typology:an investigation of typography & layout with a focus on context

thecontents

Introduction

The New Typography

Chapter 1The Mechanics of Type Grid Systems The Legends The Font Market

Chapter 2Typography in Print Rosario Florio The Beautiful Meme Music Construct Industry Advice Interlude/Mini Crit Chapter 3Typography in Context Cartlidge Levene Harriman Steel Village Green Studio

Chapter 4Cross Platform Umbro Lou Dorfsman North

Acknowledgements

Bibliography

theintroduction

This book is the end result of my investigation in typography in a variety of contexts. My own design practice is driven by typographic form and layout for both commercial and cultural sectors.

This book features the work of agencies who have acted as inspiration to me throughout the last year. My research will focus heavily on typographic driven design for print, as this is my main focus. However, I am also interested in how type can work beyond the printed document. During this investigation I will also hope to feature typographic driven design that works across different platforms, however, I will also feature examples that could be printed but could not existing on screen, and vice versa.

This book is a record of my research and development to date. The experiences I have gained during this time will help me make a transition into industry with a better perspective of the design world I am walking into. It is an opportunity to put my layout skills into practice to show my awareness of type and grid as well as my attention to detail.

The spec of this book is inspired by the work I have been looking at. I wanted to create a dual grid to work to, one that had smaller margins to enable the use of images without restriction and a grid based on the golden ratio to enable the perfect reading experience. I apologise in advance for using Helvetica Neue but it just works in this context.

Musica VivaJosef Müller-BrockmannHelvetica Bold 19pt /18pt

thenew typography

Typography is a tool of communication. It must be communication in its most intense form. The emphasis must be on absolute clarity since this distinguishes the character of our own writing from that of ancient pictographic forms. Our intellectual relationship to the world is individual-exact (e.g., this individual-exact relationship is in a state of transition toward a collective-exact orientation). This is in contrast to the ancient individual-amorphous and later collective-amorphous mode of communication. Therefore priority: unequivocal clarity in all typographic compositions. Legibility-communication must never be impaired by an a priori aesthetics. Letters may never be forced into a preconceived framework, for instance a square.

The printed image corresponds to the contents through its specific optical and psychological laws, demanding their typical form. The essence and the purpose of printing demand an uninhibited use of all the linear directions (therefore not only horizontal articulation). We use all typefaces, type sizes, geometric forms, colours, etc. We want to create a new language of typography whose elasticity, variability and freshness of typographical composition is exclusively dictated by the inner law of expression and the optical effect.

The most important aspect of contemporary typography is the use of zincographic techniques, meaning the

mechanical production of photoprints in all sizes. What the Egyptians started in their inexact hieroglyphs, whose interpretation rested on tradition and personal imagination, has become the most precise expression through the exclusive use of photography into the typographic method. Already today we have books (mostly the scientific ones) with precise photographic reproductions; but these photographs are only secondary explanations of the text. The latest development supercedes this phase, and small or large photos are placed in the text where formerly we used inexact, individually interpreted concepts and expressions. The objectivity of photography liberates the receptive reader from the crutches of the author’s personal idiosyncrasies and forces him into the formation of his own opinion.

It is safe to predict that this increasing documentation through photography will lead in the near future to a replacement of literature by film. The indications of this development are apparent already in the increased use of the telephone, which makes letter writing obsolete. It is no valid objection that the production of films demands too intricate and costly an apparatus. Soon, the making of film will be as simple and available as now printing books.

An equally decisive change in the typographical image will occur in the making of posters, as soon as photography

Laszlo Moholy-Nagy 1923

has replaced poster-painting. The effective poster must act with immediate impact on all psychological receptacles. Through an expert use of the camera, and of all photographic techniques such as retouching, blocking, superimposition, distortion, enlargement, etc., in combination with the liberated typographical line, the effectiveness of posters can be immensely enlarged. The new poster relies on photography, which is the new storytelling device effects, depending on the desired intensity of the message.

The new typography is a simultaneous experience of vision and communication.

themechanics oftypography

Typography has been traditionally associated with design and, in particular, with the printing industry. However, owing to the universal access to digital technology, the word “typography” is increasingly used to refer to the arrangement of any written material and is certainly no longer restricted to the work of a typographer.

