Leading is defined as the space in between lines of text, such spacing is often a tough thing to set yet is so important to establish a good vertical rhythm in your web or print project.
I thought over and over what could be a good formula that can set a balanced, organic that ease the reading experience; being best friend of the Golden Ratio (perhaps a little obsessed by it) I thought would have been perfect fit for this formula.
And here you are, “The Golden Leading” :)

Based on a modular scale in accordance to the Golden Ratio (1.618) the Golden Leading is very simple formula to use:
For Headers » Add the size of the type above to the size of the type below and divide the result by 1.618 (Golden Ratio). Thats the leading you should use between the two lines.
For Body Text » Multiply the size of the body by 1.618 (Golden Ratio). Thats the leading you should use in between the lines of body copy.

Example 1

If the header is 40pt and the subhead is 24pt the spacing between the two will be 40pt.
40+24/1.618 = 39.555 approximate 40pt

Example 2

If the header is 40pt and the body text is 13 the spacing between the two will be 33pt.
40+13/1.618 = 32.756 approximate 33pt

Example 3

If the copy is 13pt the leading will be 21.
13*1.618 = 21.034 approximate 21pt

This is just a simple way to make sure to always have the right amount of leading but is not THE ONLY way… you as a designer have the final call to choose what feels best for your design!
Enjoy!

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It’s been a while since my last post, I had 3 very intense months and didn’t have much time to write anything.. but I did work on many things!
I wanted to share with you one of the things I’ve been working on, a big personal project I’m sharing with Melissa (my wife), it’s our start up called Tasty Makes.
Tasty Makes will be an online space where anyone can get pre made healthy snack or create their own from scratch, a site where you can find your own raw, vegan, gluten free granolas, crackers, energy bars and just about any type of snacks you need during your day.
The site is now under constructions and I’ll share it with you once is done (next month or so) for now I’d like to show you a little of the process I used to create the logo.

Hand Sketches

I have started the process by gathering some thoughts on how I wanted the brand to feel and quickly sketching what I was looking for. An organic, sophisticated, curly and geometric logo with a little 1970s personality.

Moving to illustrator

Once I moved to vector I have experimented further possibilities and after a lot of attempts and Dribbble reviews I finally got what I was looking for!

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This morning felt like having fun with some old stamps I had in the house.

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I heard this quote some time ago, and although I can’t find who actually said it – I could’t agree more.

So often I find myself caught at work in the perfection loop waiting for something to be perfectly executed…but often that never happens. There is ALWAYS something to improve upon.

A better approach is to keep moving, do things, screw them up, learn and correct right away. That’s a lot better and more productive than waiting for the illusion of perfection!

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In November when I was in Milan with my family I was very exited to be home and I have found myself walking around the city looking at my childhood streets. I was surprised to see that not much had changed! The weather wasn’t great – foggy, wet and cold – however, I found myself in a strange state of peace.
I was in the same spot where I rode my first bicycle first bicycle , played Nascondino (Hide and Go Seek), fired a ridiculous amount of firecrackers, disassembled toys to build robots, heald bread and Nutella with my dirty hands…and it was soo peaceful and relaxed just thinking of those memories. I was looking at the past with new eyes, with a new filter, new glasses.

That same day while driving back home I heard on my favorite radio program Fabio Volo saying: “Le cose non si vedono per ciò che sono ma per ciò che sei” (You don’t see things for what they are, you see things for what you are.) and I realized how much truth there is in that statement. In everyday life, your coworker or friend’s attitude seems so annoying to you, however, the day after you may find that you love them for that very thing. On a bad day you look at a problem and see it as a huge roadblock, and on a good day you see it as a fun challenge. As Waine Dyer puts it, “The way you look at things change the way things are” (I’m seeing a future graphic opportunity here)

You don’t see things for what they are, you see things for what you are.

(click image to enlarge)

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New year, new focus. Here are few things I want to accomplish this year:

• letting go of regrets.
• focus on what I have, not whats missing.
• focus on what I am, not what we I’m not.
• focus on what I want, not what I don’t want.

Here’s to a bright new year!

(click image to enlarge)

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Think of how many ways there are in the world to carry around a new born baby, can you come up with a few? From a school research project that I made in 2004 I have found there to be over 40 major ways to transport a baby with hundreds of alternatives.
Those different techniques come from different parts of the world and they are all influenced by climate, available materials, cultural background, religion and traditions.

Populations have been separated by distance during the course of evolution and have grown without knowing the existence of others. Those aggregations of people came up with very different solutions to the same problems and thus createing variety in the world. Every single group of people believed to be doing things the best and most efficient way possible. Then, at times, they crossed people from foreign parts of the world and they realized that indeed there were more advanced and or different tools and techniques.

