An obsession since college, and Crane's purchased at the Y Coop. It was called Newport Blue, a beautiful rich color, edged in white. (Crane's calls the color something else now ...) Always the ultimate to me.

And then I saw Jackie Kennedy's letters. Over time, and varying headers, the blue persists. Note the block type headers, the only time I can ever recall liking initial caps! Looks like a basic Engravers Gothic.

Here's a look ... Images from the NYT, the Archives of American Art, and various auctions.

goodbye, shanghai

2011-06-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

two days, too brief. i was quite moved by my meetings with team here — doing extraordinary work in challenging conditions by US standards. their communication of so much in so little time, despite our language difference, just shows what can be done. design is after all so much about communication. also a great respite yesterday at the frog sh office; their practice and people continue to inspire. what an opportunity to hear firsthand the nuanced and thoughtful approach of jan chipchase and colleagues. grateful for our team, for the entire trip.

night on cloud nine

2011-06-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

there is a hidden club — requires two elevator changes to get to — at the very top of this building. the most magical, luxe bar i've ever been in. a masked card shark twirls and lurks, shuffling an all-white deck as he skims around, looking like a tuxedoed carnival confection. panoramas of shanghai are breathtaking. i'll be going back tonight.

shanghai!

2011-06-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

arrived at the grand hyatt. reception is on the 54th floor. lobby like shanghai surprise: beautiful geometric ironwork, composed wood fretwork, armfuls of agapanthus blossoms — long stems — crammed into a tall vase. orchids behind reception desk. exquisite. this reminds me: need to remember the name of the chinese restaurant in soho in the late 90s ... on mercer street? it was done up to look like 1940s shanghai. recall sitting next to kate spade one day at lunch. name of the place escapes me now, but will track it down.

do you recall when love was all, and we were seventeen

2011-06-06T15:51:00.001-07:00

here are more... beginning to scratch the itch

when you and i were seventeen, and life and love were new ...

2011-06-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

current obsession: gatsby. first photos here, but it's actually not the blondes in this flick that interest me the most....

first days in singapore

2011-06-06T15:38:00.001-07:00

the sky is overcast, the air heavy. everywhere — even in the depths of orchard road — is green, lush. plants grow on top of plants. great fashion, even in the first two days. amazing energy from the team. liking it here.

1976

2011-02-02T18:54:00.001-08:00

Genius

Tanks

2011-01-29T11:48:00.001-08:00

Little Italy, SD

Original wild +1

2011-01-14T14:04:00.001-08:00

It's all about the 4.

Solana Beach, CA

Typespotting: north park

2010-11-13T21:05:00.000-08:00

Typespotting: feels good all over

2010-10-30T10:09:00.001-07:00

I want you

2010-10-09T16:12:00.001-07:00

Must read

2010-10-05T14:53:00.001-07:00

Christopher Isherwood, Diaries

Goodbye, Margaret Hofflund

2010-09-20T22:27:00.001-07:00

A lovely English lady -- with tremendous flair and zest for life -- passed away this morning. Dickie had style for miles, a wonderfully wicked, bawdy sense of humor, and great instincts for what made a good time. Every holiday, we could hear the laughter and merriment from next door, down the hill.

I knew her all my life.

Thank you for all you conveyed over the years. You and Chuck showed us all how splendid life-- and marriage -- could be. I'm only sorry we didn't have the chance to spend more time together of late. I'll miss you madly. End of an era.

On the street

2010-09-20T16:35:00.001-07:00

Ghastly

2010-09-19T15:45:00.000-07:00

Design store with Comic Sans signage? Is it some kind of a joke?

Paul Williams at the BHH

2010-09-18T13:37:00.001-07:00

Original pattern by Williams in the Fountain Room. Classic Los Angeles.

Best breakfast in LA. Shhhhh...

GUSH: current obsesssion

2010-08-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

Gush - Let's Burn Again
Uploaded by CInq7. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

Goodbye SLC

2010-08-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

The place that is more other to me than a foreign country. Beautiful evening at Sundance, and so inspired by brilliant colleagues. Eyes burning from lack of sleep.

