Something really cool is going on in big Berlin. Our dear friend and, let’s say tennis super sporty star Ralf Stoffers brings Pádel, originally a traditional South American/Spanish sport into the city. (You can say it’s a hybrid of tennis and squash.) But Play The Wall interprets the sport in a new, urban way.

Orientated at the possibilities of the architecture of a city, all you need is a racket, a ball and a wall you can bat on. That’s how the urban project started last summer, where a bunch of people were seen (and of course some smashes heard) almost every day at a forgotten, romantic spot in government district. Get an impression of the game.

You can play alone, à deux or in a group

Two weeks ago the mobile Pádel Indoor court opened, built into an old factory building. From now on, until march 2012 you can go, see and play there.

And I’m not only telling you all about that, because I think it’s a really great idea, a project which should be supported, I reeeeally like the prototype and the first special racket edition of Play The Wall. And guess who did the lettering …

So, if you are in Berlin – check that out! I had the chance to play some games wih Ralf and Kathrin in spain last spring, you have to believe me: it’s totally FUN! 

Registration, ordering and more information on the Play The Wall website.

Having our own design office was an ideal that became real. Making the firm efficient is a never ending job. The street is paved with pressure, failure and misfortune to the same part as it is with joy, success stories and lucky coincidences. Parts of the way we do not have to walk alone, which has turned out to be the most pleasurable thing about running a business. Here we’d like to mention and thank a few people who where brave enough to work with us.

David Pedro Suarez – Huelva, Spain

This guy (on the left) is not only a talented designer, but also the greatest fun to have around. (And I’m not only talking about his accent.) His live is splitted into two professional lives: Music and Design. Both fulfilled wholehearted. He was our intern and went back to his hometown Huelva three months ago. (Where he is btw. looking for business opportunities right now.) Thank you for being with us man!

Daniela Rieser – Kirchbichl, Austria

Daniela is super smart, careful and 100% credible. We enjoyed the pleasure to have her around the last three months and we were super lucky to have that opportunity. Did I mention that she bakes like a queen?! Coookiieees ... Or this kickass cake she baked for us today on her last day as our intern.

Where was I?

Stephan Kirsch – Saarland, Germany/Vienna, Austria

There is a saying that Austrians are not actually in love with Germans. Of course this can be lead back to the fact that Germany is ten times as big as our country and we feel ... well a bit small, or it can be because there are a few really bothersome German tourists lurking in every expected to be quiet vacation spot of this planet. ANYWAYS, we love the guy from the deepest parts of our organs and we are lucky that he sits next to us every day of the year!

And hey, it is a special day for him too! He was today granted a permanent residence in our fine country.

Merry christmas everyone. More serious business to be expected soon.

Anna and me will give a lecture for Vienna Design Week next week. On Thursday, October 6, 5:30 p.m. at Stilwerk Wien, Praterstraße 1. Please spread the word — it will look ridiculous if no one comes!

We recently had the possibility to work with our soulmates from Vorlarlberg again. Ad agency Zeughaus brought us in for the pitch for the biannual Dornbirn fair. We helped them out with a decent lettering and, guess what, they won that pitch. And so the first Herbst-Messe just ended showing the lettering all over and around Dornbirn.

Zeughaus did a really good job for the design concept and since we were involved from the very beginning the logotype fits perfectly into the illustration and color world Zeughaus created. You can see more of this and other Zeughaus projects on their website.

Design and Art Direction: Zeughaus, Lettering: Typejockeys

The ORF politics talk show Im Zentrum uses Premiéra in their new design. Rupert Putz, head of the ORF info design department likes the character of their new typeface. It gives the show seriosity and modernity at the same time. Personally, I digg seeing our typefaces on TV!

Maybe the biggest use of this typeface, made for small text sizes, so far.

Photos: © ORF

Spotted! Not at the upper east side – but almost. Next to Razo Beach, Galicia, a nice young girl is wearing a really nice bag. Letters of Aniuk, Ingeborg and Premiéra garnish the cotton accessory. Her name is Africa. The girl, not the bag … You want to buy one? Fast! It’s a limited edition.

I recently found my love for American Football. Although the sport isn’t very famous in Austria, our countries’ teams do really well internationally. The Tirolean team Swarco Raiders just recently won the Eurobowl and made clear, that they are the best American Football team in Europe.

