Bill Weber Typography Portfolio

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typographic design by

Front cover: Logo for East Coast Construction, Inc., 1987.

Back cover: Bill Weber “up to something” at the age of four.

© 2024 by Bill Weber Studios. All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced, distributed, or otherwise transmitted without the express permission of the author. All designs are copyright by their respective owners. Printed in USA.

INTRODUCTION

hen I was a kid, I would open the World Book Encyclopedia and read the first entry of each letter in the alphabet to learn its origins. This was the first expression of my lifelong love affair with letterforms.

During my design education and career, I’ve learned that letters are not just the simple squiggles –a circle for an O, crossed lines for a T, etc. – that form a basic shape, but a whole lot more. Type has height, weight, texture, thickness, direction, tone, taste, emotion, smell, flavor, heat, bite, coolness, temperature, personality, movement, gravity, space, sound, elasticity, skin, bones, vibrations,

order, form, function, rules to follow, and rules to break.

Over the eons, letterforms developed through a human process – our brains, hearts, eyes, and hands worked together to create them. Typography, to stretch a metaphor, has humanity in its very DNA.

It is my job as a designer to bring out the inner “humanity” and life of letterforms with the purpose of engaging, inspiring, and moving the viewer.

It is my wish that you are engaged, inspired, and moved by my work.

March 2024

5
Left-hand page: first page and entry for the letter “A” in the World Book Encyclopedia, mid-1960s.
6 Ladies Room 40 Kalyn Press 39 Metal Mouth 47 Membership Directory 42 George Lang Orchestras 41 Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry Marquee Communications 46 Majestic Theatre Company 45 Luerzer’s Archive 43 Main Gate Square 44 Falling Flat On Your Face 42 Seconds 25 Children’s Business 18 Promotional Products 9 Be Unmessable With 15 Beth Hillel Bears 14 American Academy of East Coast Construction 42 A.R.T.S. 11 Children’s Entertainment Brad/Ford 17 Del Business Systems 20 Entertainment 10 Avocado 13 CJ Designs 19 Advertising Specialty and Enough 22 Blue Suede Collectibles 16 Ad Lib Productions 8 East Coast Construction 21 Experimental Aircraft Association 23 Astoria Center of Israel 12 Is Still Moving Forward 24 Hamlisch 80 29 Holis Institute for Holistic Chamber of Commerce 31 Ecological Living 30 Home Made Horror 32 HydroPlus 33 Marvin Hamlisch 28 INDEX 6 Ingenuity 34 IntegraNet 35 International Center for Endoscopic Training 36 The Forward 26 INTRODUCTION 5 Freight 27 Jewish Arts Ensemble 37 Joey’s Fine Foods 38 INDEX

Award-winning projects have this symbol on the page.

Full listings and explanations of awards are on the Bill Weber Studios website.

7 Ode to a Cauliower 52 for the Arts 48 Team Management Church 54 Shari Elf and the All-Star Subaru 67 SkipTheWarehouse.com 63 Ross Paul birth New York Internaional City 49 Our Deepest Fear 53 Nolita Merchants National Endowment Cheri Steelman 66 Sacks & Associates 60 Sports Beast 65 American Comedy 56 Association 50 Park Avenue Christian Shame 61 announcement 58 Ryan birth announcement 59 Seamstress Band 62 Toy Team 69 Red Skelton Museum of Now Hear This 51 Patsey’s Trattoria 55 Trophymark 70 Waiting for the Show 72 SnackBots 64 Rheostat’s Restaurant 57 Don Weber Building Leadership Program 68 Young Singles Social Club 74 Services 73 Troppomondo 71

Ad Lib Productions, a theatre company is one of my earliest professional designs. I rendered the company’s Latin name in a classic typeface, then added comedy and tragedy symbols as quotation marks. It is simple, communicative, and timeless. 1975.

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A pen cap, computer cable, t-shirt, and wristwatch, representing different merchandise categories, form the acronym for the Advertising Specialty and Promotional Products trade association. 2019.

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The American Academy of Children’s Entertainment was an association (that I co-founded) of over 150 independent producers of children’s music, television, film, and video. 1993.

10

Different, yet complementary, styles, of calligraphy make up the logo for A.R.T.S., an international artists’ support organization. The wordmark suggests the different creative disciplines practiced by A.R.T.S. members. 2008.

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The cover of the Astoria Center of Israel’s 90th Annual Journal recreates the look of the stained glass windows in their historic sanctuary. 2016.

12

I strive to find the simplest, most direct solution to design problems. This is the poster for Avocado, an independent film by Michele Dos Santos. 2018.

