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Parasitic Ventures Press

Definitions of Terms:

This page is a compendium of terms that we feel need definitions because people have asked.

Critically-engaged: For our purposes, we define critically-engaged in very subjective terms. We won’t describe it beforehand, but when we see it, we know.

Questionable-design: David Jury, in Letterpress: The Allure of the Handmade, wrote the following:
Typography and printing tend to be judged by two criteria; utility (or “Fitness for purpose”) and aesthetics. Both criteria relate to the appropriateness of the means and methods employed. The quality of workmanship tends to be judged by reference to the designer’s intention. In many cases, perhaps the majority, utility and aesthetics will, of necessity, be indistinguishable. In some instances, precision of workmanship will be necessary to the intended message while in others it will not; in particular projects, imprecise (not “poor”) workmanship might be essential.
For our understanding of ‘good’ design, extrapolate from this.

Vanity project: For our purposes, we define a vanity project in very subjective terms. We won’t describe it beforehand, but when we see one, we know.