Reference & Inspiration

August 28 2021, 2 Comments

CURATED DESIGN — Online Publications, Competitions & Blogs

Abduzeedo — A daily design blog showcasing inspiration, tutorials, and creative work across visual design disciplines.

AIGA Eye on Design — AIGA’s online magazine covering contemporary graphic design, trends, and cultural commentary.

The Branding Guideline Archive — A curated archive that collects and shares design and brand guideline documents submitted by brands and designers for educational purposes.

Behance — Adobe’s platform for designers to showcase creative portfolios and discover inspiring projects.

Booooooom (Design) — A leading art and design blog highlighting emerging talent and experimental work.

Communication Arts — A long-running magazine featuring creative excellence in design, advertising, and illustration.

Core77 Design Awards — Visual Communications — An international competition recognizing outstanding work in communication and graphic design.

Creative Boom — An online magazine offering design news, features, and career advice for creatives.

Dezeen – Graphics — A section of the architecture and design site highlighting visual communication projects.

Design Made in Japan — A bilingual publication focusing on Japanese graphic design and creative culture.

Design Observer — A critical design journal covering visual culture, theory, and history.

Design Week – Awards Showcase — A UK design magazine featuring industry news and award-winning projects.

Designspiration — A visual discovery tool for designers to collect and share inspirational imagery.

Eye Magazine — A respected international journal of graphic design, criticism, and visual culture.

FormFiftyFive (Archive) — Once a vibrant design community and blog, now an archived source of inspiration.

Graphis — An international publisher of design, advertising, photography, and illustration annuals.

Identity Designed — A blog and book series dedicated to visual identity and branding projects.

It’s Nice That — A creative platform spotlighting contemporary graphic design, art, and visual culture.

LogoLounge — A searchable database of logo design inspiration and trends, with entries published in LogoLounge annuals.

Mindsparkle Mag — A curated showcase of design, branding, web, and motion projects.

Napkin.ai — An AI-driven platform offering design trend analysis and curated creative inspiration.

Print Magazine — A publication covering the evolution of visual culture, typography, and design history.

Shillington Blog — Articles and inspiration from Shillington’s global design education community.

Slanted — A German-based design magazine with a strong focus on typography and global creative voices.

The Creative Review — A leading UK magazine exploring commercial creativity and design culture.

The Design Blog — A curated blog featuring global design inspiration and student projects.

Type01 — A magazine and platform dedicated to contemporary typography and type design.

UnderConsideration / Brand New — A leading site analyzing corporate and brand identity redesigns and trends.

Wallpaper* — A global design and lifestyle magazine featuring cutting-edge graphic and visual design.

GRAPHIC DESIGN DIRECTORIES

A List Apart — A long-standing webzine about design and development, serving as a hub for design standards, best practices, and commentary.

AIGAA professional association, providing the networking, inspiration, and tools to help you thrive as a design professional.

BIPOC Studios (Crowdsourced Directory) — A global crowdsourced list of Black- and minority-owned design and architecture studios.

Blacks Who Design — An online directory dedicated to highlighting Black designers across disciplines.

Ladies, Wine & Design — A global non-profit initiative founded by Jessica Walsh, aiming to see more diversity in the creative industry, especially within leadership roles.

Latinx Design Directory — A platform celebrating Latinx designers and technologists, showcasing talent through profiles and editorial features.

Latinxs Who Design — A filterable directory that highlights Latinx design professionals for visibility, mentorship, and community.

LogoLounge — A searchable database of logo design inspiration and trends, with entries published in LogoLounge annuals.

Organization of Black Designers (OBD) — A nonprofit that empowers Black designers through advocacy, education, and visibility.

Women Who Design — A directory spotlighting women working in design across industries.

Women Who Draw — An open directory of professional women illustrators, emphasizing diversity and visibility.

Queer Design ClubFounded in 2019 to celebrate the work that happens at the intersection of design and queer identity.

TYPE FOUNDRIES & FONT RESOURCES

205TFFrench type foundry established in 2017, known for contemporary display and text typefaces.

A is for fonts — Founded by Émilie Rigaud, this Paris-based foundry specializes in typefaces with strong personalities, including Tongari and Circé.

A2-Type — London-based type foundry established in 2010 by A2/SW/HK, creators of Regular and Battersea Slab.

ALT.tf — Established in 2022 by Femme Type, ALT.tf collaborates with underrepresented designers to create unique, forward-thinking typefaces.

AlfaType — Italian type foundry founded in 2006 by Joseph Miceli, notable for Bianco Sans and Bianco Serif.

Avondale Type Co. — Chicago-based foundry founded in 2013, creators of ATC Harris and ATC Ripley.

Blaze Type — French type foundry founded in 2016 by Matthieu Salvaggio.

Blok Design Type Foundry — Women-led foundry creating experimental display and text typefaces.

