Little Black Book
Knowledge should be free




Inspiration:

-> Pinterest
-> It’s Nice That
-> Are.na
-> Mobbin
-> Foundation
-> Instagram
-> Awwwards
-> Brand New
-> Dezeen
-> Dribbble
-> Behance
-> Abduzeedo

-> Identity Designed
-> Print.pm
-> Dsgn Blog
-> BP&O
-> Design Made in Japan
-> Visuelle
-> Cosmos
-> D&AD
-> Motionographer
-> Designboom
-> Frame Set
-> Wine After Coffee
-> Another Graphic
-> Site of Sites
-> Curated Design
-> Gallery Nucleus
-> Brutalist Websites
-> Vimeo
-> UX Collective
-> Creative Review
-> Closer & Closer
-> Unsplash
-> Dieline
-> Flickr: The Commons   
-> Public.work
-> Branding Style Guides
-> Open Directory
-> No Free Pitches
-> Directors Library
-> Interfaces in Games
-> Arthur.io
-> Video Game Logo Archive
-> Youtube
-> Social Media for Culture
-> Slackmojis
-> Books
-> Stores 
-> Nature
-> Music videos 

Font foundries:

-> Colophon Foundry 
-> Klim
-> ABC Dinamo
-> Collletttivo
-> Velvetyne
-> 205tf
-> Pangram Pangram
-> Grilli Type
-> Fonts From Folch
-> East of Rome
-> Riptype
-> Boulevard LAB Type Foundry
-> Typotheque
->
Frerejones
-> Dualtype
-> Universal Thirst
-> Hex
-> Blaze Type
-> bb-bureau
-> Lift Type
-> Nikolas Type
-> Lineto
-> Paratype
-> Astrae Studio
-> F37
-> Ivy Foundry
-> Indian Type Foundry
-> Da Font
-> Ultra Kuhl
-> I Love Typography
-> MCKL
-> Fontra
-> Black Foundry
-> JDType
-> Contrast Foundry
-> Free Faces
-> Supercontinente
-> Lineto
-> Sudtipos
-> Libre Fonts by Women
-> Overlap Type
-> Mass-Driver
-> Dalton Maag
-> Open Foundry
-> Studio Rene Bieder
-> Displaay
-> Schick Toikka
-> Sharp Type
-> Tekio Type
-> K95
-> HAL Typefaces
-> Polytype
-> Fontshare
-> Font Squirrel
-> Bureau Brut
-> Google Fonts
-> Adobe Fonts
-> Use & Modify
-> The Designers Foundry
-> Future Fonts
-> xFonts
-> T.26
-> Vocal Type
-> House Industries
-> Font Space
-> MyFonts
-> Nova Type Foundry
-> Font Brief
-> Darden Studio
-> Typelab
-> Commercial Type
-> RP Digital Type Foundry
-> XYZ Type
-> Peregrin Studio
-> newglyph
-> Jonas Type
-> Type Cache
-> Arrow Type
-> CoType Foundry
-> YouWorkForThem
-> Emtype Foundry
-> Zeta Fonts
-> CJ Type
-> Fort Foundry
-> Mojomox
-> Blackletra
-> The Type Founders
-> Celine Hurka Type Foundry
-> Signal Foundry
-> Plau Design
-> Order Design
-> R-Typography
-> Production Type
-> OH no Type Company
-> La Bolde Vita
-> Tinkov
-> Fontmama
-> Very Cool Studio
-> Margot Leveque Studio
-> 1001 Fonts

Typography Resources:

-> Fonts in Use
-> Logobook
-> Typeroom
-> Type Network
-> Unblast Fonts
-> Chinese Type Archive
-> Free Japanese Font
-> Variable Fonts
-> Text for Proofing Typefaces 1.0
-> Black Type Designers
-> Google Fonts Knowledge
-> Font Review Journal
-> Typography Cheatsheet
-> Text for Proofing Typefaces 2.0
-> Society of Scribes
-> ABC Dinamo Font Gauntlet
-> Unicode Character Cheatsheet
-> Type Wolf -> FontMeme
-> Type@Cooper
-> LogoArchive
-> Idiot Proofed Font Testing
-> OH no Type Proofing Guide

Mockups & Textures:

-> Bendito Mockups

-> Mockup Maison
-> Layers Design
-> Supply Family
-> Mr.Mockup
-> Wannathis
-> Art Directed Mockups
-> Mockstar
-> Pixelied NYC Mockups
-> Anthony Boyd

