Get Your Calendars!

Illustration from the cover of Pentagram’s 2008 Typography Calendar.

Human beings have been tracking the passage of time for more than 6,000 years. From the ancient Egyptians, Babylonians, and Mayans, up to present-day, we have continued to refine systems that enable us to organize the passage of days, months, and years. Calendars help us plan our schedules, record our history, and observe our holidays. But for everything the calendar does, it is perhaps one of the least appreciated pieces of information design in existence, and often times, one of the worst-designed as well.

We’ve all seen them. Walk into any mall and within 5 minutes you will find yourself standing in front of a kiosk selling hundreds of varieties of the most pitiful print designs you’ve ever seen. 365 Puppies and Thomas Kinkade 2008…Oh god, I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. They are dull, predominantly squarish, covered in drop shadows and cheap fonts, and generally forgettable. Their grids are generically composed, their typography is bland, and rarely do they actually inspire us to write anything in them.

But why do so many of these calendars continue to exist? Is it the generally poor taste of the populace? Laziness? Or are people just unaware that better alternatives exist? It’s probably a combination of each. And like most types of information design, many people simply don’t consider that a calendar can be more than just a functional document which is decorated only as an afterthought, and rarely actually designed.

Why can’t a calendar be stylish? Why can’t it be a part of our homes’ decor? Shouldn’t a calendar dramatically indicate the date, instead of just plainly hold it on the page? A calendar can easily be all of these things, and if you look a little further than the local shopping center, you’re sure to find some.

Here’s a list of some of my favorite calendars for 2008. Grab one for your home or office, and start the new year off right.

Cats Let Nothing Darken Their Roar 2008, by designer Noa Bembibre. A wonderfully bold and entertaining calendar. This is one of those designs that makes you say “why didn’t I think of that?”

Pentagram’s 2008 Classic Typographic Calendar designed by Kit Hinrichs, using twelve typefaces designed by typographer Matthew Carter. Highly functional. Highly sophisticated.

SusyJack Mini. 12 Abstract designs contrast the super-clean text. Printed on narrow Bristol cards. Buy it here.

Formosa Wall Calendar. Designed by the multi-talented Italian designer Enzo Mari in 1967 for Danese Milano, Italy, the Formosa Wall Calendar has become one of the classic icons of 20th Century Design and can be found in museum collections worldwide. Made of anodized aluminum and lithographed PVC. A whopping $250! Something tells me Massimo Vignelli would like this one. Buy it here.

Snow & Graham’s beautiful wall calendar. Simple, elegant illustrations and Oldstyle typography printed with 12 hand mixed inks. Buy it here.

2008 Turtle Papers Calendar. Lovely illustrations of birds and florals in a range of colors from their latest stationary line, printed on brochure-sized cards. Buy it here.

MoMA Acrylic Perpetual Calendar. Two Lucite blocks create this simple perpetual calendar. One slides past the other to indicate the day and month, allowing for use year after year. Genius. Buy it here.

2008 Botanical Desk Calendar, Little Tree Press. This exquisite desk calendar is letterpress printed on 100% cotton rag paper with a deep impression.

A Year in the Kitchen. A clever calendar depicting everyday kitchen objects. Whimsical meets modern. Buy it here.

Seasprayblue 2008 — featuring 12 highly imaginative illustrations by this Dresden artist. Buy it here.

Jumping Point calendar — created in 1975 by Michael Domberger to mark the passing of a day by punching out a small circle and exposing the vivid color underneath. Buy it here.

Imbroglio Calendar by Jean Pierre Vitrac. A moveable magnet reveals the date. Mmm…type tricks. Buy it here.

For more great calendars check out etsy.com. They have an endless selection by designers and print shops from around the world.

And if you’re really up for a calendar that’s sure to create conversation, head over to MarthaStewart.com to learn how to make your own Chalkboard Wall Calendar. There’s a complete how-to guide. There’s no way you’ll miss a deadline with this thing.

 

Additional Resource

Do you know how December go its name? It’s from the word decem, meaning ten, because it was the 10th month in the old Roman calendar. Check out Calendars Through The Ages. Everything you would want to know about calendars can be found here.

December 17th, 2007 » Posted by Jim Hargreaves » Permalink

Entry Filed under: Archived Posts