Typography and writing have, quite naturally, always been closely entwined: typography being the discipline and professional practice that mediated between the contents of the message and the receiving readership. Therefore, to understand the grammar of typography, must also gain a knowledge and understanding of language and how it is adapted to function in various social contexts.

“Readers usually ignore the typographic interface, gliding comfortably

along literacy’s habitual groove. Sometimes, however, the interface should

be allowed to fail. By making itself evident, typography can illuminate the

construction and identity of a page, screen, place, or product.”

Ellen Lupton

1

thegrid

Grids are of huge importance to graphic designers working for either print or screen. It is the framework in which content is placed. My design practice relies heavily on the use of grids and more importantly a knowledge of how grids are formed and how they work. An example of a grid calculated for this book can be seen on the next spread.

The most commonly used grids for print are column grids and modular grids, usually calculated in columns of 3 or 4. Other grids such as the manuscript grid are used for extensive text inside a fictional book, for example. Grid structures for magazines have to be more rigid because of the copy and images that have to fit into one space. Hierarchical grids are most commonly used for web design.

Any grid can be as complex or as simplistic as the designer chooses based on a number of factors including the content and context in which the content sits.

1

“A design should have som

e tension and some expression in itself. I like to

compare it w

ith the lines on a football field. It is a strict grid. In this grid you

play a game and these can be nice gam

es or very boring games.”

Wim

Crouw

el

thelegends

These fonts were picked from differing periods of time, and were all repsonsible for driving the type industry in some way. Avant Garde, Baskerville, and Helvetica are all legends of typography.

Avant Garde is associated with the magazine of the same name. It was released to the public in 1967 after huge demand led to immitations of the font.

Bakserville, designed by John Baskerville. It was later revived in 1978 by Matthew Carter. Baskerville found its niche in book design and was regarded as ‘one of the most readable and pleasant designs now in use’.

Helvetica was solely responsible for the new typography, which shaped a generation of design that was clinical, and accurate, and above all, uniform.As much as it is uncool to like Helvetica, it has got many designers out of a black hole when it comes to font selection.

1

Avan

t Ga

rde

Bask

ervi

lleH

elve

tica

thefontmarket

Technology has enabled type designers and typographers to produce fonts using software such as fontographer. The development of software such as this means fonts can be produce in a variety of weights much quicker. The surge in creating and purchasing new fonts gives graphic designers access to a huge library of fonts. The problem with this trend is the governing of new fonts and quality control.

Research was conducted to see how many fonts are published each month, what the cost of the average font was and what trends were emerging in the font market.

on 22nd November 2010, 147 new fonts were released in the last 21 days. Out of 25 randomly selected typographers, designers and foundries, 9 of them had published 1 to 20 fonts, 12 had published 20 to 100 and 4 had published over 100 fonts since 1st November 2010.

The statistics show somewhat of a slant towards regular practicing typeface designers, with some publishing over 400 fonts in their career. These figures cannot be used to determine the quality or usability of the fonts published but it does show that new fonts are supplied regularly.

The yearly publishing figures prove even more interesting. In 2009 2,080 new fonts were published with a monthly average of 173. In contrast, during 2010 2,318 new fonts were published with an average of 193 fonts per month. These figures show a rising trend of around 20 more fonts being published in 2010 compared to the previous year.

1

7 new fonts released per day. 2,080 new fonts were published in 2009. 2,318 new fonts were published in 2010. Some practicing type designers have published over 400 fonts during their career.

typographyin print2This section is dedicated to print design. Posters, books, magazines, publications, business stationery, all rely on typography to help aid communication. I will specifically be looking at typographically driven design for print.

TypefacesHelvetica NeueMonospace 821 BT

Territory / LG BookBook that showcases the best product designs and innovations from the LG European Design Studio between 2008 and 2010. A small run of 50 books that will be given to key stakeholders within the business in the European HQ and Global HQ in Korea.

Firstly, who and what are your influences within graphic design?

