If you feel that Helvetica isn’t living up to its potential (cough, heathen, cough) and there’s nothing new about Times New, typographical design site Reserves could be the graphic tool you’re looking for. The site is the brainchild of Mike Jarboe, who uses his aesthetic brand to influence the companies like DC Skate, Globe, Nixon, 686, Transworld Snow and Skateboarding…well, a lot of board sport culture. In keeping with their urban influenced typeface and stock art, Reserve has launched a few new elements: concrete surface texture stock images, an Atari-style pixel type called Scheme, and vector art-based silhouettes of Street Style.

It’s our party and we’ll use a mass invite site if we want to. Preferring the superior Crusher to the mind-numbing Evite, yet another option in the e-invitation scene has emerged. Pingg (you can decide what the extra consonant is for) gives you a no-frills event planning site that’s not much in the way of cutesy clip art or graphic options, but what Pingg lacks in sexiness it makes up for in versatility. Feel like your friends are trying to ignore your 30th Birthday Blowout? The surroundSend (TM!) feature shoots the invitees an e-mail, an SMS to their cell, and links to an event page in Facebook. It has rendered your ordinary e-mail blast about as effective as a telephone chain. Of course, if you’re looking for an excuse to miss the party, this is probably your worst nightmare.

Pieter Hugo is a South Africa-based photographer who is on the up and up. Recent accolades include Pieter’s inclusion in ReGeneration: 50 Photographers of Tomorrow, 2005-2025 (an exhibition identifying 50 young photographers who will be considered great by 2025), first prize in the Portraits section of the 2006 World Press Photo competition, and a selection as the Standard Bank Young Artist for Visual Art 2007, with an exhibition touring South Africa until July 2008. His most recent monograph, The Hyena & Other Men includes some striking photos Pieter took in and around Abuja, Nigeria during the past several years of some locals ‘taming the beasts,’ if you will; it would be an understatement to say that it offers an impressive and candid look into Nigerian culture. I’m not sure how many readers we have in South Africa at this point, but if you’re around and about Cape Town this week, head over to the BIBLIOTEQ bookstore on Kloof St. this Thursday, March 6th at 6 pm to meet Pieter at his launch and signing event.

Art Director and Illustrator Kliment Kalchev is an all-star from Publicis’ office in Bulgaria; on his own time, Kliment is churning out some of the most appreciated projects in the Behance Network. He uses mediums in new ways and has a sure fetish for photo illustration and typography that permeates most of his work.

A few of our favorites are his aptly titled “Play,” and a photo illustration for a “SIGNCAFE Magazine Cover.” One question, though: are the stockings real?

Each week, JoshSpear.com explores the latest projects by top creative professionals in the Behance Network and highlights a few that are pushing the edge of the creative industry. Josh also serves as an Advisor and Guest Curator for Behance.

I’m in Chicago right now, and it’s cold. Really, really cold. That means two things around the JS headquarters: lots of hooded sweatshirts, and warm drinks. Thanks to the folks at Two Leaves and a Bud Tea, we’ve been enjoying a fantastic blend of quality teas, like this one here, African Sunset. Only teas that are grown in single geographic regions using traditional growing methods are used — that means lots of time picking, testing, and tasting. It also means they never blend with less expensive “filler teas,” which is party of the reason these teas taste so delicious.

The company is based just down the road from Aspen, Colorado in a little place called Roaring Fork Valley. It was originally started because founder Richard Rosenfeld was frustrated with the US selection and couldn’t find the high qualities he so much enjoyed during his travels through Asia and India. We’re glad you brought some new and unique teas back with you. Thanks Richard!

Our friends at Friends With You are being super productive lately. Their “Tickle Party” made us giggle a few weeks ago, and now they’re getting ready to launch a new line of toys at the end of the month called Wish Come True only in Europe (gosh darn it) and through renowned art book publisher Die Gestalten. The gimmick behind this collection of nine handheld playthings is that they all come with heavy, rounded bottoms and bell chimes, which means you just might be forced to give up your new toy to your 3-year-old nephew — in fact, it’s supposed to be safe for kids older than 18 months — when he comes to visit. I love each character’s simple but sweet design, but in general, I love anything that encourages you to be a kid again. Friends With You are taking designer toys back to their original roots and it’s quite a commendable effort.