Chank’s Twigs and Berries

In my opinion Chank's work has constantly gotten weaker over the last few years. Even thought the JPEGs are small they are blurry, and there are many letters missing.

How about doing one alphabet well?

Dang. you're right about the JPEGs, Raymond. I'll revise the entry to indicate that.

Pff, I think it's a great initiative and who cares about missing letters -
> it's put up for free so you can't complain in my opinion.

The fonts made from the jpegs are quite funny I'd say.

Hooray for the experiment and workshop.

I whole-heartedly agree that it was a great idea. The letters that were contributed are great. The finished result is sub-standard.

I think that is is valid to critique any work by "a design firm" claiming to be "specializing in fonts".

Just sayin' they missed out on offering some nice images. I think the idea is great, overall.

I think it was a great idea. The only thing that kinda bothers me is that they were using printed templates from existing fonts.

hhp

Rolf: I see nothing on those pages to suggest that there would be letters missing from the downloads. Given that there's an assumably complete TTF file, it's not exactly a leap of logic to assume that "available in both..." would suggest there's a complete set of JPEGs. Hence: Complaint.

Yes, it's free, and thanks and all that, but shoddy/incomplete work isn't excused by that.
On the other, more practical hand, let's examine the possibility that the missing letters are an oversight. It would suck if Chank didn't even know they were missing, since nobody complained, huh?
Has anyone contacted him?

Predating Mr Diesel's work by approximately a year:

http://www.thirstype.com/playground_twiggies.html

Which came first? The chicken, or the chicken nugget? The chicken, obviously.

c

But if the chicken happens to be subsiding exclusively on chicken nuggets, then it's not so clear.

hhp

Hrant,
thank you for your insightful response to what I was hoping would be viewed as a subtle dig at the Mister Twiggy typeface's similarity to Rick and Dakota's Twiggies typeface.

Whatever the case, they are very different works. Twiggies is an original typeface design made from leaves and twigs, and Mister Twiggy is a series of recreations of existing typefaces in the medium of leaves, twigs, cigarette butts, seeds, and other windfall.

And in any event, chicken nuggets don't seem to be made from chicken at all, but from various proteins.

c

"design" camp? Yet no design takes place. Typography camp would have made more sense.

The experiment....did what exactly? Promote chank and raise website hits?

When the world is going crazy, this is what people are doing with their spare time? Playing in the woods, recreating Chanks type? Not even expanding the "experiment" to include fonts in general and how best to utilize the finished product in a further projects? Perhaps projects that bring attention to issues in the world?

The experiment is a failure if it doesn't teach.... if their is no lesson, it is merely PLAY.

Well now, who peed in your Fruit Loops? If you're quibbling over words, then why didn't you continue on to camp? I've heard that people like to go there and play.

But that would kind of invalidate your little tirade, wouldn't it? Troubling.

I'll leave it to those more qualified to handle the debate over whether design took place.

That wasn't a tirade... just a differing opinion from the usual kiss ass responses.
I wasn't hostile with my post.... I was pointing out things that others may not have questioned.

I'm very sure that I could have easily said... "oh how terrific"...blah blah blah... but I aired my honest opinion.

When responding to something I post, at least RESPOND to what I wrote... don't try and make me out to be some angry person who's opinion doesn't count.

As for
" If you're quibbling over words, then why didn't you continue on to camp? "

I believe typographers quibble over type... I would assume words are also worth quibbling about to typographers.

Okay, then. Please enlighten us as to why no design took place, rather than claiming it didn't from some personal opinion that I at least am obviously not inferring.

As for naming the thing typography camp or whatever, the AIGA is a design association. Fonts are designed. Design Camp is a regular event, and its name is generic enough to allow it to be about any design-related activity, which is rather convenient if you're going to do it 20+ times. It happened to be typography this time. Why should that require a name change?

If we can't claim that suggesting the purpose of the event was nothing other than to promote Chank and give him hits(like he needs them) isn't hostile, then let's just call bullshit on your ad hominem.
The page linked to offers the fonts, and basically says they were there to have some fun. You have no idea what else happened at the event, where they very well may have discussed what could be done with the type and its global ramifications(because the world's going crazy and all that). On the other hand, all I see is that they went there to have a good time, not worry over the "issues of the world." See a pattern? It's not suggested anywhere that this was something profound and thoughtful. It's camp. It's nice to take a break occasionally. It's a single page, not a mini-site.

Incidentally, if you claim someone isn't responding to what you wrote, then try and avoid said behavior yourself. Please look up and note that I didn't tell you not to quibble over words, I asked why you didn't complete the exercise .

I think observing and manipulating natural objects can provide great insight into letterforms.

And playing is good for you.

hhp

Add another vote for the value of play!

McGee, my reaction to the page was to think what a great learning experience the event might have been. It breaks the usual boundary of design teaching that has a student anchored to the computer and it connects the work of design quite literally to the immediate environment and community.

Whether what actually occurred matches your fantasy or mine is something we'd have to find out from the participants.

For me, the real shame is the transformation from beautifully textured color originals to plain black and white outlines. It seems to me that Thirstype's Twiggy font had the end product of a font at the forefront when making design decisions, while the Design Camp fonts look as if the font is only a shadow of the design goal.

Of course, that could just be another fantasy of mine. ;)

> the real shame is the transformation from beautifully textured color originals to plain black and white outlines.

Indeed - it almost ruins the whole thing. They should have used Photofonts. Or just left them as a collection of images, for use as initial caps for example.

hhp

"On the other hand, all I see is that they went there to have a good time, not worry over the "issues of the world."

All I'll say is...leave it to Americans to have the luxury to not HAVE to worry about what's going on in the world.

I never said typography isn't design...but to label this "Design Camp" is still a bit of an exagoration.

I still say that the experiment didn't go far enough and was simply promotional.

Kristin... read. It's not McGee.

Keep on patting each other on the back.

I'm out

Peace

I think the page on Chank's site might lead those who don't know about AIGA/Minnesota's Design Camp to think that Chank's workshop was Design Camp. It wasn't.

MGee, I read your post several times and gave it a thoughtful and honest response.

However, I committed an egregious typo on your name in attempting to speak directly to you. I humbly apologize for that.

leave it to Americans to have the luxury to not HAVE to worry about what's going on in the world.

Come off it, already.
I'd take the time here to point out that you still fail to address anyone's objections to your arguments, but you're leaving anyway. Don't let the door hit you.

All I can say is that you simply can't bash too hard on free content on the web. So if some images are not crispy sharp, too bad.. (I'd rather see them 300dpi crispy clear of course too), but I still like it.

Where can I sign up?

Have a good weekend y'all.