On the Subject of Me

I’m a Graphic Designer living in sunny Brooklyn, New York.

I’m the founder and principal of the design studio Mighty, creative director for Typekit, a faculty member in the MFA Interaction Design program at SVA, co-founder of A Book Apart, former vice president of AIGA/NY, founder of Typedia, a shared encyclopedia of typefaces online, and creative director for A List Apart, a magazine for people who make websites. I’ve worked for clients such as AIGA, The Chicago Tribune, Housing Works, Miramax Films, The New York Stock Exchange, PBS, The United Nations, and WordPress focusing on designing websites that maintain a balance of beauty and usability.

About This Site

This site represents an experiment in art direction online. Rather than allowing what I write to flow from a content management system into the same page layout every time, I’ve created a system for fast design direction based on the needs of the content. Because it’s an experiment, sometimes a page might be a total disaster, or might not work in your browser. Please accept my apologies. This experiment isn't meant to shatter new depths of graphic design, but to find the voice in the visuals so that they can become an equal partner in the story being told.

The site is created with the best flavors of HTML and CSS, and uses ExpressionEngine for publishing. The body typeface is Chaparral by Carol Twombly, and Proxima Nova by Mark Simonson and FacitWeb by Tim Ahrens are used for subheads and supplementary copy. All fonts are served through the magic of Typekit.

Furthermore

My design sensibilities are heavily inspired by traditional print design and a deep love for typography. I can sometimes be found speaking at conferences like An Event Apart, South By Southwest, @media, and Webstock.

I take an abundance of photographs, most often with a Nikon D90, but also employ a Panasonic Lumix GF1, a Polaroid SX-70, and a Holga 120 when it strikes my fancy. And yes, my full last name is “Santa Maria”.