Seattle Typestyles Explored

How does Seattle typestyles end up as the topic for this blog? I’ll tell you:

Kelly and I were in Seattle a few weeks ago for NATCON17. I swear this show gets bigger and better every year. We were thrilled to connect with inspiring behavioral health professionals and attend some insightful sessions. But, as with all shows, it was a grind: up early, on the move all day, and out late.

When the show ended on Wednesday, I felt super grateful that I had set aside some time to stay in Seattle for a few days. Now I could explore the city at a more relaxing pace. Seattle has long been a bucket list location for me.

An Eye for (Design) Detail

Working with our designers, Chad and Shaun, has definitely instilled in me an appreciation for design details. So I couldn’t help but notice the carefully designed signs of Seattle’s restaurants and shops. The fonts and colors varied wildly from one street corner to the next. Each name I saw was dressed up with its own personality and flare. I could instantly tell what the vibe would be like in each place. Being able to judge the book by the cover, or its sign, was cool. Better yet, each sign, and each typestyle, elicited a unique reaction and evoked a strong perception, just by the way the name was displayed. It sort of allowed me to be more selective with the places I wanted to enter.

Each one of these places was uniquely positioned, their typestyles acting as proud faces to the world. Their signs were designed to draw attention (like a good sign should) and differentiate from the other restaurants, shops and, of course, coffee houses.

After a while I began to photograph the ones that stuck out to me for their uniqueness, their attention to detail, or their intrigue factor. Below are some of my favorites:

Clockwise from top left: Sound Lab at the MoPOP Museum; Otters poster at the Seattle Aquarium; Victrola Coffee Roasters on Pike Street

Clockwise from top left: Von’s Gustobistro; Pike Motorworks Building; Pike St. Press (an awesome letterpress shop near the market)

Clockwise from top left: Signage leading to Pike St. Press; Salumi; Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum; Pike Street sidewalk

Seattle shot to the top of the list as one of my favorite cities of all time. Stellar signs and typestyles and salmon sammies. What’s not to love!?