Rimshots: Basketball, Pix, Rolls, and Rhythms

The jazzy onomatopoetic prose and poems were the driving force behind the design of Rimshots. Inspired by their most infectious energy and the powerful photographs of Charles R. Smith, Jr., I found myself playing with colors and letterforms, as a player struts his stuff on the court. Two typefaces reflect the duality of street ball: Scala evokes its choreographed elegance, Autotrace its bold improvisation. A distinct personality was given to each story by combining these fonts for maximum effect. The placement of the images further underscores the spontaneity of a pick-up game. Basketball fans will notice that many of the color combinations correspond to the colors of professional teams. We set out to make Rimshots an open and energetic book that would invite all young people into the text—even those who would normally rather play than read—like players joining in a game.