The October Roundup

It’s officially autumn, my big coats are down from the wardrobe and I am in my element. Now the weather’s that little bit cooler, it’s the perfect time to stay in and catch up with some reading. So here are my best picks for the month.

SHORT READS, IF YOU’VE ONLY GOT A FEW MINUTES:

The Secret History of Ctrl Alt Delete

Ctrl Alt Delete has become ubiquitous with the panic of things not working. It’s the title of at least two novels about life in the digital age. It’s perhaps not the simplest of actions though. But its creator “David Bradley, tells Great Big Story, it was a pain by design.”

An Enemy of Envy

I think we’ve all felt jealous at some point and with the age of instagram and everyone sharing their best lives on the internet it feels inevitable we might be feeling it even more. I really enjoyed Austin Kleon’s words and collected passages on moving beyond envy, however hard that may be, this week.

Can a typeface help your memory?

I’m always game to hear about a new productivity or memory hack, and the “researchers behind the typeface Sans Forgetica claim it can help you remember your notes”.

LONG READS, IF YOU WANT SOMETHING TO GET YOUR TEETH STUCK INTO:

Blue Peter: Secrets of the show’s badge room

I spent a lot of my early life wishing and working for a Blue Peter badge. It was the ultimate accolade. As a wonderful article in It’s Nice That says it’s “still given out to children who submit creative work to the programme – a fact which makes us feel oddly warm and fuzzy and like maybe, just maybe, despite Trump and Brexit and global warming and everything, that life is OK.” Earlier this week Blue Peter, and its much coveted badge, as designed by Tony Hart, turned 60 so here’s a look at some of the badge’s secrets.

Home is a Mug of Coffee

I loved Candace Rose Rardon’s illustrated essay on tea last year, so when I saw she’d shared something new on Longreads I had to read and share it with you. So, without further ado, here are her wonderful thoughts on why “It takes a lot of percolating to become your own person.”

It’s Not About “Engagement”: Using Social Media To Make Ideas Happen

I’ve been thinking about how I want to refresh how I do social media for a while now. These tips from “social media mavens, community managers, and grassroots organizers” suggest that “mastering social media means learning how to communicate your ideas with sincerity and passion. It’s not rocket science, it’s reciprocity”.

20 Years In, a Look at Google Doodle’s Milestones and Innovations

Google’s doodles have been going for 20 years now. This piece from Artsy looks at how they became the beloved, Emmy worthy, animations we know today and what might be in store for them in the future.

7 Writers on How Their Go-to Fonts Make Them Feel

What’s your favourite font? It’s a question a surprising number of people (non-design people no less) have a very emotive answer to. “For proof, [Aiga] asked a handful of writers about their typographic preferences” and the answers they gave are wonderful

The Art Practice Dr. Seuss Kept Hidden from the World

I have loved Dr Seuss, as lots and lots of people have, since I was very small. The worlds he would create in a mixture of weird words and wonderful illustrations were just magical. But alongside his great books,  he “spent his nights creating what he called his “midnight paintings,” a part of his practice he kept hidden from public view”. This was work just for himself, and Artsy is offering us a look inside.

WHO TO FOLLOW, IF YOU WANT TO SPRUCE UP YOUR INSTAGRAM FEED:

@margaret_elisabeth

I’ve been really enjoying M. Elisabeth McNair’s short comics on instagram, so I wanted to share them with you. They’re simple and witty and wonderful. She also creates cartoons for the New Yorker so there are some cutting ones in there too.

@lulu.illo

Whether you’re diligently creating, just watching, or are somewhere inbetween, it’s impossible to ignore that inktober is upon us. I’ve been loving seeing what everyone has been making so far this year and Lulu Diemer’s inktober paintings have been some of my favourites – especially the tiny angry dog. It’s also well worth scrolling down her feed to enjoy her more colourful pieces as well as her ink-y wonders.

@guardiandesign

It’s been another politically fraught week, pretty much no matter where you are in the world. So I wanted to share an instagram favourite that really makes you think about how the stories you read are framed, visually. Guardian Design documents The Guardian’s design team’s favourite layouts and takes you behind the scenes of how they put them together.

Natalie