Resort to Color

2010-08-24T22:16:00.001-07:00

American Vogue, Dec 1988
shot by Peter Lindbergh

This spread has stuck in my mind since I was a kid. Pure color, simple shapes. Linda Evangelista and Carre Otis in what was, I think, Anna Wintour's second issue. Clean, crisp ... Greek Islands. (More on this in The Big Blue.) Looks to me like this shoot was ripped off for a much later T Times Mag cover -- which doesn't come close. It lacks the light, the color intensity of Lindbergh. Find the rest of the shoot on this amazing site; major hattip and gratitude.

m cafe culver

2010-01-03T22:23:00.001-08:00

See my Tabblo>

california quail

2010-01-03T22:18:00.000-08:00

See my Tabblo>

little sculpture from gypsyland vintage, desert hot springs. $8.99.

desert hot springs, new years 2009-10

2010-01-03T09:14:00.001-08:00

See my Tabblo>

noo in town

2010-01-03T08:21:00.001-08:00

See my Tabblo>

vintage

2009-08-08T20:31:00.001-07:00

beverly drive. beverly hills, ca.

2009-08-02T14:56:00.001-07:00

hope springs. desert hot springs, california.

2009-08-02T14:52:00.001-07:00

hope springs. desert hot springs, california.

2009-08-02T14:48:00.001-07:00

silvia.

2009-08-02T14:28:00.001-07:00

disney hall

2009-08-02T14:25:00.001-07:00

poolside

2009-08-02T14:23:00.001-07:00

the avalon. los angeles, california.

2009-08-02T14:22:00.001-07:00

desert hot springs, california.

desert windmills

2009-08-02T14:19:00.001-07:00

rivas canyon

2009-08-02T12:47:00.001-07:00

twilight westward

2009-08-01T22:57:00.001-07:00

typespotting: vintage modern

2009-07-13T12:06:00.001-07:00

totally contemporary, still retro. fits right in.
the brewery, downtown los angeles.

typespotting: abq

2009-04-20T11:43:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by montdor

amazing with all the color, contrasting type, and even a logo, this doesn't look chaotic. more than mere kitsch, someone did a pretty fine job here.

nob hill, albuquerque, new mex.

typespotting: marfa

2009-02-09T12:15:00.001-08:00

Originally uploaded by montdor

a lot or two over from the thunderbird.

typespotting: urban escape

2009-01-16T10:03:00.001-08:00

urban escape
Originally uploaded by montdor

familiar friends in unexpected places. the famous new yorker type, originally drawn by art director rea irvin, i believe. on the very californian abbott kinney.

nb's hand.

venice, ca.

typespotting: proprietary heinz type

2009-01-16T09:58:00.001-08:00

heinz type
Originally uploaded by montdor

withstands the roger black "gutter test": without the logo, you'd still know whose brand this was, anywhere.

stay away from the mustard, gnarly.

after bruce's party. mel's diner. sunset, hollywood.

typespotting: pink's

2009-01-16T09:56:00.001-08:00

pink's
Originally uploaded by montdor

fat and sassy. that's an original, unless i miss my guess. it looks so late 60s/early 70s to me.

hollyweird.

panda street grafeet

2009-01-16T09:54:00.001-08:00

street grafeet
Originally uploaded by montdor

so simple, so cute. after the good event. another great stencil.

[west?] hollywood, ca.

typespotting: good magazine LA

2009-01-16T09:53:00.001-08:00

good magazine LA
Originally uploaded by montdor

good logo. totally of the moment, still timeless. combine with the one-off 8.5x11 stencil and you really have something.

typespotting: downtown vintage

2009-01-16T09:51:00.001-08:00

downtown vintage
Originally uploaded by montdor

out downtown for the holiday block party, in the 5th and main vicinity.

typespotting: conart

2009-01-16T09:48:00.001-08:00

conart
Originally uploaded by montdor

the double hit makes this even better. early new year's day, lucy's taco drive thru ... (need we say more?)

los angeles, ca.

typespotting: fencing signs

2009-01-16T09:47:00.001-08:00

standard
Originally uploaded by montdor

out of LA confidential. narrow N, love the blend of sans and hefty serif. also love the phone "number." this was a horrible day, but this design bright note was followed by a private tour of a paul williams house. unbeatable. tarzana, ca.

when the content is funnier than the type.