-> Mockups Jar
-> LS Graphics
-> Pacdora 3D Packaging Mockups
-> The Brand Identity-> Shotsnapp
-> Mockup World
-> Rotato
-> NYC Mockups
-> Original Mockups
-> Tipo Mockups
-> Screely
-> Studio Innate
-> YouWorkForThem
-> Pixeden
-> Texturelabs

Free Design Software:

-> Photopea (Photo editing, Photoshop alt)
-> Inkscape (Vector graphics, Illustrator alt)
-> Glyphr Studio (Font design, Glyphs alt)
-> FreeCAD (3D design, Solidworks alt)
-> Blender (Animation, 3D, Cinema4D alt)
-> Davinci Resolve (Video editing, After Effects/Premiere alt)
-> Canva and Adobe Express (Design system handoff)

Branding:

What’s iconic about [our brand]?
How would you summarize your brand in 3 adjectives? 1 adjective? And how would your audience describe your brand?
What are we known for?
What graphic or storytelling elements can [our brand] own and continue leaning into to develop further?
What is instantly recognizable as [our brand]?
What pushes it a little bit far but not all the way far at once?
What new things are we trying at a company level that we can tap into?
What’s the story?
What can only [our brand] do?
How might we stay ahead of trend and carve our own path vs. being influence by others?
What learner insights or key metrics can we use to inform decision making?
Once you create your brand, if it has enough interest, UGC, and fans, then you stop owning the brand at that point: Your fans do. Follow their lead and see where they take the brand.
Internet culture as social lever — what communities, fandoms, memes or moments can [our brand] tap into?
Secret mission: As an IC, find your own voice within [your brand] to express and reflect the stories, aesthetics, interests, and communities important to you in an on brand fashion or in a way that pushes the brand into new and exciting frontiers w/out breaking too much in the process
Don’t be generic. Give the extra 10% to be memorable.
How might we take an ordinary concept and subvert the audiences expectations of that concept?

Mascots:

Establish their unique motive 
-> What 1-2 actions do they repeatedly do? 
-> Why do they act the way they do?

Establish emotional connection to audience 
-> Why does your audience care about them? Listen to your audience. What they’re posting, sharing, commenting and build the world around them.
-> What can they do for your audience that no other mascot can?

Create interesting ways for them to break design patterns and stand out without coming across as disingenuous
-> Understand the world they live in. Not every mascot has the mushroom kingdom as a backdrop. What is your mascots unique backdrop that you can use to tell stories from?

Developing characters:

How do they style your hair?
What kind of clothing do they wear?
Do they wear makeup? What kind?
Do they consider themselves fat or skinny?
What’s their nationality?
Do they have any birthmarks?
What is their skin tone?
What’s their face shape?
Where were they born?
Who are their parents?
Where do they live?
What do they do for a living?
What is their greatest achievement?
What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to them?
If we searched their name on Google, what would we find?
When was the first time they fell in love?
What is their biggest secret?
What is their greatest regret?
Do they have any bad habits?
Did they attend high school? College?
What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to them?
What’s their favorite movie?
What’s their favorite food?
What TV shows do they watch?
What do they like to do for fun?
Do they have any hobbies?
What’s their favorite color?
What is the greatest extravagance they allow themselves?
What is their most treasured possession?
Which living person would they most want to meet? Which dead person?

Storytelling (Dan Harmon):

The Hero: Introduce the protagonist, who is typically relatable and has a clear goal or desire.
The Need: Establish what the hero lacks or desires, creating a motivation for their journey.
The Go: The hero embarks on their adventure, leaving their familiar world behind.
The Search: The hero faces challenges and encounters new characters, learning and evolving through experiences.
The Find: The hero discovers what they were searching for, which often comes with a revelation or realization.
The Take: The hero must confront the consequences of their discovery, often leading to conflict or a significant challenge.
The Return: The hero returns to their original world, but they are transformed by their experiences.
The Change: The story concludes with the hero’s growth, showcasing how they have changed as a result of their journey.

Artist Business Model (Nine Inch Nails):

Connect With Fans (CwF) + Reason To Buy (RtB) = The Business Model ($$$$)

