We believe that email is about two things. Reading and writing. And that focusing on these two is what would truly move email to where it deserves to be. What we propose here is not a redesign of any particular email application. Neither is it a suggestion as to how we think an email application should be visually styled. It’s an experiment of how email could be functionally improved through the use of better typography, based on the premise that structure is more important than surface.
1910's design work is extremely structured. Each pixel is carefully calculated and adheres to a rigid set of design rules.
Which isn't unlike Apple's structured design of iOS 7. Despite iOS 7 not enjoying screaming success to date, there are many elements inside iOS 7 that just seem obvious.
I think that's why 1910's typographic approach to email looks so beautiful. There is nothing to disagree with in 1910's structured design because everything makes rational sense.
The very best software uses simplistic rationality and elements of personality to create delight. This is why Tweetbot is so awesome: Tweetbot offers a structured design paradigm with bits of personality to boot. It's the closest thing to a perfect app.
1910 is really onto something here with their typographic approach to email. Someone get on this. Like right now.
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The three-year study from Scratch, an in-house unit of Viacom that consults with brands, found that a third of millennials believed they'll be able to live a bank-free existence in the future. In the age of Simple, Square, and Bitcoin, these millennials, defined as those born between 1981 and 2000, overwhelmingly believed that the way they access money and pay for things will be completely different in five years.
This study isn't worth a grain of salt. millennials are far and way the most vulnerable generation at this point in time; banking and finances strike a chord with every millennial because they have all grown up in a recessionary period of slowed growth and decreased prosperity. This isn't a fair study right from the beginning.
First, in which country did Scratch poll these millennials? Did they poll Canadians? Canadians have one of the most sound banking systems in the world and, despite the popularity of complaining about banks, there isn't an incessant need to disrupt the Canadian system. For some odd reason, American banks have a dreadfully low rapport with their customers. The same can not be said for the entire world.
Second, the fact that 33% of millennials believe they won't need a bank at all in the future speaks volumes. Do these polled millennials not have any sense of history or any sense of how economies go round? Banking systems are fundamental to the existence of an economy. The foundational aspect of borrowing, lending and money creation is how inflation and deflation is held at bay. Without rigid structure and without a banking system, currency and cash deposit accounts will have extreme difficulty in maintaining their value.
Further, if Bitcoin is the future method to pushing banks to obsolescence, does it not seem ironic that Bitcoins are not safe from theft unless stored on a powered-down, offline hard drive in a bank's vaults? And what about Paypal's massive privacy and fraud scandals? I can't imagine the magnitude of a scandal whereby millennials have closed their accounts and transferred their entire cash deposits into systems like Paypal or Bitcoin.
Third, and most importantly, is the consideration of who currently runs our governments. Within five years, there will be little to no change of which age group run national governments.
Why do governments matter? Because governments guarantee currency. Bitcoin is trying to show that a government is not needed in a currency system. And if anything, Bitcoin's volatility is proving a government is entirely necessary.
Therefore, governments are essential to maintaining value in currency and countering the effects of inflation and deflation. They will bail out banks and protect banks more so than any other industry. Realistically, where the banks go, governments will follow — not the other way around.
At the end of the day, money drives our economies, not banks. Money has been around since time immemorial and won't leave without a fight. For millennials to expect complete banking disruption within five years only serves to prove their ignorance.
Thanks Scratch for showing that a large segment of my generation doesn't get what's going on.
<p data-preserve-html-node="true">Further to my paperfull endeavour, I began carrying around a memo book six weeks ago. I am lucky enough to need a bag for school on most days, so throwing a memo book into a bag kept my books from deteriorating. Outside of that bag, however, was a different story.</p>
Then, luckily, Chris Gonzalez interviewed Patrick Rhone for his classy Artifacts series. Patrick is a well-voiced minimalist and carries around only that which he truly needs each day. And, obviously, his Field Notes cover caught my eye.
I clicked the link in Chris’ interview and ordered my Hellbrand notebook cover five minutes later. It arrived two weeks ago and hasn’t left my side since.
<p data-preserve-html-node="true">The Hellbrand cover is made of thick, durable leather that looks good, wears better and smells best. The leather measures a good 1/8" thick and is stitched with a white threading around the outside edges. The stitching adds a genuine feel to the whole cover. The leather comes slightly broken in, meaning the cover lays flat on a desk right out of its packaging. It made an immediate relation with my well worn Wilson A2K mitt from years ago.</p>
<p data-preserve-html-node="true">My Hellbrand cover comes with two pockets that are smaller than the ones found on the Hellbrand website and in Patrick Rhone’s interview. I actually prefer the small pockets. Field Notes books are sturdy enough to not bend in half due to the smaller pocket, so there is no lasting effect on the quality of the book.[1] The smaller pocket also allows for easier access to cash, credit cards and receipts if you decide to use the cover as a full-fledged wallet.</p>
The Hellbrand cover fits perfectly in the back pocket of a casual pair of jeans. The cover lays flat and doesn’t bulge easily, leading to a greater comfort when sitting on top of the cover. Sometime during my first day, the button on my backside jean pocket wore into the Hellbrand cover and left a blemish in the leather. To my surprise, that blemish has slowly worn into the rest of the wallet and I can no longer notice the problem. Hellbrand’s leather wears as well as any other leather product I own.
<p data-preserve-html-node="true">Perhaps my favourite feature of the entire Hellbrand cover is the embossed Hellbrand logo on the backside pocket. The logo screams quality, elegance and craftsmanship. The branding is small and tucked away so as not to impede the minimalism of the Hellbrand cover, but it brims with confidence when discovered. </p>
Field Notes Brand makes two very elegant memo book covers. Both covers come with embossed branding and extra pockets for carrying extra goods. However, both come at a relatively steep price. Hellbrand’s cover looks much the same, offers many of the same features and comes in at half the price. It’s hard to beat quality and durability for a mere $50.
The Hellbrand Leatherworks embossed logo on the back of their memo book cover acts as a microcosm for the entire product. The Hellbrand cover exudes Americanism, durability, quality and craftsmanship. You’d be hard pressed to find a better cover for a better price. And, to top it off, there is nothing better than the smell of a genuine piece of leather.
And this comes from my experience using a Kraft Field Notes book. I just received a pack of Expedition Edition books and I can’t imagine a better combination of style, minimalism and durability. ↩
