Graphic Mood

Letters, icons, and illustrations that speak in a hand-drawn language

- PAT EBY

THERESA WILLIAMS’ DESIGNS know how to have a good time. For Tiny Little Monster, an independent T-shirt shop in Shrewsbury, she created Tiny, the shop’s namesake, a toothy little guy who’s yellow when he’s happy and green when he’s ridiculously happy. For Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery, she drew cheeky greeting cards that aren’t saccharine or sentimental, just funny and a bit risqué. Her poster designs for the Maker’s Market on Cherokee incorporate a wealth of original typography reminiscent of an old-fashioned circus, with a look that’s nonetheless as fresh as the day. Her designs aren’t just trendy; they’re grounded in the traditions of generations of sign makers, printmakers, and typographers, and they demonstrate her knowledge of sign craft.

“It’s funny,” she says, recalling her years as a visual communications major. “I never took a communications class, only design classes.”