Tori Wheeler | Art | Rugs
The Apple Collection | Merch
Julia Tran | Ceramicist
Tyler Thompson | Book Designer | Stripe Press Books
Peach Riot
Monsieur Cailloux | Artist
Doraemon
Harlequin | Experience 
MF Doom | Merch 
Jacquelyn Monroe | Designer
MOUTHWASH STUDIO | Branding | Motion | Web
New Balance Shohei Ohtani Commercial
Ping Zhu | Illustration
Hannah Lesser | Design
6D Design | Branding | Experiential
Woset World
Jellycat Diner
Poppi World
Keroppi | Sanrio | IP
Snoopy & Peanuts Partnerships
Public.work / archive
Line Friends / Merchandise
Punch Punch Forever / Art
Grand Army / Design / Branding
Salvatore La Rosa Rossetti / Design / Branding / Illustration
Studio Nari / Design
INDUSTRY / Design 
Don Toliver / Artist
Ozy Worldy / Artist
Kelly Winton / Artist / Designer
Oliver Munday / Designer
Michael White / Branding
Geist / Branding / Design
Alice Cai / Design
Javier Senosiain / Architecture
Yuri Himuro / Artist / Textiles
Tomie DePaola / Illustration
Zach Hackman / Illustration
Aysha Tengiz / Illustration
Igor Bastidas / Illustration
Molly Fairhurst / Illustration
Seo Inji / Illustration
Haein Kim / Illustration
Hel Covell / Illustration
Ping Zhu / Illustration
Sebastian Curi / Illustration
Suzy Chan / Design
Allyn Hughes / Creative Director / Branding
Sharon Park / Design
Fisk / Design / Branding
Pablo Rochat / Design
Mushroomy / Artists
Juri Arrak / Artist
XXIX / Design / Web
Fiona Kim Tran / Branding
Anpanman | Characters | IP
Smith & Diction / Branding / Design
Ryan Yan / Design
Kathe Kollwitz / Artist
Amrita Sher Gil / Artist
Joseph Melhuish / Illustration / 3D
Sixnfive / 3D / Animation
Inventory Press / Books
Booklet Library / Books
Matt Wiley / Design
Pacific / Books
Counter-Print / Design / Books
Booy Boyz Biz / Design / Fashion
Fieldwork Facility / Design
Natalie Falt / Creative Direction
Bethany Vargas / Photography
Offshore / Design
Roman Muradov / Illustration
Base Design / Design / Branding
Beefstrong / Illustration
Patrick Edell / Illustration
Kaitlin Merle / Design
Shinchan | Character | IP
Bugdumb / Artist
Rick Guidice / Artist
Henry Isaacs / Artist
Drake Cereal / Illustration
Jefferson Cheng / Designer
Birkbushka / Illustration
Jay Daniel Wright / Illustration
Oscar Dumlao / Designer
Tabetaaii / Illustration
Path & Landforms / Wayfinding
Champions Design / Wayfinding
Angy Che / Ink Illustration
Cory Schmitz / Branding
UMA Design Farm / Wayfinding / Branding
Amo Zoe / Branding
Min Studio / Illustration
Joshua Jouppi / 3D / Discord
Yen Jui-Lin / Wood Toys
Taylor Yontz / Animation
Miriam Martincic / Illustration
Natan Moura / Animation
Gander / Branding
Marcus Bakke / 3D / Animation
Jaedoo Lee / Illustration
Fuzzco / Branding
Srdja Dragovic / Illustration
Zack Rosebrugh / Illustration / Painting
Julianna Brion / Illustration
Dustin Yellin / Art
Visual Citizens / 3D / Animation
Mathieu Dellabe / Animation
cthdrl / Web / Branding
Laura Hilbert / Typography
NTSAL / Branding
Tyler Morgan / Animation
Jacob Finch / Producer
Chrus Burnett / Art
Gibson Hazard / Music Video
JooHee Yoon / Illustration
Dingbat / Branding / Typography
Christ Anderson / Animation
Felix Soletic / Director / Film
wild. / Interaction / Web / Branding
Jordan Bohannon / Art
Smooth Technology / Production
Bednark / Production
Alex Futtersak / 3D / Animation / Music Video
Nguyen Gobber / Typography
Tiauna Smith / Merchandise / Animation
Kelsey Elder / Typography / Branding
Schulzschulz / Interaction / Typography
Raven B. Varona / Photography
Rico DeSanctis / Illustration
Da Dushin / Illustration
Josh Cochran / Illustration / Mural
A.A. Trabucco-Campos / Branding
MUNDIAL / Branding
Fern / Animation
KayaKata / Publication
Guy Billout / Illustration
Abbr. Projects / Branding
Alex Tomlinson / Typography / Illustration
LAND / Branding
Bendik Kaltenborn / Illustration
Rachel Suggs / Illustration
Jaeyou Chung / Branding
Watson / Branding / Marketing
Mold / Publication
Standart / Publication
Nina Tang / Fashion
Anorak / Publication
Deborah Cruchon / Illustration
