How to see like a designer: The hidden power of typography and logos | Jessica Hische (Lettering Artist, Author)
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career
The Balancing Act of Brand Power in Business
This chapter discusses the varying importance of branding in the success of companies, weighing its significance against core product quality and user experience. It emphasizes that a company's guiding principles should determine how prominently branding is featured in its identity.
Jessica Hische is a lettering artist and New York Times bestselling author based in Oakland, California. She specializes in typographical work for logos, film, books, and other commercial applications. Her clients include Wes Anderson, The United States Postal Service, Target, Hallmark, and Penguin Books, and her work has been featured in design and illustration annuals both in the U.S. and internationally. She’s been named a Print Magazine New Visual Artist (20 under 30), one of Forbes 30 under 30 in Art and Design, an ADC Young Gun, a “Person to Watch” by GD USA, and an Adweek “Creative 100.” In our conversation, we discuss:
• My new logo and brand!
• Jessica’s process for refreshing my logo/brand
• Why most startups shouldn’t worry about their logo/brand
• The psychology behind different typography choices
• Balancing creativity with business needs in logo design
• Jessica’s unique approach to pricing logo work
• How AI is (and isn’t) impacting the design world
• Jessica’s other creative pursuits, including children’s books and art supply stores
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Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/seeing-like-a-designer-jessica-hische
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Where to find Jessica Hische:
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jessicahische
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicahische
• Website: https://jessicahische.is
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Jessica’s background
(01:32) The logo refresh process
(09:45) When to refresh your logo
(11:45) High-level overview
(18:04) Approaching Lenny’s brand refresh
(24:25) How to see like a designer
(37:53) Lenny’s new logo: where we landed
(44:07) Brand’s role in company success
(50:04) Jessica’s flexible pricing strategies and collaborative design process
(57:14) Balancing multiple creative projects
(01:01:48) Using AI in creative work
(01:05:50) Upcoming projects and final thoughts
(01:08:24) Lightning round
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Referenced:
• Jeni’s: https://jenis.com
• James Edmondson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestedmondson/
• Figma Config: https://config.figma.com/
• Helvetica: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helvetica
• MyFonts: https://www.myfonts.com/
• Geometric sans serif fonts: https://www.myfonts.com/pages/tags/geometric%20sans%20serif-fonts
• The Rise of Fractional Executives: https://www.reforge.com/blog/leveraging-fractional-executives
• JH&F: https://jessicahische.shop/pages/my-oakland-store
• Drawling: https://drawling.shop/
• Jessica Hische’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jessica-Hische/author/B082XDN54V
• Dreamforce: https://www.salesforce.com/dreamforce
• Bezier handles: https://www.tella.tv/definition/bezier-handles
• My First Book of Fancy Letters: https://www.amazon.com/My-First-Book-Fancy-Letters/dp/0593385012/r
• The Creative Act: A Way of Being: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Act-Way-Being/dp/0593652886/
• Inside Paragraphs: Typographic Fundamentals: https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Paragraphs-Fundamentals-Cyrus-Highsmith/dp/1616899417
• Just Kids: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Kids-Patti-Smith/dp/0060936223
• Robert Mapplethorpe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mapplethorpe
• The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer: https://www.amazon.com/Emperor-All-Maladies-Biography-Cancer/dp/1439170916/r
• Severance on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Severance-Toby-Stephens/dp/B001ARYGCU
• Penco brown bag stand: https://penco.jp/en/products/db079/
• XOXO: https://xoxofest.com/
• Mariame Kaba quotes: https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/8156101.Mariame_Kaba
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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
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