Hello First name / Does anyone else feel like September is the real New Year? I'm looking forward to new pencils and taking my pre-loved Dr Marten boots about town in a nod to that new term feeling. September always feels like the perfect moment to hit reset, shake things up, and get excited about what’s next. Where are you at with your year? Are you prepping for the last quarter or looking to 2026? Here are a few ways to make the most of this moment: - Repurposing content: What are you creating on socials or at talks that could be made into a website page, workbook or booklet?
- Refresh your brand: Does your logo, messaging, or website reflect where your business is today? Are you showing up with consistent visuals?
- A lick of paint? Or create or buy a new print to freshen up your workspace.
- New adventures: Are you writing, filming or taking an evening course in something completely different to your work? I took an evening course in stained glass, which eventually became a City and Guilds certificate!
If you need help with creating, let's talk. I love to hear about adventures! Let me know on social media, it's good to keep in touch. Best wishes Berenice |
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What if you only used type? |
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A client was in a muddle with headings a while back and asked me to explain what they do. It's one of those 'designery' things that I take for granted and is well worth sharing. It brings up the question of what if we only had type to show the way. Imagine reading this entire newsletter in 15 pixels, Open Sans regular with no headings … I wouldn't! Print headings When we read a book, headings act like road signs, they tell us where we are and what’s coming next. But not all signs are the same size or importance. That’s why books often use different levels of headings, sometimes called A heads, B heads, C heads, and D heads. - A heads are the biggest and most important. They mark the main sections or chapters of a book.
- B heads break those big sections into smaller topics.
- C heads divide those smaller topics into even smaller parts.
- D heads are for very detailed points or sub-subsections.
This hierarchy works like an outline. It helps a reader see the structure at a glance, understand how ideas are related, and easily find the information they want without getting lost. Without it, the text would read as one long, confusing block. It’s a bit like a family tree for text. The A heads are the “parents,” B heads are their “children,” C heads are the “grandchildren,” and D heads are the “great-grandchildren.” A chapter head is the big title you see at the beginning of a chapter. - It usually has the chapter number (e.g., Chapter 5) and the chapter title (e.g., The Journey Begins).
- Its job is to tell the reader clearly that a new chapter is starting and to set the stage for what that section is about.
- It’s designed to stand out so it feels like a fresh start.
A running head (also called a running header) is the small line of text that appears at the top of each page of a book. - It’s there to remind the reader where they are in the book without having to flip back.
- For example, one page might show the book title as the running head, and another might show the current chapter title.
- Running heads are especially helpful in long books, because they give quick orientation, a bit like a label on every page.
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Digital headings Headings on a website, ebook or interactive media (H1, H2, H3, H4) show users and technology how the content is organised. They don’t just change the size of the text – they describe the structure of the information. - H1 (Heading 1): The most important heading. Usually, the title of the page or article. There should normally only be one H1, so it’s clear what the whole page is about.
- H2 (Heading 2): Major sections under the H1. These break the page into clear topics.
- H3 (Heading 3): Subsections that belong to an H2. They add detail and organise information within that section.
- H4 (Heading 4): Even smaller divisions under an H3, for fine details or specific points.
Why they matter: - For readers: Headings make content easier to scan. People can jump straight to the part they’re interested in.
- For search engines: Search engines use headings to understand what the page is about, so a clear hierarchy helps with SEO (search engine optimisation).
- For accessibility: Screen readers (used by people who are blind or visually impaired) rely on headings to navigate a page. A proper heading hierarchy means they can move through the page in a logical order, just like sighted readers scanning with their eyes. Without headings, or if headings are misused, the content can feel like a confusing wall of text.
You can also use different styles and headings to break up social media graphics.
It helps to limit fonts and styles in carousels and images, since attention spans are about 8 seconds, probably less. Don't get too hung up on it as it's blink and miss it, but do something to grab the eye with a snappy headline, and if it works, repurpose it as a template. |
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You may have noticed a little shift in timing for the launch of Design Club. While I originally planned to open the doors this September, I’ve decided to give it a touch more space to grow into something even better. Here’s why this is actually great news: - An amazing year of design – My workload has been wonderfully full of exciting design projects, which means fresh ideas and real-life inspiration is flowing right into Design Club.
- Even better content – As I mapped things out, the ideas kept growing! So I’ve reshaped the structure into something more flexible and fun, think Woolworth’s pick and mix, but for design.
This pause means I can bring you better experience. The plan is a soft launch over winter at a special trial price in exchange for your feedback. I can’t wait to share it with you soon., Thank you for being part of the journey. |
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Bartrums in Hay-on-Wye sells oodles of pens, diaries, and even those industrial pencil sharpeners that you can screw to a desk. It's a tiny building and every available space is stacked, and there is a ladder on wheels to reach the stuff at ceiling height! Truthfully, I'd love to work there. It's just down the street from Gay on Wye which is an indie LGBTQ+ bookshop packed with books, mugs and more stationery. I love the range of linoprints from Pressed and Folded who are based in Somerset. They make all their creations on a Stephenson Blake galley press and the paper quality is gorgeous. I've taken delivery of the Bags and Belongings print. You can find me hosting The Freelancer Magazine's co-working at least once a month on a Wednesday, sometimes more. Come along for 40 minutes of focused work in two stints and the chance to meet other people in a break-out room. What if we only used type? This was a question posed by the design and research team at Medium. On an away day, they set themselves the task of designing Medium only using type, which led to some interesting ideas around colour and structure. It highlights why headings are a key feature in design. Squarespace has also introduced a new AI tool to help site owners get to grips with alt text. Alt text, short for alternative text, is used to describe an image, helping people with assistive technologies 'hear' the image content. I've had a play around with the tool to check its accuracy. Whilst it's useful, I believe in good practice and being aware of what makes good alt text, including sensitivities in the content, is important too. If you're not sure, let's talk, or check out Ability Net for more information. I’m delighted to share that I was part of a brilliant team whose work in design was recently commended for pioneering accessibility through thoughtful use of alt text, adapted colours, design, technology, and typography to create more inclusive learning experiences. My font of the month is Ed's Market which I'm testing for a cover design that's in progress. It is designed by Laura Worthington, and I was delighted to see that the website has been given an upgrade with lots of great resources, including a type tester and more type specimens like this one below, to inspire ideas. |
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Hello Lovely Design and Co, Future Business, The Guildhall, Market Square, Cambridge
Cambridge, CB2 3QJ, United Kingdom |
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