Grow / Publication
Linda Merad / Illustration
Impactist / Film
Ohni Lisle / Illustration
Derek Henderson / Photography
Rubber Mirror / Art / Product
Bito Design Studio / Branding
Antenne Books / Book Design
Made Thought / Branding
John Gall / Design / Collage / Books
Torpedo / Book Design
Caroline Bachmann / Art
Kris Graves / Book Design
Draw Down Books / Book Design / Publication
Jiayi Li / Illustration
Raymond Savignac / Illustration
Mike McQuade / Illustration / Collage
Najeebah / Illustration / Collage
Amber Vittoria / Artist
Delcon & Co. / Graphic Design
Office Santos / Graphic Design
Mark Harris / Illustration / Collage
Hoi Chan / Illustration
Oscar Bolton Green / Illustration
Jing Wei / Illustrator / Muralist
Aran Quinn / Illustrator / Animator / Artist
Wenting Li / Illustration
Molly Mendoza / Illustration
Richie Pope / Illustration
Katherine Lam / Illustration
Celia Lowenthal / Illustration
Adekunle Gold / Music
Joe Sparrow / Illustration
Boya Sun / Illustration
Kokooma / Illustration
Matt Rockfeller / Illustration
Rebecca Shieh / Illustration
Amelie Flechais / Illustration
Deb JJ Lee / Ilustration
Justin Renteria / Illustration
Nina-Lou Giachetti / Illustration / Animation
Red Nose Studio / Illustration
John Klassen / Illustration
Uri Lotan / Animation
My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes / Animation
Theodor Kittelsen / Artist
Amanda Visell / Artist
Alice Lee / Artist / Illustrator
Nick Losacco / Typography / Design
$NOT / Music
Benjamin Earl Turner / Music
Zach Rosebrugh / Artist / Illustrator
Hannah Jacobs / Animator
Loris F. Alessandria / Animation
Boxfort / Animation
Tendril / Motion Design / Branding
Wenting Li / Artist / Illustrator
Jillian Tamaki / Illustration
Gica Tam / Illustrator
Tracy Ma / Graphic Designer
Anders Waltz / Animation
Hudson Christie / Illustration
Fanny Luor / Illustration
Asap Rocky / Music
Wolf Ollins / Branding / Design
Ariel Davis / Illustration
Eden Weingart / Design
Kawase Hasui / Artist
Harry Bhalero / Illustration / Animation
Adam Ho / Designer
Stephanie Winarto / Designer
Mailchimp / Design / Illustration
Sandro Rybak / Illustration
Doug Alberts / Animation
Andy Dixon / Artist
Jonathan Djob Nkondo / Animator
Johan Erikkson / Animator
Kehinde Wiley / Artist
Sophie Hollington / Artist
Studio MPLS / Branding / Design
Juliana Perdomo / Illustration
Christian Robinson / Artist
Sarah Beth Morgan / Animator / Illustrator
Enle Li / Animation
Ezra Jack Keats / Artist
Joe Maccarone / Illustration
Una Digallo / Animator
Daniel Savage / Animator
Vincent Tsui / Animation / Illustration
Shuhua Xiong / Illustration
Michael Kim / 3D / Animation
Elana Schlenker / Branding / Design
Regrets Only / Branding / Design
DESIGNSAKE / Branding / Design
Someone & Others / Branding
Amanda Bonaiuto / Animator
Swipe by Porto Rocho / Design
Tania Yakunova / Artist
Ege Soyuer / Illustration
PORTO ROCHA / Design / Branding
Shawn Harris / Illustration
Alexis Jamet / Illustration
Collins / Design / Branding
High Tide / Branding 
Order Design / Branding 
Doubleday and Cartwright / Branding / Design
RoAndCo / Branding / Photography
Practice / Design / Branding
Violet Office / Branding 
Studio Lin / Design
Little Troop / Branding / Design
Baillat Studio / Branding
Heavy Eyes / Artist / Paper
Reina Takehashi / Artist / Paper
Noah Baker / Design
Mari Juliano / Photography
Elise Rigollet / Art Direction / Design
Daniel Ho / Design
Nicholas Law / Creative Direction
Jordan Robertson / Illustration
Not Real TV / 3D / Animation
A Liang Chan / Illustration
Dylan Lathrop / Branding / Design
Hugo and Marie / Artist
Mark Bohle / Artist
Eric Hu / Designer
Dia / Motion Design
Jenny Holzer / Installation / Artist
Richard Serra / Sculpture
Sue Doeksen / Design
Stephanie Specht / Design / Typography
Peter Steineck / Animation / Illustration
Democraciae / Design / Branding
Gretel / Branding / Design
Arcane / Animation
Quinn Larson / Illustration
Louie Zong / Illustration
Jinqi Fan / Design / Branding
Time Rodenbroker / Animation / Creative Coding