Monday, January 27, 2014

Haley Wright - Chapters 1, 3, and 6 Reflections


Chapter 1, The Evolution of Typography, talks about how typography came to be through multiple timelines with facts and pictures. I liked how they broke the timeline up into four different categories. It started with a timeline that basically showed the invention of writing as a whole leading to the beginning of typography. With this timeline I thought it was really cool to look at pictures of the beginning of writing including hieroglyphics and to see how that slowly turned into the writing we use today. The second timeline went through everything about hand press and handset metal type. In this timeline, I thought it was really interesting to see where so many font families originated and to see some of the original writings. It was also really interesting to see how big moments in history fit into the evolution of typography. The third timeline went through the introduction of new technology. This timeline shows how much technology changed the world of typography.  What I thought was really cool was seeing that this was when the first sans-serif typeface was introduced. I never really thought about how long after writing and typography started that sans serif came to be. I also thought it was cool to see the beginning of ornamented type (like in the picture below) and what some of the first ornamented typography looked like. It was also really cool to see how all these things with typography were happening before things like the telephone, photograph, and light bulb were even invented. The fourth timeline went through the twentieth century where typography really took a huge turn. I liked looking at this timeline because it shows how much people started to really put their own spin on designs. It was also cool seeing some designs from designers that I have looked at and learned about in past design classes and see where they fit in with the evolution of typography.  

Chapter 3, Syntax and Communication, basically goes through the elements of design and typography.  This chapter was interesting to me because it helps show all the different ways that typography can be messed around with to create a multitude of different designs to try and portray what it is you want to say with a design. I also liked looking at the ways that type can be set to create a sort of rhythmic patter by switching up size and font while also making it creative instead of just some lines all lined up on a page. Its cool to see the different way that shapes and lines and type can be portrayed depending on the margins and alignment and how things are overlapped or not overlapped. It really helps show how design is truly endless and you can always come up with a fun new idea by playing off of the basic principles of design. Another cool thing is see how changing the size of different elements creates how the viewer will look at the design based on the hierarchy you created. I never really noticed how many designs play around with the three spatial zones until reading this chapter and seeing the different ways that these zones can be played around with to create so many different types of designs. It’s always really interesting and fun for me to me to learn more about the basic structure of designs because it will really help with creating great things as I continue to learn.

Chapter 6, The Typographic Message, really goes more into the creative aspects of typography. Obviously the point of typography is to send a message, but this chapter plays more into sending a message for things that can be creative, unlike things like signs on a highway or something that needs to be straight forward and not play around. I really liked this chapter because I’m a marketing major and so we are always talking about targeting consumers and what needs to be done to make sure that an ad is successful and I think that this chapter really plays into that idea of making sure that what is being said is not only well received, but remembered after the viewer is no longer reading the sign, poster, etc. This is also another chapter that helps show designers own flare with their work and how different people think to portray a specific message while also making it something fun. I think its best when a design has a fun aspect to it but also does a great job of communicating the message it wants to in a way that the viewer will remember. I really love the visual aspect of design so I always love looking at those but in the end, typography is really about communicating a message so it’s cool to see when both can be incorporated and successful.

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