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a

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Los Angeles Jewish congregation. 2014. Beth Hillel Bears, the community baseball team of Temple Beth Hillel,
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This t-shirt design is for Be Unmessable With, the coaching practice of Josselyne Herman-Saccio. 2022.
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Blue Suede Collectibles, a sports memorabilia dealer. This logo was designed to impress at charity events, the client’s main market. 2021.
TS A R N SPO

Brad/Ford. Logo for a Ford automobile enthusiast named Brad. Embroidered patches were made to give away at car shows. 2007.

17

Children’s Entertainment Business was the newsletter of the American Academy fo Children’s Entertainment. 2008.

18

This pinwheel logo for CJ Designs, a toy and giftware designer, good shape, color, and proportions. 1989. is filled with movement. It reads well as “CJ” thanks to

19

Del Business Systems is a reseller of photocopiers and other put it in the same league as IBM, Xerox, and Minolta. 1982.

office machines. The company wanted a logo that would

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The sun rising on a construction site for East Coast Construction Company. I love this design because it tells you both the name of the company and what they do in an instant. 1987.

21

This political illustration protests the separation of families at the US/Mexico border and the placement of children in cages. 2020.

22

This design for the Experimental Aircraft Association depicts the old-fashioned thrills of flying for their Young Eagles program. 2022.

23

Written and Performed by Ned

ISSTILLMOVINGFORWARD

Poster design for a one-man comedy show, Falling Flat on Your Face is Still Moving Forward. 2006.

24

Key art, poster, and website for 42 Seconds, an independent film that follows the survivors of a mass shooting as they take their first steps toward healing. The design uses the minute marks on a clock to suggest both the passage of time and the crosshairs of a rifle. 2022.

25

The Park Avenue Christian Church’s newsletter, The Forward, has been continuously published for over 125 years. The design of the masthead is an updated version of the original design. In addition to the masthead, I designed the publication so that it is easy to read and easy for the staff to put together each month. 2012.

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An intentionally bad, over-designed logo for Freight, a pitch for a sitcom about an inept delivery service. 1994.

27

Marvin Hamlisch, composer. I worked with Marvin early in my career and presented him with this art as a wedding gift. 1989.

28

Concord Theatricals licenses the music libraries of Marvin Hamlisch, Rogers & Hammerstein, and other Broadway notables.

I was commissioned to design a graphic for Concord’s

celebration of Marvin Hamlisch’s 80th birthday. 2023.

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institute for ecological living

environmental design. The logo has a

Holis Institute for Ecological Living, a school for very clean Asian/European fusion look. 2010.

30

A glass office building reflects the sky and bursts with nature in this design

for the Holistic Chamber of Commerce, a trade association. 2014.

31

Home Made Horror is a movie-making show for teens that showcases the work of viewers along with advice from professionals. 2006.

32

healthier planet

HydroPlus is an industrial company building artificial aquifiers. They needed a classy, consumer-facing design to sway public opinion in their favor. 2022.

33

Ingenuity is a high-tech game show for families. The show combines comedy, hands-on science experiments, and role models from the world of science. 2006.

34

IntegraNet is an insurance agency committed to diversity and integrity.

Their logo, made up of three letter “i”s, illustrates the company’s philosophy: insurance and financial services are, at its most basic, people leaning on

and helping each other. 1985.

35

The International Center for Endoscopic Surgery teaches surgeons how to operate by looking through fiber optic cables.

The logo is made up of letters inside tubes. 1994.

36

The Jewish Arts Ensemble of New York, a klezmer music quartet. Their logo combines a music staff with a stylized Torah. 2013.

37

This family-friendly, hand-drawn logo encompasses all the fun of cakes, cookies, and other treats. 1995.

Joey’s Fine Foods, a baker and distributor of snack

38

Kalyn Press, book printers. The company’s old-fashioned craftsmanship and service is represented by a stylized book, a built-in ribbon bookmark, and the letters “K” and “L.” 2000.

39

“Which way to the ladies’ room?” Just follow the wall of doors for The Ladies Room comedy club. 2000.

40

GEORGE LANG ORCHESTRAS

The logo for George Lang Orchestras is a simple idea and a complex piece of typographic architecture. 1983.

41

This proposed cover for the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry membership directory challenges the stereotype of the kind

of people who become professional puppeteers. 2021.

42

Double-page spread for Luerzer’s Archive, one of a series

of ads inspired by the magazine’s unique covers. 2005.

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Main Gate Square, a shopping, dining, and entertainment complex. 2022.

This logo for the Majestic Theatre Company gives the viewer an experience of the size, scope, and majesty of the stage. 2007.