Bold Monday — Dutch type foundry established in 2008 by Paul van der Laan and Pieter van Rosmalen; known for Nitti and Nitti Grotesk.

Briefcase Type Foundry briefcasetype.com — Prague-based foundry established by Tomáš Brousil and Radek Sidun; creators of BC Falster Grotesk.

Bureau Brut bureaubrut.com — Type division of French design studio Bureau Brut, founded in 2017; notable for Traulha.

Camelot camelottype.com — German type collective founded by Maurice Göldner, Katharina Köhler, and Wolfgang Schwärzler; creators of Graebenbach.

Colophon Foundry colophon-foundry.org — London/New York-based foundry founded in 2009; creators of Apercu and Relative.

Commercial Type commercialtype.com — Founded by Paul Barnes and Christian Schwartz; publishes original typefaces and international collaborations.

Counter Forms counter-forms.com — Australian foundry promoting diverse typography, focusing on female, LGBTQIA+, and BIPOC designers.

Dalton Maag daltonmaag.com — Type foundry with offices in London and Brazil, established in 1991; creators of Aktiv Grotesk and Effra.

Darden Studio dardenstudio.com — Brooklyn-based foundry founded by Joshua Darden in 2004; creators of Freight Text and Freight Sans.

The Designers Foundry designersfoundry.com — Global type collective founded by Daniel McQueen in 2012; creators of Morion and Gordita.

Dinamo dinamo.ch — Swiss foundry established by Johannes Breyer and Fabian Harb; creators of Favorit and Ginto.

DSType dstype.com — Portugal-based foundry founded by Dino dos Santos in 1994; creators of Acta Display and Leitura News.

Emigre emigre.com — American foundry founded by Rudy VanderLans and Zuzana Licko in 1984; creators of Mrs Eaves and Filosofia.

elms (Elms Foundry) elmsfoundry.com — Founded by Émilie Aurat, focusing on typefaces blending African cultural elements with modern design.

exljbris Font Foundry exljbris.com — Netherlands-based foundry by Jos Buivenga; creators of Museo Slab and Calluna.

Fatype fatype.com — Berlin-based foundry founded in 2012 by Anton Koovit and Yassin Baggar; creators of Baton and Beausite.

Font Bureau fontbureau.com — Boston-based foundry established in 1989; creators of Benton Sans and Miller.

FontFont fontfont.com — Berlin-based foundry founded in 1990 by Erik Spiekermann and Neville Brody; creators of FF Meta Serif and FF Tisa.

Fonts In Use fontsinuse.com — Archive documenting real-world typography projects by typeface, format, and industry.

Fort Foundry fortfoundry.com — Athens, Georgia-based foundry established in 2013 by Mattox Shuler; creators of Industry and Abolition.

Foster Type fostertype.com — Sydney-based studio of Dave Foster; creators of Blanco.

Frere-Jones Type frerejones.com — Brooklyn-based foundry established by Tobias Frere-Jones; creators of Mallory and Exchange.

Good Type Foundry goodtype.no — Norwegian foundry founded in 2016 by Kenneth Knutsen; creators of Adieu and Opposit.

Grilli Type grillitype.com — Swiss foundry founded in 2009 by Noël Leu and Thierry Blancpain; creators of GT Walsheim and GT Haptik.

Hoefler & Co. typography.com — New York-based foundry, formerly Hoefler & Frere-Jones; creators of Gotham and Sentinel.

House Industries houseind.com — American foundry founded in 1993 by Andy Cruz and Rich Roat; creators of Neutraface and Eames Century Modern.

HvD Fonts hvdfonts.com — German foundry of Hannes von Döhren, established in 2008; creators of Brandon Grotesque and Supria Sans.

Indian Type Foundry indiantypefoundry.com — India-based foundry founded in 2009 by Satya Rajpurohit and Peter Biľak; creators of Poppins and Rajdhani.

Latinotype A Chilean type foundry creating original and custom fonts for global use.

Manchester Type manchestertype.com — Led by David Williams, offering typefaces inspired by African heritage and contemporary design.

Mark Simonson marksimonson.com — Minnesota-based type designer; see Proxima Nova and Grad.

Milieu Grotesque milieugrotesque.com — Berlin/Zurich-based foundry established in 2010; see Maison Neue and Maison Mono.

Monokrom monokrom.no — Norwegian foundry established by Frode Bo Helland and Sindre Bremnes; see Satyr and Vinter.

New Letters newletters.de — German foundry established in 2015 by Armin Brenner and Markus John; see Tilde.

Okay Type okaytype.com — Chicago-based studio of Jackson Cavanaugh; see Alright Sans and Harriet.

Optimo Type Foundry optimo.ch — Swiss foundry started by Gilles Gavillet and David Rust; see Theinhardt and Stanley.

