Topographic – Navigating the interactive landscape.

Topographic is a blog about navigating the evolving digital landscape. It explores communication, technology, and interactive media from a graphic designer's perspective.

Topographic is run by John Rudolph, the Creative Director at Map Agency, a graphic design studio in Sandy Hook, CT. The articles and projects showcased here are the result of classes taken in the Interactive Media and Communications Graduate program at Quinnipiac University.

Recent Projects

Your Brand's Favorite New Topping

Pepperoni is a super thick display font designed for the four Ps of successful marketing: 1. Pricing, 2. Promotion, 3. Packaging, and 4. Pizza. It contains all 26 uppercase letters and all the punctuation needed for popping out.

Hungry For More?

Make Your Wordmark Work

Our communications landscape is flooded with fonts, so how do you choose a typeface that's going to help your brand stand out? In this article, I explore the difference between typography and lettering in logo design.

See Case Study

Attention Please!

How can designers help brands attract customers without distracting them? In this white paper, I explore the causes of our depleted attention spans, and look at new ways for businesses to harness technology more thoughtfully.

Read White Paper

Upstage Your Newtown Neighbor

Built in 1931, Edmondt Town Hall houses a 500-seat theatre for concerts, theatrical performances, and engaging speakers. I developed a strategic social media campaign to help raise brand awarness of this historic gem.

Watch Presentation

Recent Blogs

From Aperture to Angles: Practicing the Art of Framing

Composition is an essential skill for any creative, but it’s especially important for videographers. It frames the story, and shapes how audiences experience the film. Of course, many of the components are technical, like knowing how aperture and focal length can affect depth of field. But there are many creative choices as well, such as unexpected angles, framing decisions, and visual balance. Every decision behind the camera helps to set the mood and influences the viewer’s understanding of the content. Classic guides like Tom Schroeppel’s, The Bare Bones Camera Course for Film and Video, remind us that the principles of composition remain …

By John

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November 9, 2025

Podcast Production: Listening to My Own Voice

When I was eight or nine, I pretended to be a radio DJ by recording myself on VHS tape. I’d record a short introduction, then patiently wait for a song. This was before John Mellencamp added the “Cougar” to his name, and “Pink Houses” was regularly on repeat. Timing was everything — If I didn’t hit “Play” and “Record” together at exactly right time, I’d have to wait until my next favorite song. I soon discovered that, even at such a young age, I wasn’t a huge fan of hearing my own voice. I couldn’t pronounce my “Rs” correctly, which resulted …

By John

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October 30, 2025

Podcast Planning: From Guest to Guide

When my commute to work was 45 minutes, I listened to podcasts all the time. It was a great way to stay informed, and I would arrive at the office feeling like I already accomplished something. After I left that job, though, the daily ride fell to five minutes, and my podcast journey was over. That is, until I was invited to join, As We Create, a podcast run by the CT Art Director’s Club. I’d never been so nervous in my life. I kept emailing the host, Michael Marques, to provide some of the questions ahead of time. Of course, …

By John

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October 26, 2025

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Contact

Phone: 203-304-1846
Email: johnrudolph@gmail.com
Instagram: @map.agency