2009-01-16T09:44:00.001-08:00

R23 valet
Originally uploaded by montdor

why, i'm sure we do. R23 valet. downtown los angeles.

typespotting: bel-air camera

2008-11-12T09:50:00.001-08:00

bel-air camera
Originally uploaded by montdor

Irregular, calligraphic script combined with squat, square sans caps. Love it. Who knew Bel-Air was hyphenated?

Westwood, CA

typespotting: busted 1618

2008-11-11T13:43:00.001-08:00

busted 1618
Originally uploaded by montdor

fat 1s. around the corner from nanbankan.

on corinth, south of santa monica blvd, west LA.

typespotting: 180

2008-10-17T13:01:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by montdor

gorgeous, narrow, balanced. if i ever get engraved stationery, this will be my inspiration.

upper east side, manhattan. of course.

typespotting: water supply nyc

2008-10-17T12:58:00.001-07:00

drinking water sampling station
Originally uploaded by montdor

this is a drinking water sampling station, which is just a weird idea to begin with. ok, let me not be flip: i'm sure it's a good idea, with a real purpose, but it's new to me. anyway, my interest is the weirdness of these characters. they're industrial, standard, so like a template, i'd anticipate something typically monospace. no. look at the relative widths of the K to the O. now that IS weird.

typespotting: nyc

2008-10-17T12:52:00.001-07:00

side door to the church
Originally uploaded by montdor

right off park on the upper east side. this is the side door to the church.

typespotting: N0W RENTING WEEKLY

2008-10-09T12:19:00.001-07:00

N0W RENTING WEEKLY
Originally uploaded by montdor

in hollyweird. great use of zero sideways.

typespotting: LUMBNG

2008-10-09T12:15:00.001-07:00

LUMBNG
Originally uploaded by montdor

on pico, near la cienega. nice type tho.

typespotting: bermuda telephone

2008-09-06T00:17:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by montdor

typespotting: i g king & co

2008-08-11T16:24:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by montdor

they don't make this anymore, do they? the symmetry of the K and the G, the ampersand make this one unique in my experience. love the dashes, too.

industrial downtown LA.

typespotting: historic core downtown LA

2008-08-11T14:37:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by montdor

reduce, reuse, recycle.

typespotting: historic core downtown LA

2008-08-11T14:36:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by montdor

what makes this type chinese?

typepotting: underpass to hollywood bowl

2008-08-07T11:28:00.001-07:00

ped underpass to hollywood bowl
Originally uploaded by montdor

american classic. love the heavy lower halves of the 5 and 3

typespotting: los angeles times bulding

2008-07-30T12:19:00.001-07:00

los angeles times bulding
Originally uploaded by montdor

Perfection. Short upper stems on the Es, the high cross on the H, the bottom-heavy S give this vintage distinction.

typespotting: by hand at the culver city farmers' market

2008-07-30T12:15:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by montdor

Pretty print. Tall, elegant characters. The single bowl 'a' and long dot on the i lend a calligraphic quality.

typespotting: buckeye

2008-07-28T19:45:00.001-07:00

buckeye
Originally uploaded by montdor

on the beverly hills sidewalk. moments before the work descended and i needed to bolt from batman, alas. heath will have to wait.

outside the directors' guild on doheny.

typespotting: richmond

2008-07-23T19:23:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by montdor

first day in richmond, and the first of many shots of this ilk. again, great, wide sans. funky.

typespotting: fredericksburg

2008-07-23T19:19:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by montdor

gorgeous sans on the streets. look at the width of each character, the spacious, even kern, the balance of the two lines. the type itself: the short middle stroke on the E matches the short foot on the R, the shallow dips of the W and M. looks simple, but is perfect. my friend thinks this is kind of nuts but type must prevail. first night in VA.

stop, hammer time

2008-05-12T04:52:00.001-07:00

stop, hammer time
Originally uploaded by montdor

it's the punctuation. top of redcliff avenue, silverlake.

typespotting: by hand

2008-05-11T22:08:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by montdor

on pico. los angeles.

Einstein: Imagination is more important than knowledge.

2008-04-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

"For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

Other gems here.

