The weekend before last, Deborah Needleman and her editorial team unveiled their first issue of T Magazine. While it got some flack for it’s lack of diversity, I was mostly stuck on the logo and type treatments. Yes, they’re glossy, sharp and modern. Yes, they look like every other fashion brand marketing their goods on Fifth Ave or Columbus Circle, so why, when you’re pushing the needle forward under the umbrella of the New York Times, don’t you go a bit more unexpected?  The execution seemed uncharacteristically safe. Nonetheless, it’s clean, elegant and on trend for what we’re seeing both locally and abroad.

Then there’s Jessica Hische, who I’ve forever been a fan and have been following since her early Daily Drop Cap days. Her abilities with type are far-reaching and her originality is addictive to follow. I may be bias here, but it seems like she’s responsible for the evolution of  this 3D block technique over the past few years. This type treatment makes a timeless statement and the enlarged real estate allows for color, shading and pattern blocking.

Revealing the playful direction one can take, here’s London’s Carnaby Street Shopping Guide from 2012. Fun, bright and noncontroversial.