We know now that there are 7 continents, 20 major religions, 190 countries, 65,000 different languages, an infinite amount of ways to grow and cook food, to design and manufacture clothing, and so on. But what about the web? Are there web practices that differ drastically due to cultural backgrounds, climate, religion, etc? None that I’ve found.
And are there any differences between the layout of a website designed and developed in Germany from one done in Japan? Apparently not.

For sure language, imagery, message and products might change between websites from different countries but all websites around the globe seem to function the same way and have similar if not identical web UX standards.

The web has erased distances by connecting anyone in the world instantaneously and has standardized the delivery of information through predictable and mostly understandable architectures.

We are all key influencers of each other on the web and people from opposite sides of the world take inspiration from the same websites, read the same blogs, use the same tools and believe to all be doing things the best way possible. And here we go again…

It’s easy to get caught in the “this is the only way” mentality especially when the answer to the question “why?” is “because everyone in the world does it like that”.

Let’s pretend just for one second that the world is large and unknown just as before. How would you design pages on the web based solely on your cultural influences? My challenge to us all is to break the rules and forget about conventional approaches, and start pretending to be coming from a foreign place and begin to see the web with new eyes.

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We would still be trying to figure out how to light a fire if someone wouldn’t have shared with others the technique to do so. Sharing it’s at the basis of evolution and life.
Spontaneously sharing with others keeps things circulating. This constantly happens at a cellular level in order to keep organisms alive; Cells constantly share nutrition and information amongst one another in order to keep the greater whole (i.e. your body) functioning properly.

Never be afraid to learn something new and never be afraid to pass it along, it will enrich others as well as yourself.

Here is a nice tool that allows you to share with others snippets of your learnings as well as learn unexpected things! Check it out at Snipwits.com

(click image to enlarge)

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A few weeks ago while in Boston for a couple of days, I had the pleasure to meet, over a super Indian dinner, Brendan Ciecko, a web and graphic designer from the Boston area.
Brendan runs Ten Minute Media, a creative design, marketing and branding company with a focus on the music and entertainment industry. The company started almost a decade ago and has created websites for some mayor names in the music industry like Mick Jagger, Katy Perry, Lenny Kravitz,  Lolene, Denis Leary, New Kids on The Block, Joey McIntyre and so on…
And to top it all off, Brendan is only at the ripe age of 23. Yep that’s right, he started his carrier incredibly early, at the age 13.
Brendan was kind enough to answer a few odd yet design related questions that I hope you’ll find useful.

What are the first things you do after receiving a new website project? Do you have any creative process you follow?

Brendan: In the music industry, my job is to capture the music artist’s essence and create a presence, a representation, that conveys all of this via the web or other digital means.  The first steps I take when receiving a new project include discussing the client’s desires and goals, their target audience, and if they’re open to pushing the envelope and experimenting a bit.

What inanimate object best represents you?

Brendan: A whimsical or decorative piece of cast-iron fastened to the facade of 19-century bank building.

Where do you find your best inspirations?

Brendan: I find inspiration in everything that surrounds me. Artwork, music, architecture, cities, music, fashion, and of course, other websites.  Other than that the broader areas I listed, I stay tuned into what is happening in the design and UI/UX world with my eyes on various designers, style blogs, and the taste-makers on Dribbble.

If you could do any part of your work with your toes, what would you do?

Brendan: To avoid carpal-tunnel syndrome from working with my hands, I wish I could do most of my work with my toes.  In the future… oh, how great it will be when we can move pixels with our eyes and mind!

Do you have any practices to keep yourself motivated and creative?

Brendan: I can only design when I’m listening to music.  Music helps me set the pace and rhyme to my creative process and work-flow.  I also try to change my surroundings everyday – moving from offices, to cafes, to libraries, and outside when the weather is nice.

Do you dream?

Brendan: Yes, all the time, during night and day.  On that note, sleep is very sacred to me!

What would be your best advice for other designers?

Brendan: Don’t feel obligated to go college to become a designer.  The quality of one’s work usually speaks for itself. There are infinite resources available online and in print that can provide you with design fundamentals. Explore all mediums of design, typography is gold, wander museums, and keep designing!

If you would like to find out more about Brendan Ciecko’s story you can see this detailed article on the Boston Magazine or visit his website.

Feel free to comment below if you have any questions!

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Why do some websites stick in our memory so easily and for so long while others you forget immediately after you close the window?
Early in my career I had the privilege of working with Gianni Golfera who besides being the man with the largest memory in the world, is a very talented researcher and teacher of what he calls “The Art of Memory”. Working on his projects years ago I had the chance to learn some of his techniques and a useful memory tricks that I’ve found to be very useful when it comes to designing memorable web experiences.
Being memorable is not only an important quality in life, but it’s a must if you want to create a successful and powerful brand. And much of  a brand translates to the web, and it is on the web where positive memories are building engagement with users, which will create returning visitors and then loyal customers. Knowing what people remember and why it’s a powerful tool you can, and in my opinion, include in the design process.

