Ask a Nerd!

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Having a burning issue that you think a design nerd can help with? Use this page to fire away!

Questions that we’ve addressed already can be found by clicking on the “Ask a Nerd: Our Responsees” under “Categories” in the sidebar.

10 thoughts on “Ask a Nerd!”

  1. Hi nerds!

    Okay, this is embarrassing. Or else I’m extremely rebellious and worthy of great praise, depending on your world view. I just saw James Cameron’s Avatar for the first time. That’s right – half a year later on DVD on my 27 inch tube television. It felt like I was right inside the picture!

    Anyway, please, please tell me that I didn’t just see subtitles in Papyrus throughout the entire movie. I wanted to scream, “Good god, no! Papyrus?!?! Kill me now!” but I was afraid that it might expose me as a geek, and result in my sleeping on the couch.

    My question – do you have other examples of huge projects (movies, large scale exhibits, multinational company signage, etc.) that had budgets of millions of dollars, yet made a basic gaffe such as this?

    Cal

    P.S. I found that Papyrus actually wrote a letter of thanks to James Cameron: http://prttyshttydesign.blogspot.com/2010/01/open-letter-to-james-cameron-from.html

  2. Cal, thank you for your question. I have been sitting around for about 18 months, checking the IBD page on a daily basis, waiting for someone to ask this question. You are the chosen one. I wanted to write a post about it but was afraid that the last thing our reader wanted to see was another post on Papyrus from me. Paul has hit is quota on Comic Sans as well but since you asked I am now obliged, thank you. Look for it soon.

  4. I’m afraid of how much of a nerd I will reveal myself to be by being in a position to even ask this question but…

    Did you by any chance hear the Bluff the Listener Challenge on the August 7 edition of NPR’s Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me?
    I would have voted for #3, just for you guys.

    It doesn’t appear that you can just listen to that part of the show in the archive – http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=35
    but it was in the first half hour.

  5. Cathy, yes! I just listened to the podcast this morning, and I was really rooting for that to be the correct answer. But I had a feeling that the story about the macaques and the flying monkeys was the answer.

  6. I am a font nerd. I collect fonts much the same as other folks collect small china porcupines. I recently discovered “Connecticut”. I am in love with this font. Although it is not appropriate for every venue, I find it’s form and grace appealing. What are your thoughts on this cute little font?

  8. Hi there, i have pleasantly stumbled upon your site looking for a full version of Kari Jensen thesis { an amazingly awesome article by the way }. I’m doing my own bachelors thesis on, how graphic design, interactive design and universal design can help to create a comprehensive way-finding system for a university { i got tired of people asking me for directions }.

    All your blog articles on exhibitions are really cool, so i was wondering if you could directed my to any information you might have on how interpretation could be include in my thesis as well :D

  9. I am wondering if anyone knows the name of the font that we use for our logo (NatuRa) seen on the homepage of http://www.NaturaRx.com. I’ve spent hours looking through hundreds of fonts and I still cannot find it.

    It was from a letraset sheet we bought over 20 years and have since lost. I used to think that it was called HOBO, but it appears that is not correct. The little slash on the forward leg of the capital “R” was added by us to create an Rx effect. We would like to freshen our logo as its appearance has – much like mine – become worn over the years.

    Thank you for your anticipated help.

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