Fred Catolico - Chapters 4 & 5 Reflection

Chapter 4: Legibility

In chapter 4, I learned the importance of Legibility and how meticulous the attention to details can be so simple yet extremely vital in typography overall.  Legibility is a person’s ability to read and comprehend type and that can vary upon each and every individual because of ones age, eyesight, and personal preference. The three main dependent qualities of legibility are contrast, simplicity, and proportion. Capital and lowercase letters have a huge impact on the overall structure and form of a paragraph or box of text. I reflected upon how reading text in all capital letters sounds in my head and it’s always aggressive and loud. That can be misleading if the mood is trying to be calm and collective. I learned that Italics and oblique’s can slow a reader down because of it’s distortion but that can be very effective if one were to apply emphasis and importance of understanding a small amount words. I found Interletter and Interword spacing to be a bit complicated because if it weren’t for the comparison pictures showing the differences in spacing, I don’t think I would have be able to spot and flaws. But with the comparison pictures of the word “SPACING” I did notice how the first example did seem to be condensed that could make it a bit awkward as a reader. I also reflected on how legibility and color go hand in hand. The background text color must compliment each other and be subtle enough to be legible to a viewer. Although two colors may match and be readable, that doesn’t mean it is pleasant to a person’s eye (Neon green background with purple text). Overall, Chapter 4: Legibility allowed me to reflect on the characteristics in typography that seem to always be skipped and forgotten when they can be the most important when designing.

Chapter 5: The Typographic Grid

Chapter 5 emphasized the importance of a typographic grid and it’s function in typography. A typographic grid is the framework of a designer’s layout that helps keep the overall design in a project structurally balanced and organized. The development of the modern day grid can’t be held to a single individual discovery. It has been slowly developed and progressed ever since the earlier movements like Futurism, Constructivism, de Stijl, and Dadasism. It became very popular in the 1950’s receiving universal acceptance in the design world. Structure and space in a grid are important to think about when creating rough drafts of a project. Space must be used wisely in order for a designer to achieve an expected goal or tone wanting to be portrayed. As shown in the example pictures on page 93, the letter T is shown in the middle, then slightly to the right, the all the way to the right and slightly rotated. This example shows movement, motion, and how the use of space can portray one’s intended design. Structure in typography relates to natural instincts, which is why we are comfortable reading words that form horizontally. It is natural instincts to be afraid of falling or flying causing vertical words to be more challenging to a reader. A grid also allows proportions to be balanced creatively. The square was derived in 1955 and was popular in places like Switzerland when creating book covers. Single column grids are example of how simplicity can be best at times. When text appears to be simple and to the point, this allows its readers to do exactly so. Sometimes format can seem overwhelming which sets the tone before actually reading. When a grid is simple and straightforward and organized, it makes it easier for a reader to comfortably know exactly where to start.

I chose the image for Chapters 4 & 5 because I find it to be creatively helpful.