So, here’s a question for you: Are your designs memorable for others?

Memory has been defined as the faculty of retaining and recalling past experience. In the process of acquisition of  information there are certain characteristics that are capable of stimulating the necessary cerebral activity that guarantee an efficient memorization, these characteristics have been scientifically researched by Gianni Golfera and we can summarize them with the acronym of EMBASI:

Exaggeration
Motion
Bizarre Association
Sentimental Involvement

Exaggeration

Exaggeration is a concept concerning ideas or things that point out a disproportion. It is the presence of dimensions or characteristics that are not considered standard. When we meet with something or someone exaggerated – for example an eight foot tall man, or the opposite, a very small woman – our attention increases. The “exaggerated” characteristic that marks that person or thing makes us remember very easily what we’ve just seen.
From a neurological point of view, exaggeration increases attention and cerebral activity, consequently causing positive results in the process of memorization.
Here are a couple of examples of websites that make the use of exaggeration to stand out:

The images and perceptions in those examples are visual data with extreme characteristics that causes the information to become a part of the long term memory. These exaggerated entities no only benefit the memorability of the site but also benefit the visual aspect of the site.

Is there an element in the project you are working on that can be exaggerated? Would that benefit the design and memorability?

Movement

Everything that moves naturally catches our attention and increases the process of memorization. Imagine a lot of people walking across a square and one of them starts running, where would you focus your attention? To the person that is running of course!
Obviously, memories are being created when you focus your attention on something therefore it’s easier for us to remember things we have seen in motion. This is a survival instinct that animals have too. Have you seen a lion on the hunt? Its steps are silent and its movements are very slow, otherwise it might be noticed by its prey.
During the visual process our brain tends to make an instinctive selection of useful information and since we naturally attribute life to things that move our interest is naturally caught from the movement.
Of course this characteristic finds it’s truth on the web, moving interactions and animations are certainly a great touch that can enhance a site memorability, here a few examples:

Movement, just like exaggeration, increases cerebral activity, facilitating the memorization process. However, especially within web design, try not to exaggerate too much with movement, because this could sometimes work against your favor.

Are there interactions that you could integrate in your design that would benefit both usability and memorability?  

Bizarre Association

Bizarre associations happens when one element is linked to one or more other elements without there being any affinities or logical connections between each other.
Take the case of a naked man among people wearing jackets and ties, or the opposite a person wearing a jacket and tie on a nude beach. Our brain receives the bizarre as something new and unknown, perhaps something that’s dangerous or an opportunity. In any case, we pay attention to it.
Try to think of something bizarre you have seen, a lot of things should immediately pop up in your mind. This is due to the natural predisposition that we have for remembering the bizarre.
Here are a few examples of sites with a little touch of bizzarre that I found interesting:

Is there a way to integrate a bizarre element in your design? No need to go crazy, can even be the smallest detail.

Sentimental Involvement

The bigger the cerebral area involved during the process of memorization, the more an experience gets imprinted into memory. An emotional involvement is certainly the best way to improve neurological activity. An emotional involvement definitely ensures information to be memorized, think of how many memories you have stored in your mind due to an emotional involvement… it could be your first kiss, the birth of a child, a trip, a wedding… all those images are so clear that you can easily remember them for the rest of your life.

When it comes to making emotional web experiences there are a couple of ways you can deliver an emotional impact to an audience – through content and design. Here are a few examples of sites that I feel do a great job at hitting the sentimantal/emotional spot.

In some ways, memory itself is an emotion. And when something involves us emotionally and is associated with exaggeration, motion and bizarre associations will certainly be easily remembered.

Is your design or service emotionally engaging? Is it remembered successfully by people? 

Advertising

The most successful advertising campaigns all play with these principles. They involve us emotionally and throw in an element of surprise in order to imprint that product or idea into our minds.
People who work in advertising know that successful advertising must follow a number of specific dynamics in order to have a strong impact. They know that people’s interest is stimulated by eccentric characters rather then ordinary ones and it’s necessary to use images that contain exaggeration, movement and bizarre associations to make the memorization process easy. For instance, do you remember this?

In this post I’m not promoting any type of design practices or rules, I’m simply listing what are scientifically proven ways to facilitate the memorization process.
Certainly, designing memorable things has risks. If the EMBASI characteristics on your site compromise the functionalities, reliability, or usability of an interface, the positive experience you wanted will probably mutate into a disaster for the user.
Even thought would still be memorable!

Do you have any good example of EMBASI sites to suggest?
Any idea you’d like to share?

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