Just about any creative will tell you one of the most common questions we get asked is, “Where do you get your ideas?” (If I’m talking to my mother, I’d have to add, “So, what is it you do again?”)
At St. Gregory Group, and particularly in the Creative Department, we like to compare notes from time to time about what inspires us. No two of us are moved by the same things, and that generates interesting discussions and opportunities to open each others’ eyes to new concepts.
On a recent photoshoot for an industrial client, I was treated to a reminder of something that has inspired me for many years as a designer: vintage typography on industrial machines. There’s something timeless in the simplicity and clarity of typemarks created to be stamped or embossed onto heavy pieces of steel made to survive decades of harsh, intense use.
In between shot set-ups, I moved around the periphery of the manufacturing space we were working in to take a look at some nameplates that may have been crafted quite some time ago.
In addition to photos from that particular shoot, I’ve also included some other favorites I’ve collected over the years. Enjoy!