Or Type ortype.is — Icelandic foundry established in 2013 by Guðmundur Úlfarsson and Mads Freund Brunse; see Separat and L10.

P22 Type Foundry p22.com — New York-based foundry established by Richard Kegler and Carima El-Behairy; see P22 Underground.

Playtype playtype.com — Danish foundry; see Berlingske Serif.

Process Type Foundry processtypefoundry.com — Minnesota-based foundry established in 2002 by Eric Olson; see Colfax and Maple.

Production Type productiontype.com — Paris-based foundry established by Jean-Baptiste Levée; see Granville and Columbia Sans.

Revolver Type Foundry revolvertype.com — German foundry established in 2017 by Lukas Schneider; see Damien and Dinamit.

RP Digital Type Foundry rpdigitaltype.com — London-based foundry established by Radim Peško; see Larish Neue and Fugue.

Schick Toikka schicktoikka.com — Berlin/Helsinki-based foundry established in 2010; see Noe Display and Dia.

Sharp Type sharptype.com — New York City-based foundry established in 2015 by Lucas Sharp and Chantra Malee; see Ogg and Sharp Grotesk.

Swiss Typefaces swisstypefaces.ch — Swiss foundry established by Maxime Buechi, Ian Party, Emmanuel Rey, and Lucie de Palma; see Simplon and Euclid Flex.

TIGHTYPE tightype.com — German foundry established in 2015; see Fabrik and Moderat.

Type Supply typesupply.com — Baltimore-based foundry of Tal Leming; see Balto and Torque.

TypeTogether typetogether.com — Partnership between Veronika Burian and José Scaglione established in 2006; see Adelle and Adelle Sans.

TypeTrust typetrust.com — Los Angeles-based studio and foundry of Silas Dilworth; see Heroic Condensed.

Typotheque typotheque.com — Netherlands-based foundry established in 1999 by Peter Biľak; see Plan Grotesque and Fedra Serif.

Village villagefonts.com — New York City-based type co-op founded in 2005; see Galaxie Copernicus and Galaxie Polaris.

Vocal Type A Black‑owned type foundry—founded by Tré Seals—that designs fonts rooted in the visual histories of underrepresented communities and protest movements.

PERSONAL PORTFOLIOS

Agnieszka Ziemiszewska — Illustrator and designer known for playful, colorful visuals and editorial work.

Andrea Trabuco — An Italian-Colombian graphic and type designer focused on identity, typography, research & interaction.

Javier Jaen — Digital designer and illustrator with a strong typographic focus.

Joshua Lepley — Designer and art director exploring bold, experimental layouts and branding.

Kate Moross — Multidisciplinary designer and art director celebrated for colorful, energetic visual work.

Yani & Guille — Collaborative duo working across illustration, motion, and graphic design.

Zuli Segura — Designer and founder of the Latinx Design Directory, with a portfolio spanning design and social projects.

PERSONAL IDENTITY

Daniel Ehrenworth — Designer and educator specializing in experimental typography and visual identity.

Manon Louart — Illustrator and designer focusing on hand-drawn identities and editorial projects.

Andjela Milakovic — Designer from Bosnia and Herzegovina focused on branding, packaging, and UI design.

Jeric Rodrigue — Graphic Designer, Illustrator and T-Shirt Enthusiast from Dubai.

Gustavo Lucena — Features a bold monogram integrated with a clean wordmark, then extends into a cohesive color and layout system.

Maria Suárez Inclán — Apolished self-rebrand that pairs a distinctive symbol with a refined wordmark.

Soza Criador — Clear symbol and logotype system with tight, modern applications.

CURATED WEBSITE GALLERIES

Cargo Collective – In Use

Square Space – Portfolio Tour

awwwards – portfolio submissions

Site Inspire – portfolio submissions

Medium – Portfolios

Cargo Collective _ Selections

Cargo Collective _ Sites In Use 

DESIGN STUDIOS

David Espinosa Studio
Putos Modernos
2×4

SELF PROMO

Sid Lee Collective

COLLAGE ARTISTS

Top 25 Collage Artists

Tony Fitzpatrick

Deborah Roberts

BOOKS

GIG Posters 1+2, etc.
Wash The Dead by Russell Craig and Mahogany L Browne
Justin Bua: The Beat of Urban Art
Kadir Nelson: Heart & Soul
The Art of Kubo and the Two Strings
Banksy: Wall & Piece
I Am Not Your Negro by James Baldwin
Kerry James Marshall: Mastry
Black History in its Own Words
Of Poetry & Protest
Bisa Butler Portraits
MARVEL: The Hip-Hop Covers

FILMS

13th: Documentary by Ava DuVernay
Beautiful Losers
I Am Not Your Negro by James Baldwin
Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet
Exit Through the Gift Shop – Banksy Documentary
Kubo and the Two Strings

~

Cover Image: Esquire Magazine / issue 19611201

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