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Stuff That Matters
I’ve made it official: I’ve started a design studio called Mighty.
Stuff That Matters
57 Comments
On Web Typography
Well, it only took nearly a hundred issues since working on the A List Apart redesign for me to get around to writing an article.
On Web Typography
18 Comments
Introducing Typedia
Today, I’m very pleased to announce the launch of a new site I put together with the generous help of friends called Typedia.
Introducing Typedia
55 Comments
Where’d You Go?
As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve been taking a bit of a break lately. But there’s some exciting stuff coming up in the not too distant future.
Where’d You Go?
16 Comments
Deadlines
I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they go by.
Deadlines
26 Comments
Listening Between the Leading
I was recently interviewed for the Read Between the Leading podcast.
Listening Between the Leading
7 Comments
What’s Golden
The rule of thirds and ratios such as the golden section are fantastic methods for achieving designs that feel cohesive. The problem is these principles don’t really apply to web design.
What’s Golden
48 Comments
Pretty Sketchy
Sketchbooks are not about being a good artist, they’re about being a good thinker.
Pretty Sketchy
73 Comments
Reflections on Layer Tennis
Last Friday I played in Coudal Partner’s Layer Tennis in a east coast vs west coast brawl with Derek Powazek, a friend and one of my favorite web designers. I thought it might be fun to give some background on the match.
Reflections on Layer Tennis
27 Comments
In Person
I’m trying to cut back a bit on travel and speaking dates this year, but I’ll still be out and about a few times.
In Person
20 Comments
Leaving Happy Cog
After nearly five years of working with some of the smartest and most caring people I’ve ever met, I’ve decided to leave Happy Cog.
Leaving Happy Cog
133 Comments
The Death Throes of Print?
With print publications ailing, is this finally the time mainstream publishing to take the web seriously?
The Death Throes of Print?
58 Comments
24ways
I wrote a new article for 24ways called Making Modular Layout Systems.
24ways
10 Comments
Cultivating Conversations
Is there a way to make comment threads more useful, and more usable?
Cultivating Conversations
103 Comments
My First Website
Preserving the web, one embarrassing personal site at a time.
My First Website
75 Comments
Progress Report
Looking back on how this experiment is going.
Progress Report
41 Comments
Profiled
The PDF of my profile in .net magazine.
Profiled
15 Comments
Haunted
Happy Halloween!
Haunted
25 Comments
On the Subject of Design
Good books are tough to find, so I’ve begun keeping track of notable ones.
On the Subject of Design
23 Comments
Cheesesteak Scorecard
The all important scorecard for grading cheesesteaks on the Cheesesteak Crawl.
Cheesesteak Scorecard
23 Comments
Updating
A few quick updates to the site, including: entry thumbnails in the Articles Archive, individual comment feeds for entries, and a small revamp of the Recommended Reading section.
Updating
26 Comments
Change of Heart
Quotes from Jan Tschichold, master typographer, designer, writer and infamous design flip-flopper.
Change of Heart
23 Comments
Explain Yourself
Contemplations on the utility of “graphic” in the title “graphic designer” for someone who designs websites.
Explain Yourself
87 Comments
Touch, See, and Hear
A survey for people who make websites, a film of people who make things, and an evening of people who read books.
Touch, See, and Hear
9 Comments
If You Were a Typeface…
A bit of cheesy fun: tell me what typeface best represents you. Extra points for additional typeface info.
If You Were a Typeface…
60 Comments
Appearing
A podcast interview with CreativeXpert and a live speaking event for Field-Tested Books in NYC on July 28th.
Appearing
6 Comments
Shake it Like a Metaphorical Picture
Sometime next year, Polaroid will stop producing instant film. This represents a huge blow to photography, but also a loss of one of our greatest visual metaphors.
Shake it Like a Metaphorical Picture
42 Comments
Variation Within Constraints
When I design sites in my professional life, I try to create an experience that will work for the majority of the site’s visitors and will also be engaging, and most times, in that order. With my personal site, I’m pretty much trying the reverse of that.
Variation Within Constraints
25 Comments
A New Day
I still like my old site design; it feels distinct even now, and I didn’t really see the point in redesigning until I needed to. My old site stayed in generally the same form for nearly five years. But I finally caved and redesigned. So, why the change? I’m glad you asked.
A New Day
120 Comments

By Category
Appearances
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8 Entries
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Candygram
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Design
30 Entries
Film
1 Entries
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7 Entries
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7 Entries
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6 Entries
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2 Entries
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6 Entries
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4 Entries
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9 Entries
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10 Entries
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2 Entries
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4 Entries
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2 Entries
Web
15 Entries
By Month
January 2010
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1 Entries
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1 Entries
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3 Entries
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1 Entries
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2 Entries
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3 Entries
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4 Entries
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6 Entries
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By Design Tag
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29 Entries
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2 Entries
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1 Entries
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1 Entries
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1 Entries
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13 Entries
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Spookhouse
1 Entries
Teal
1 Entries
Trade Gothic
1 Entries
Univers
1 Entries
White
30 Entries
Yellow
5 Entries

On the Subject of Me

Jason Santa Maria is a graphic designer living and working in sunny Brooklyn, NY. More »


Recent Projects

  • Typekit
  • They Might Be Giants
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Recommended Reading

The Elements of Typographic Style coverThe Elements of Typographic Style
by Robert Bringhurst
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Oddities & Diversions

A List Apart: Issue 302

A List Apart: Issue 302, Format wars: HTML5 vs. Flash, ePub HTML vs. proprietary technologies. Articles by Dan Mall and Joe Clark.

Humble Pied

Mig Reyes interviewed me for his great series on design, Humble Pied. Spend some time with the interview archives, there’s lots of wisdom to go around.

BBC’s New Visual Language

An insightful look at the process and planning behind the BBC’s new design system.

Past Oddities & Diversions »