Oh Wow Cool PDF
Identity Design / Naming / Self-Initiated
Role: Designer
Tools: Illustrator, Photoshop, Adobe XD
Tools: Illustrator, Photoshop, Adobe XD
The mission of Oh Wow Cool PDF is: (1) To push back against the idea of the PDF as a dead publishing medium. (2) Support the creation and sharing of PDF publications.
I wanted the mark to feel true to the digital nature of the PDF while expressing human-ness by pulling forms from hand-drawn elements, such as doodling and graffiti, while maintaining the distinct aesthetic of vector-based drawing to make this process transparent. This principle and balance are carried on throughout the system for illustration and iconographic elements.
Mark
The mark balances the hand-drawn and the computer-generated. It honors the digital nature of the PDF while expressing human-ness by pulling forms from hand-drawn elements, such as doodling and graffiti.
Naming
Oh Wow Cool PDF (OWCP) is a parody of the acronym of the United States' Office of Worker's Compensation Programs. The aim was to create a name for the brand that feels playful, almost to the point of sarcasm.
The PDF is often used for documentation, pre-press, and other mundane tasks. OWCP is making an argument that may be seen as controversial or futile to some in its attempt to acknowledge the PDF as a final destination rather than a step in producing different forms.
The PDF is often used for documentation, pre-press, and other mundane tasks. OWCP is making an argument that may be seen as controversial or futile to some in its attempt to acknowledge the PDF as a final destination rather than a step in producing different forms.
OWCP seeks to acknowledge the PDF as a publishing medium to be taken seriously, but also acknowledges the potential futility of this mission and attempts to preserve that playful nature.
Typography / Diatype
Diatype, a typeface designed by Dinamo, serves as a readable, workhorse font for headings and body text in printed documents and rich-text on web formats.
Typography / Lincoln/MITRE L/M 7x9
Lincoln/MITRE L/M 7x9 is designed by David Bennewith.
The fonts in this collection are, “a study of the typographic system designed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory for use in various displays on the early warning air defence computer network SAGE (1950’s to 1980’s) . . . The SAGE network — capable of real-time mass data processing — worked with large computers, networking equipment and radar sites to produce an image of the protected airspace over the U.S. continent.”
WYSIWYG interfaces are intertwined with the history of technological development that gave birth to the portable document format (PDF) as a means of expressive publishing.
The fonts in this collection are, “a study of the typographic system designed by MIT Lincoln Laboratory for use in various displays on the early warning air defence computer network SAGE (1950’s to 1980’s) . . . The SAGE network — capable of real-time mass data processing — worked with large computers, networking equipment and radar sites to produce an image of the protected airspace over the U.S. continent.”
WYSIWYG interfaces are intertwined with the history of technological development that gave birth to the portable document format (PDF) as a means of expressive publishing.
Color
Used for highlighting and accents. This green is a play on the use of a classic yellow highlighter when marking up documents. The color's hue, saturation, and value were chosen to work well on light and dark backgrounds to optimize its versatility and appear as punchy as possible on web formats.
100% Black has the benefit of appearing as deep as possible on OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) displays.
100% Black has the benefit of appearing as deep as possible on OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) displays.
Photography
Photography should be utilized as a background to set an ethereal, cinematic tone. Photos are treated in a way that abstracts any obvious narrative to elude to the feeling of the photograph’s intended application.
The use of gradients and soft colors is encouraged. If there is a clear subject, the subject (such as a person or object), the subject can be enlarged exponentially to obscure its photographic context.
The use of gradients and soft colors is encouraged. If there is a clear subject, the subject (such as a person or object), the subject can be enlarged exponentially to obscure its photographic context.
Merch
Photography should be utilized as a background to set an ethereal, cinematic tone. Photos are treated in a way that abstracts any obvious narrative to elude to the feeling of the photograph’s intended application.
The use of gradients and soft colors is encouraged. If there is a clear subject, the subject (such as a person or object), the subject can be enlarged exponentially to obscure its photographic context.
The use of gradients and soft colors is encouraged. If there is a clear subject, the subject (such as a person or object), the subject can be enlarged exponentially to obscure its photographic context.
