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CRAIG WARD

Last night, despite the bitter, bitter cold, I dragged myself out to see Craig Ward speak as part of another AIGA event (I know, AIGA and I have been hanging tight lately). I'm SO glad I went because:

1. He's a super-inspiring designer and typographer that has an entirely unique perspective on type and

2. I'm a self-admitted sucker for Bri-ish accents

He works under the pseudonym, "Words are Pictures", which calls to his technique and viewpoint. He illustrates type...and by illustrate, I'm not talking about pen and ink (although he does that too). He creates type out of clumps of hair, feathers, dead cherry blossoms, and even...well, I'm not going to ruin it for you. But here's a tip: look out for the upcoming Creative Review cover designed by Ward (coming out early next year, I think).

He stressed last night that what makes his line of work enjoyable to him is surrendering the type to "the process". He likes to see what can happen when chance and experimentation take over. The unavoidable imperfections in the final product are what keep things interesting.

Above are some of my favorite works of his.

Sidenote: AIGA really does put on some great events. They're a great resource for design professionals and especially students (I can't stress this enough). You get up close and personal with fantastic (and sometimes famous) designers and artists, and have the liberty to ask them questions and network with them. You don't have to be a member to attend most of the events.

And no, I'm not getting paid for this endorsement, although I think I should be.

Check 'em out.