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Majestic Theatre Company

Marquee Communications, an entertainment publishing company. The logo also served as the masthead for the company’s series of theatrical playbills. 1979.

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Metal Mouth, a heavy metal band. The textured background adds interest and impact. 2013.

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Created for a National Endowment for the Arts design competition,

Give the Arts a Hand promotes arts participation and funding.

I used a combination of hand-drawn and digital lettering. 2020

48

New York International City is the first in a series of wordmarks that highlight the diverse cultures that contribute to their cities. New York was originally designed for

the Rockefeller Center Flag Design competition. 2020. Africa (Kenyan flag elements)

KEY TO SYMBOLS: Ireland and Europe (Irish harp), Puerto Rico (flag elements), Middle East (calligraphy and sun element), India (sanskrit lettering), South America (Brazilian flag elements), Asia (dragon motif),

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GET TO KNOW

Nolita Merchants Association

NewYork’sCreative

ExcitingOriginal SurprisingNeighborhood Gritty EntertainingDelicious

I wrote the text and designed the cover of the tourist map for the Nolita Merchants Association in New York City. 2009.

50

Now Hear This, an old-time nostalgia radio quiz show. 1989.

51

Key art and poster for the Paul Robeson Theatre Festival production of Ode to a Cauliflower by Uriah Carr. The poster captures the setting of this comedy about a family of Black strivers in Los Angeles. 2017.

52

Our Deepest Fear unboxes Marianne Williamson’s famous quote. 2004.

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53

The denomination’s chalice icon, a green leaf for nature and growth,

and Gothic-flavored calligraphy come together in this logo for the Park Avenue Christian Church. 2008.

54

The tagline for Patsey’s Trattoria is “food like your grandmother made.” This design evokes the old-fashioned tile walls of restaurants in New York’s Little Italy, the neighborhood where Grandma grew up. 2012.

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T R A T T O R I A T R A T T O R I A

Red Skelton appears as Freddy the Freeloader, Augustus Pirdy (The Yellow Cab Man), and Steve Elliott

(Bathing Beauty) in this graphic that was pitched to the Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy. 2024.

56

a wacky family of alien puppets learning about our culture.

Rheostat’s Restaurant is a country music show starring Proposed attraction for Opryland USA. 1996.

57

Birth announcement for my son, a powerful baby boy named Ross Paul. 1990.

58

This birth announcement for a boy named Ryan is made of snakes and snails and puppy dog tails. 2000.

59

Sacks & Associates, a public relations agency. Their logo illustrates their tagline. 2002.

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Key art for Shame, an independent film about the aftermath of rape. 2021.

A quirky poster, combining photo and typographic elements, for Shari Elf and the All-Star Seamstress Band. I love using textures (yellowed linoleum, embroidery, fur) to add mood and emotion. 2007.

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Photograph by Holly Clark

Skip the Warehouse, an HVAC ecommerce business. This logo depicts the advantage of shopping online with them. 2011.

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by

PUTS K

IDS IN CONTROL OF THE SNACKING UNIVERSE

SnackBots is a healthy snack concept for Welch Foods that puts trail mix (cereal, fruit, nuts) into clever, colorful shaker containers. 2007.

64

Sports Beast, an inspirational sports show for kids. Each episode to inspire commitment and teamwork. 2006.

pairs a famous sports role model with a middle-school athlete

65

The logo for realtor Cheri Steelman evokes Los Angeles’

urban sprawl and “dreams can come true” attitude. 2022.

66

Subaru, the automobile brand, is named for the six stars

of the star cluster Pleiades. Answering a call for new ideas, I contributed this six-sided starburst. 1977.

67
“Big

Leadership Program, a professional development course from Landmark Education. I designed ads and posters for Landmark’s communications programs. 2012.

68
People, Big Lives” is the tagline for the Team Management

This is the logo for Toy Team, a children’s sci-fi/fantasy

television program pitch. 2006.

69

Trophymark makes top-quality acrylic trophies. 2022.

70 T R O P H Y M A R K

The logo for Troppomondo Sailing Retreats, a Caribbean boat charter company, shows the relaxing, pleasurable life they provide their guests. 2010.

71

I created key art, street displays, and guerilla marketing materials for

Waiting for the Show, a New York Fringe Festival comedy. 2008.

72

Don Weber Building Services is a building management company in New York City’s historic Greenwich Village. This logo evokes the mason’s marks of the 19th century when much of the village’s small-scale architecture was built. 2002.

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When a logo is also an acronym, the letters should do

A jazzy design for the Young Singles Social Club. more than just sit there. In this case, they dance! 1996.

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