Hi First name / friend,
Welcome to the latest edition of the Friday Finisher! We’ve got some new faces joining us, so a big hi, hello, and warm welcome to all of you! I’m really excited to have you here in this creative corner where I share the best design news, tools, and inspiration I discover each week.
How’s your week been?
On my end, I had a meeting on Tuesday with a potential new client, fingers crossed it goes well! Believe it or not, 350 freelancers applied, and only four were interviewed. Proud to say I made the shortlist! Not sure what that says about the freelance design market right now, but I’ll take it as a compliment.
In other news, the branding project I’m working on is coming along nicely, the logo mark is nearly finalised, and soon I’ll dive into the packaging phase, which is always the fun part. I know I promised a sneak peek last week, but these things take time. Soon, I promise!
This week’s edition of The Friday Finisher features a beautiful retro-style font now live on Adobe Fonts, a game-changing update to Illustrator’s Pencil Tool, and a thoughtful read for all you creative generalists out there. Enjoy! |
|
Designing for Every Reader
Penguin Inclusive Sans is a new custom typeface designed by Olivia King for Penguin Books, created with accessibility and inclusivity at its core. Developed in collaboration with accessibility consultants and readers with visual impairments, the typeface was carefully crafted to improve legibility without sacrificing character or style.
What’s especially inspiring is how the typeface manages to feel modern, warm, and unmistakably Penguin, all while meeting rigorous accessibility standards. It’s a strong example of how thoughtful design can serve both form and function, reminding us that good typography doesn’t just look good, it makes content more approachable for everyone. I especially love the tilted dot on the ‘i’. |
|
The Rise of the Creative Generalist
What if being a “jack of all trades” is actually your biggest creative advantage? This piece from Creative Boom dives into why generalists - people who do a bit of everything - are becoming more valuable than ever. In a world that’s constantly changing, being adaptable, curious, and multi-skilled feels like a creative superpower. It’s a brilliant read if you’ve ever wondered whether you should niche down or embrace the chaos of being a generalist.
I’ve always identified as a generalist (and proudly so). From branding and illustration to teaching and content creation, it’s the mix that keeps things exciting. I even touch on this in my Skillshare course, you can watch it with a free trial here. If you’ve ever felt torn between different creative paths, this article will hit home. |
|
Skew Is Now on Adobe Fonts If you’re into bold, expressive typography, you’ll love Skew, a new brush-inspired display font by Mark Caneso, now available on Adobe Fonts. It comes in six weights (plus a variable version), packed with energy, texture, and personality. It’s got that hand-drawn charm without losing clarity, making it great for posters, headlines, or anything that needs to stand out.
Skew also includes swash caps, alternates, and playful ligatures, so you can dial up the character as much as you like. It’s one of those fonts that feels spontaneous and crafted at the same time, perfect when you want your design to feel a little less polished and a lot more human. If you have an Adobe Creative Cloud sub, you can activate it for free. |
|
Pencil Tool Gets Live Preview Illustrator just got a fantastic update to the Pencil Tool that makes drawing smoother and more precise than ever. Now, as you draw, you get a live preview of your stroke right on the artboard, so you can see exactly how your lines will look before you release the mouse or stylus. This real-time feedback helps you create cleaner curves and shapes with much less guesswork, making the whole drawing process faster and more natural.
To help you get the most out of this update, I put together a short video demonstrating how the live preview works and some tips for using it effectively. Whether you’re sketching freehand or refining complex paths, this new feature is a real time-saver and creative boost. |
|
MISSED MY LATEST INSTAGRAM POSTS? |
|
If you got this far, here is your question of the week:
When was the last time a mistake led to your best design idea? Hit reply and share your answer. |
|
NDSM
Amsterdam, 1033NA, The Netherlands |
|
|
|
