The Font That Escaped The Nazis And Landed On The Moon

Futura is familiar. But its journey from avant-garde German type to hipster favorite is unusual — and it includes Nazis and the moon.

The Surprisingly Short Life of Viral Social Movements

Sander van der Linden for Scientific American, on viral altruism and how most social charity campaigns spread fast but burn out faster: 

In competing for the public's rapidly shifting attention span, mobilizing audiences to large-scale collective action is a daunting task. Viral social campaigns can effectively capture the attention and support of mass audiences, but in order to make viral altruism stick, more gradual and deeper engagement with a social cause is required over a sustained period of time.

Graphic Design Legend Milton Glaser on Design & Art

Anne Quito for Quartz: 

Design is not art. It’s a distinction understood by practicing designers, but it still eludes many. In an Oct. 29 talk at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, the 87-year-old graphic design legend Milton Glaser gave the best definition of the practice of design.

“Design is the process of going from an existing condition to a preferred one,” said the 2010 National Medal of Arts recipient. “Observe that there’s no relationship to art.”

This confusion is not just a matter of semantics. In businesses, schools, offices, even newspapers, design is often associated with the art department. That’s a fundamental misunderstanding of the aim of design. When art and design are confused, the designers’ domain becomes limited to style and appearance.

Jason Santa Maria: Saying No

Jason Santa Maria, at Creative Mornings, speaks on finding the strength to set your own priorities for what you want.

In his own words: “It might be saying no to a project or job, or even something that you think you can’t say no to, but finding the strength to set your own priorities for what you want is one of the most crucial things you can do in life. Saying no used to make me uncomfortable, and despite making many mistakes on my way there, I’ve learned to feel good about saying it. The talk is just a short 20 minutes, but sums up most everything I’ve learned about the topic in all my years working and living.”

Simon Sinek: Understanding The Game We’re Playing

Simon Sinek, talks about technology, millennials, and the importance of practicing empathy during a Creative Mornings talk in San Diego.