Lately it’s struck me how many chemicals we use in, on, and around our bodies. I shudder to think of all the junk my body comes in contact with on a daily basis. Today’s design speaks to that (I’m choosing to pick on cigarettes).

Apparently, there is a list of around 600 additives that have been approved by the United States government for use in the manufacture of cigarettes. The ampersand in this design stands for all of the other ingredients not listed below.

When the winter is gone will you still love me in the springtime? I always love it when random phrases pop into my head. I checked around and don’t think this expression is coming from anything. It’s an oddly sad but hopeful tangle of words from out of nowhere contrasted with a whimsical design.

Photo credit for the unicycle photo goes to Michael Creagh, and photo of the London Parliment is mine.

I’ve heard it’s Spring but one could never guess that with the cold grey sky and patter of rain outside. To counteract this dreariness, I present a pretty picture of the mountains with a haiku on Spring by Matsuo Basho. Basho was a Japanese poet recognized for his simple, natural haikus.

The ampersand is in Cooper Std.

What would a month of ampersand be without a little history?

The long-short of it is that ampersand is a corruption of the phrase “and per se and”. The Scots and Scottish English name for & is epershand, derived from “et per se and”, with the same meaning. Through folk etymology it has been claimed that Andre-Marie Ampere used the symbol in his widely read publications, and that people began calling the new shape “Ampere’s and”.

*all of this thanks to Wikipedia

No matter how this gorgeous thing came to be, there’s one indisputable fact. It’s always been beautiful.

This image is a juxtaposition of so many different different things. It’s a representation of history (one of the newspapers featured here is over 93 years old), style, color (pow!), and of course, typography. Specifically the ampersand.

I purchased the Aechen Medium font for a recent project and fell in love with the ampersand immediately. From far away, it’s sturdy and bold, but up close there are delightful curves that only add interest and delicacy to it’s resolute shape.

Lovely.

Ever since we returned from the UK, my Design a Day performance has been spotty. For some reason I’ve had a barrage of side projects pop up and they’ve been consuming most of my “after work work”. I’m very excited about the project I just completed because it involves my dad, food, and a food company. Unfortunately, at this stage it’s still confidential so I’m not allowed to post any designs.

In lieu of a gorgeous ampersand or new work, I’m posting a few images I’ve been storing in my Found Images folder on my desktop. Nearly anything that catches my eye goes there. I’ve done my best to attribute each design – I apologize in advance for anything I’ve missed.

Lovely work by Derek J Hunt

Gorgeous Danish stamp – unsure of the designer

Draphic design poster by Lunchbreath

Packaging by I Love Dust

And it continues. A tribute to one of the most diverse and beautiful glyphs of a typeface or font.

With a little help from the ah-mazing photographer Jimmy Backius I’ve created a little springtime ampersand love.

I already have to admit that incorporating an ampersand into every design this month could prove to be a slight challenge. I’ve noticed that when I get used to designing within specific parameters (whether for client or personal work), it can be difficult to allow my mind to open again. Just proves that our brains need to be exercised on a regular basis or they get mushy.

*or at least mine does*

This concept incorporates a sort of swiss-style, art deco-ish design with an image from my very first photography class. A toilet!