​​​đź“ť​ Penn Graphic Design Week 4 – Typography and Recording

​​Typography Intro

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  • ​​“Communication for designers:
  • ​​is purposeful (leads to or qualifies action in a design context)
  • ​​is not random, speculative, a work of art, self-contained, self-justifying”
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  • ​​What is a Designer: things places, messages – Norman Potter
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​​Choose typefaces with intentionality and reasoning.

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User-uploaded image: 11Cno01MG8KevDW6jfo6vplAmSw6SIIF-IDjIqu05J-7vFm1pRa3ShVj4BACLb-mA3RwAwQBWBDUQNejNB9Af59wMmC4SQdKTxBbmXoV9CypAiXaKRNOFjReUF3gFV8VGutPsi7SLaCJVsnubQ
​​Source: https://practicaltypography.com/what-is-typography.html
  • ​​Typography should always support your concept and reflect its purpose. If the above is a traditional road sign, the first one feels a little more legible to a wider range of people from a distance. The bottom sign might be appropriate in special instances, but probably not Highway 101.
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​​Graphic adapted from Ellen Lupton’s Thinking with Type
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  • ​​Research the typefaces you’re using and maintain thoughtful decisions as to how they relate to your content.
  • ​​Building out a vocabulary for different type styles can help you see differences in type and find formal and conceptual qualities to connect to your design directions.
  • ​​Serif, sans-serif or something else could be initial categorizations to narrow down your search
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​​Considerations

  • ​​Understanding the content that you’re going to design for is incredibly important. Like with the road sign example – it wouldn’t make sense to have an ornate typeface on a heavily trafficked highway.
  • ​​Typography can help visualize the voice of the author.
  • ​​Typography can also help connect the audience to the content.
  • ​​What is the length of the text?
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​​Typography as Voice

  • ​​To deal with type is much the same as to control one’s voice:
  1. ​​Selecting typefaces as voice quality
  1. ​​Having a relationship with type in shape, size, volume as voice tone.
  1. ​​Setting layouts of type as voices in space and time.
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  • ​​Typographic design is visible as well as audible. If you have a great scenario, it is time to cast good actors.
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​​Quote from: Hoon Kim, “Typography as Voice”, Computer Arts 167 (2009)
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​​Tips for Pairing Typefaces

​​Give each typeface a job

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User-uploaded image: image.png
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  • ​​When introducing different typefaces, use contrasting type to establish hierarchy. For example, above I’m using Lars Medium Extended – a medium, extended sans-serif as the headline and Portrait text, a serif typeface, for the body. 
  • ​​Do not pair similar typefaces
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​​Limit Yourself to only a couple typefaces (unless you have a really good reason)

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  • ​​No more than 3 for most sizes.