Picking a typeface for writing code

Do you have a favourite typeface for writing code? (Assuming you write code, of course.)

If not, CodingFont is a brilliant website that will help you find your preferred coding typeface — tournament style!

The process is simple and elegant: you compare code written in two popular coding typefaces side-by-side, then you pick the one you prefer. Do this over and over again and, through the process of elimination, you’re left with the coding typeface you like the most.

In my case that’s JetBrains Mono. (Though I’m also happy to code in both Fira Code and Source Code Pro.)

I love typography and have literally spent days pouring over typefaces, comparing them closely, and then picking the ones I want to use in different scenarios. Like this comparison I did when I wanted to select a typeface for all the charts and diagrams I post on this blog:

Which is why all my charts and diagrams are now in Fira Sans or Ideal Sans. (Where they used to be in DIN Next or Open Sans.)

CodingFont lets you do this type of side-by-side comparison without any of the hassle. So, if you’re a coder – or even someone who regularly uses monospaced fonts – then this is totally worth a try.

Have fun!

Miss-a-bitchy

When you’ve found the brand that reflects your outlook on life, you might as well tell the world about it :)

A silver car is parked on the side of the a residential street. There is a sticker on the left rear window with the Mitsubishi car brand logo and text that says: miss-a-bitchy.

Footscray station architecture

I’ve always loved how, at Footscray Railway Station, designers and architects managed to meld the original red brick structures with modern metal and plastic ones so well. That contrast of straight and solid old with angular and swoopy new works so well.

Entrance at one side of a train station. There are red brick buildings in the background and a large metallic rain shelter over the ticketing turnstiles in the foreground.

Also, can I say once again how much I love Moment smartphone camera lenses? This photo wouldn’t have been possible without their 18mm wide-angle lens.

Weekend project: Fire Safety Door album covers

The tram stopped at an intersection and my eyes focused on the side of a multi-storey office building. The plain, grey door blended in easily with the plain, grey wall. The door had no handle and was flush with the wall. If you weren’t looking carefully, you wouldn’t even notice it was there. 

The only thing mildly interesting about it was the black lettering about a third of the way down. Helvetica Condensed Bold. All-caps. Three lines. 

FIRE SAFETY DOOR
DO NOT OBSTRUCT
DO NOT KEEP OPEN

“Huh,” I thought to myself, “Fire Safety Door. That’d fun name for a band. Their first two albums could even be called ‘Do Not Obstruct’ and ‘Do Not Keep Open’”. 

This was on a Friday evening on my way home from work and I realized it’d been a while since I’d done something randomly creative like designing album covers for a fake band. So I was, like, “Why not?”

Thus I present to you the six-album discography of the alt-rock bank Fire Safety Door (click to see higher resolution versions of the album covers): 

The albums in chronological order are: 

  • Do Not Obstruct: Debut album. 
  • Do Not Keep Open: Difficult second album. 
  • Door Is Alarmed: Critically acclaimed third album. 
  • Woop Woop: Live tour album. 
  • Evacuation Assembly Point: Concept album. 
  • The Spaghetti Incident: Album of cover songs. (Yes, the original GnR album was correctly called “The Spaghetti Incident?” – complete with quotation marks. This album title is just an homage.) 

Ah, random creative outlets. They're so much fun :)