Elana Schlenker is a Designer/Art Director. She being as an art director at Conde Nast and now she work at Princeton Architectural Press
My description of her, is : type, attention to detail, simple shape, hand-crafted elements, good balance, beautifully designed, magazine, magazine and magazine. Because, she create her own culture magazine The Original in 2006, and now this magazines change for her current passion, Gratuitous Type, which in her own words she described as “a pamphlet of typographic smut.” Elana have clear eye for design, without borderline.
She accept to describe herself in this post. Thank you for her participation in this blog.
. Can you tell us who you are?
I am a graphic designer based in Brooklyn. I currently work in the in-house design department at Princeton Architectural Press. I also publish Gratuitous Type (gratuitoustype.com), a magazine about design and typography, and maintain a small freelance practice.
. Can you explain your work at Princeton Architectural Press?
I'm a designer at Princeton Architectural Press a publisher based in the East Village in New York. We specialize in architecture and design books, but the titles we publish are incredibly eclectic — each project is completely different from the last. At PAPress I am responsible for designing books (usually about 3-4 each season) and also miscellaneous collateral for the company — marketing materials, promotional sites, even book trailers. It is a very small company (the design department is just me; another designer, Ben English; and our Design Director, Paul Wagner), so our roles really vary from day to day.
. What do you feel is the most challenging thing about typography?
For me I suppose it is resisting the urge to use typography that is super-trendy. Sometimes the trendy stuff is so pretty! I try to mix the old with the new, the timely and the timeless. There's a balance to strike, and the challenge is in finding it.
. How would you describe your style?
Generally, I try to make relatively simple, content-focused work, with an emphasis on strong typography, form, and color. I try to inject humor where I can, but of course, that's not always appropriate. What's unseen in my work, but a big part of what I do, is the organization of information. With my editorial background, I've very focused on the structure and hierarchy of information, narrative, etc, and I bring this to each project — from books to logos and websites.