Total reality check.

typespotting: park motel

2008-04-21T08:56:00.001-07:00

park motel
Originally uploaded by montdor

ventura blvd. studio city, ca

typespotting: vintage

2008-04-19T01:50:00.001-07:00

library, montana branch
Originally uploaded by montdor

something santa monica does really well: the old library sign.

montana branch.

santa monica, ca.

typespotting: love <3e

2008-04-19T01:48:00.001-07:00

love
Originally uploaded by montdor

creative. on a dumpster behind main and hill, santa monica.

unsolicited: photo in gourmet

2008-04-17T17:38:00.001-07:00

santa monica farmer's market
Originally uploaded by montdor

gourmet magazine is running this photo. i took it sunday at the santa monica farmer's market; they contacted me yesterday. i am so thrilled!

see the article here.

Yale type: discuss

2008-04-15T15:01:00.001-07:00

Four years later, a fun article about Matthew Carter's typeface for Yale.

More about the typeface here.

finally: open

2008-04-14T23:02:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by montdor

in the "can do no wrong" file.

father's office, culver city.

typespotting: by hand

2008-04-13T23:21:00.001-07:00

santa monica farmer's market
Originally uploaded by montdor

dodger dogs, etc.

amazing colors.

santa monica farmer's market.

typespotting: by hand

2008-04-12T10:45:00.001-07:00

hp san diego
Originally uploaded by montdor

making the effort.

in the hp facility, san diego

typespotting: so broken

2008-04-09T09:36:00.001-07:00

busted
Originally uploaded by montdor

was this done by hand? the hanging g was what first caught my eye. but you also gotta love the popping s, the tipping e in "Ticket", the missing dot on the i in "Parking" and the overall kern situation. psychotic.

century city parking lot, gelson's. century city, ca.

typespotting: cooper black

2008-04-09T09:32:00.001-07:00

legalize
Originally uploaded by montdor

on robertson. thanks, american apparel.

what's the difference between a typeface and a font?

2008-04-04T20:35:00.000-07:00

classic question. thanks to a great typographer i once knew, i got the answer before i could even formulate the question. since i'm no wordsmith, required reading here.

one of the commenters offered this great bit from HFJ:

"In the days of metal type, a "typeface" was a particular design for an alphabet, and a "font" was the manifestation of that design as a single batch of printing types. A printer who wanted to use the Franklin Gothic typeface would order a set of fonts for each size in which they were needed: perhaps one font of 24 point Franklin Gothic, another font of 18 point, and three or four fonts of 12-point, just to make sure there was always an ample supply of letters. (Like the rubber stamp kit you had as a kid, fonts contained only a fixed number of each letter, which were provided in proportion to their frequency.)

Since alphabets are now recorded digitally, they can be resized at will, and never run out of letters. As a result, the words "typeface" and "font" have come to be used interchangeably. You can sometimes detect vestiges of the old practice, when people use "typeface" to mean a particular design, and "font" to refer to the digital file that embodies that design. One often speaks of "choosing a typeface," but "installing a font on your computer."

typespotting: great sans

2008-04-04T20:18:00.001-07:00

aero
Originally uploaded by montdor

meaning the aero logo, of course. the rounded A and E, the long leg on the R, the slightly squared O. i'm looking for a decent match.

aero theatre, santa monica.

typespotting: dancing ls

2008-04-03T10:19:00.001-07:00

dancing ls
Originally uploaded by montdor

noticeable contrast in the characters. look at the full size and you'll see funny flanges at the terms.

downtown LA. spring street somewhere around 8th.

typespotting: dodger fans only

2008-04-02T22:40:00.001-07:00

look at the wacky difference in character width on the A in FANS and PARKING. the N is abby normal, too.

cheviot hills, los angeles

night at the museum

2008-03-28T16:19:00.001-07:00

hard to believe this was almost three months ago. daniel loved this type.

typespotting: pink taco

2008-03-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

unexpected pairing of blackletter with hot pink. tacky as hell. good food, actually.

first mark

2008-03-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

a painting prof i had used to say, "first mark, best mark." the idea was that first impulse had a truth rarely achieved, even in the best rework.

over time and different media, that's proven pretty accurate. in design as in painting, though, some more complex solutions only come with a lot of rework. you press on, you iterate until finally the breakthrough comes. in the best cases, these solutions resonate with the first mark. there's something essential that can carry through.