I saw the game as well as some others and I was impressed by this young team quite a lot. What didn’t impress me was its design. And although design doesn’t seem to be much of an issue for most Austrian sports clubs, I made it my personal duty to change that.

Above you can see the logo of Swarco Raiders, consisting of a tough looking sword – which for me looks like painted by a tattoo artist – and the logotype. The “logotype”! … We are spending quite some time with the development of logotypes and I got to say: This is hell for me. One doesn’t have to search a lot for the typeface that was used here (actually not further than A). Then those greedy gradients and worst part probably: The type and the sword illustration do not fit together in any way!

And out of emotion and pure fun I started to redraw this logo for good. Starting as some sketches in my sketchbook it within two days became what I thought would be a much better choice for Swarco Raiders. To be upfront with it: I actually sent the logo to the Swarco Raiders board of executives, explained my reasons and gave it to the club as a present. Asking for feedback after hearing nothing for two weeks I had the vice president on the line. He told me that he wouldn’t like the logo at all, that it would not fit for their purpose and that they had a similar logo already in the 90s.

This of course brought me back down to earth quite quickly. However, I am very thankful for this feedback and I still totally enjoyed working on this.

I would now like to share this declined project with you and would appreciate your feedback!

I decided for a more unique style of lettering, with the intent of making the sword and the logotype fit together. I went for a positive and a negative version, since the logo appears on light and dark backgrounds. Below again the logotype in big.

The Swarco Raiders logo is a trademark of Swarco Raiders
The Swarco logo is a trademark of Swarco AG 

Some time ago NDU professor Ulrike Pötschke had the gorgeous idea to make a packaging project based on our typeface Premiéra. The students should develop packaging as well as advertising concepts for imaginary products, with only one thing in common: the typeface they had to use was Premiéra.

When the time came, Thomas and me had the opportunity to see presentations of all the designs that came out and give the students some feedback on their work. It was really nice to see those completely different approaches and products for which the students decided that Premiéra might be the appropriate typeface. From chocolate to cleanser to a family of tabacco goods – as you can see above; Vasco, by Thomas Piribauer.

Frundus icecream cups & cakes, by Christine Weiß

Wunderwuzzi super cleanser, by Christina Hosiner

Paradoxus 100% Arabica coffee, by Martin Novak

Sudden Death extremely hot chillies, by Peter Rüpschl

Earth cosmetic products, by Lilja Hardarson

Schokolicious chocolate delicacies, by Anna Prokopowski

Dandy classy spirits, by Philip Weisskopf

Uova organic eggs, by Alexander Govoni

An interesting way to get new clients: office hunting. Last year, when we were looking for a new place for Typejockeys we got to know two architects. Andreas and Anna, who were renovating a really nice old bakehouse in Vienna and wanted to share the space with other creatives when finished. In large part used as office space, in the front Anna wanted to revitalise the bakery. Quite a good plan. Unfortunately too small for our needs, so we continued searching. However, few weeks later both of them contacted us for designing their corporate design(s). Again, good plan!

Above you see pictures during and after the renovation.

Anna and Andreas. Bakery and architecture. Friskiness and purity. Two tasks – same name, same logo. Let’s say it was, well, … challenging. But also fun! So, from now on the Backraum project shares one lettering – but it is handled in two different ways. The picture mark: an eagle covered with a croissant. Like us they fell for this ironic approach and are brave enough to use it in their branding now! Andreas also likes to use it bottom up – he thinks then it looks like a ninja. Well then, …

The corporate design for Anna’s bakery uses shrill colours, big type, kindly wording and a lot of joy. They sell organic pastries, tasty soups and cupcakes as well as fancy design accessories like bags, beanies or greeting cards. Not to forget: Art. It’s also a “micro gallery”. We did a lot of things for the bakery so far: Post- and greeting cards, stickers, packaging, pastry bags, stamps, flags or the website. 

Postcards

Kipferlpass

Salads and yoghurts

Pastry bags

We warmly recommend that nice spot in Vienna (Neustiftgasse 23). It’s truly worth a visit! 

The concept for Andreas’ Backraum architecture is earthy, reserved, calm and pure. Aaaand it takes some time. So be patient, more on the architecture part soon!