What's in Store

I got an email from my bank the other day and this stopped me cold: No, it wasn't their generous offer that stopped me in my tracks, but rather their failure to properly kern the space between the "1" and "0." Kerning is the space between letters that affects their visual treatment. Compare the space after the "1" to the space between the zeroes. Quite a noticeable gap, wouldn't you say? This now-common disregard or ignorance of proper kerning can be attributed to the rise of digital typography. Most digital fonts allot a certain set amount of space between letters, without discerning whether that space is appropriate for that letter. To the computer, the skinny "1" is entitled to the same amount of space as a fat "0," resulting in a certain visual discord.  Back before the days of digital typography, a typesetter would make manual adjustments to metal type pieces for optimal spacing and readability. Since that method h...

If you're a woman of a certain age you've probably been to at least one Stella & Dot party in the past year. They're like the Tupperware of jewlery--you can only buy their stuff through one of their representatives, or "stylists," as they are known. I got invited to a party at my sister's a couple of months ago and also hosted a party of my own and have come away with a newfound appreciation for their sophisticated branding efforts. I first became aware of Stella & Dot maybe 5-6 years ago when I was invited to a party by a friend. At the time I thought their stuff was "cute" but it seems they've come quite a long way since that time I bought a shamrock charm on a silk cord. They'd expanded their line and now sell bags, wallets, scarves and other accessories in addition to the jewelry, the selection of which also seems to have greatly increased. I was first very impressed with their printed catalog: it's beautifully photographe...