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Jon Hicks has just launched Helvetireader a wonderfully minimalist yet superbly usable theme for Google Reader.

I’ve used Google Reader as my RSS application of choice despite it’s rather cluttered and ugly interface; I mean what is it with Google and pale blue?

Anyway, I’ve tried the Better GReader plug-in and a few other themes but none really worked for me; that is until now.

Helvetireader is frankly beautiful. It makes the news articles the focus of its design and removes all of the cruft and extraneous clutter that the Google Engineers have added.

Jon says

I was going for minimal, inspired partly by Times, a newspaper style RSS reader, and the postcards that came with the (Deluxe!) Helvetica Film DVD.

And he has succeeded wonderfully; although I now wish I’d bought the Deluxe version of Helvetica.

If you use Google Reader you can get Helvetireader here and I strongly recommend you do.

I’ll preface this post by saying I should probably tag it with “ego” and “ego-centric” but hey…

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve had some really nice feedback on davidhughes.org, all of which has meant a lot to me.

First, I had a lovely compliment on my writing.

Then, a compliment of my use of typography in the design.

Then, I was contacted via Flickr asking if I could make a WordPress theme from my design – sorry that’s way beyond me, but thanks very much for asking.

And then today, whilst perusing my Mint statistics I found a referrer from del.icio.us tagged with “inspiration”. I’m amazed and humbled.

It’s great after almost 4 years of this blog/journal/site, in it’s many forms and names, to receive such lovely compliments.

It’s particularly good to receive positive feedback on the design as I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it. When I’m not looking at it I think it’s un-inventive and dull but then when I see it again I rather like it. I’m pleased other feel the same.

For a long time I have enjoyed reading Ink Quest which features the experiences, trials and tribulations of a fellow obsessive’s search for the perfect fountain pen ink. It made me feel so much better to realise that there others out there who are perhaps slightly more obsessive even than I.

However, I feel I may have acted rashly in sharing my latest obsession with my friend at Ink Quest for it seems obsessions may be contagious.

And what is your latest obsession I hear you ask? Why, it’s the wonderful world of typography I answer.

Having been involved in design both online and offline for literally some years I have always been fascinated by typography and fonts but only recently taken the time to learn about in any real detail. However, since doing so I have seen that interest mutate and grow into a fully fledged obsession…

Once you begin to look at and think about typography you can do nothing else but… it’s everywhere you look, and in everything you do, and it is wonderful.

I’ve just read Type: The Secret History of Letters by Simon Loxley which is a great introduction to the history of type; from Gutenberg to the most recent digital typefaces and the amazing characters that have created some of the typefaces you see every day and are reading here.

Next on my reading list is The Elements of Typographic Style by Robert Bringhurst which I have seen recommended by many type gurus and looks to be a suitable next step on the road to type enlightenment.

I am also looking forward to a UK screening (I hope) of Helvetica a film about one of the classic 20th century typefaces which is celebrating it’s 50th birthday this year.