Studio Notes #101

Good Morning, Folks. Here are this week’s Studio Notes™—quick bits delivered to you each Friday.

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The founders of YETI coolers shared their story on How I Built This and I thought the bit about patents was interesting (among other highlights). Essentially, they decided to completely avoid the expense of filing patents and enforcing them for their innovative designs and instead focused on making the brand synonymous with the highest quality cooler you can buy. Smart move. Host Guy Raz added that chasing patent infringements can easily sink a company. I love this take on just try to make the best stuff—and it seems to have worked out well for them.

✏️

Hugh Dowey, the author of the Silo book series, has a great 4-part series on writing insights with super helpful advice for folks that want to start writing books. His approach on drafts vs. revisions was particularly valuable. Also, I can highly recommend the Silo Apple TV series, especially after the recently-released third season. It's fantastic sci-fi.

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I'm not sure why I love miniature things so much, but regardless, Derrick Lin's dioramas are bringing me joy today. It's the way he uses lighting here that really makes these feel special.

🌴

We're going to see La Lom here in Boston next week, and I've been digging back into their catalog. An old friend of mine in San Diego tipped me off about this band years ago. Such perfect music to work to. Instrumental, surfy, latin, lots of vintage reverb, Los Angeles vibes. Cannot wait to see them live.

This Week’s Poll

Last week I asked what the best guitar shape is, and I may have biased you all with the Telecaster, but the mighty Stratocaster is narrowly winning. I was happy to see one of my favorites, the Jazzmaster, getting proper praise.

Typeface O‘ the Week

Danmade This Week

I unintentionally started a new typeface, based on some hand-painted American Flyer model trains. Working title: Flyrail for now.

Really, I just wanted type like this to complement some of the existing SimpleBits® fonts. Something w i d e with simple "brushstrokes" that feel slightly off—like the underlying sketch is perfect and someone on an assembly line in the 1940s had to paint by hand, trying hard to stay in the lines, but really just wants to get home to listen to the radio and have a Manhattan ;-)

I'll see where it leads and keep you posted.

Now that I'm into it a bit, I have the urge to make a super condensed and go truly variable. Or, more realistically, it'll start as this single weight.

Have a peaceful weekend, and see you back here next week.

Cheers,