Being born in Switzerland, educated and surrounded with Swiss graphic design, it is of course mainly this kind of graphic design who influenced me as a designer (Just to name a few: Josef Müller-Brockmann, Emil Ruder, Armin Hofman, Wolfgang Weingart and from the newer generation: Ludovic Balland, Jonas Vögeli, Norm, Cornel Windlin). Since I began to watch to and being interested in graphic design I always liked the reduced and subtle but efficient kind of work. The experimental handling of typography and how it could have such a profound impact was what really interested me and what I wanted to be able to do. So I began to practice a lot. Not just in school or at work, but also in my free time. It was like a fulltime job.

Of course I was interested in every kind of graphic design and I also like very different styles. But what I wanted to do for myself was this kind of graphic design like I think I am doing right now. Of course you need to develop yourself. You never can be fully trained and you maybe

typographyin print2

don’t even need to be or to intend to be. It is good to learn always something new and most of all to want to learn. A new problem or question needs a new answer. Every project starts from scratch and that’s what makes it so appealing. Not knowing how it will look like in the end and wanting to go the tough way of the process has to be the claim. So in the beginning of every project I always try to first ask my own brain. I give myself some questions and look which I can answer with my own words or with my own way of thinking. Mostly I try to have a concept that facilitates the visual and formal execution. But of course I get some inspirations from different fields. This can be art like Dada or history or graphic design as well. There is a lot of stuff that is already been done and nothing seems to be really new and unseen. It’s always a tough process to find the way it has to look. It’s important to find out some new combinations or new forms and be experimental. You don’t need to finish the formal execution in your thoughts before having done anything. The process is a learning phase where everything can change and has to be done to get really good results.

Rosario Florio / OK-RM

I contacted Rosario during my research into typographic driven design. His work inspired me on to trust my instincts when solely using typography within my work. I was immensely greatful when Rosario agreed to answer my questions.

I love using typography within my work. You seem to be heavily influenced by typographic form too. How did you become interested in typography?

Before I studied graphic design I did an apprenticeship as typographer for about 4 years. After that I worked a few years as typographer. Than I studied graphic design and was already very influenced by typographic form. So my style was always driven more by a typographical way of thinking and working. Of course I experimented with a lot of other styles, but my passion was definitely typography and in my opinion my strength, too. The examination of typography and of solving a visual problem just with letters, grids and conceptual thinking was always and still is what fascinates me.

Do you work with a limited set of fonts or a large library?I usually don’t know which font I want to use for a new project right from the start. Maybe I guess what style it could be, but it depends of its function and what kind of look i want to give to the product. So it’s always a big quest to find the right font. I try a lot before I finally have the one. So it’s surely a large library first before it’s getting limited.

Do you have favourite fonts that you use frequently, and what are your reasons for using them?There are fonts I use often and frequently in some phases. They could be in a way very modern or contemporary. But that aren’t the only

reasons to use them. It’s always a question of functionality. I distinguish the function of texts and its suitable fonts. Then it’s also a question of what kind of grid it is, how wide is a column, how big or small has the text to be, who’s gonna read it etc. I think some fonts can give a certain character, style or look to the product. It is always an important and difficult choice.

Obviously you use grids within your work, but what are the advantages and disadvantages to using grid systems?

I use grids in nearly every project. But not always from the start. Sometimes you have to experiment a lot before you know what kind of grid could be the appropriate. When I know how I want to use the pictures, the titles and texts, I develop a grid that allows me to give me the right rules and simplifies the execution. And that is in my opinion the function and advantages of a good grid. It gives you rules that don’t restricts you but leads you to the right execution. When you develop a grid you can decide how modular or strict it has to be. And often you can break the rules or the grid. Maybe sometimes you have to, to give to the strict form a little contradiction or counterpoint. That’s what affords a tension to a conceptual typographic design. What would be your biggest piece of advice for aspiring type users/typographers?

There are a lot of rules to learn. Learn them and when you really have the

knowledge you can break them. Always know for what or whom you are doing what you are doing.

But like Henry Ford used to say you also have to know: if he had just listened to the customer needs and wishes, he just had to cultivate a stronger horse. The innovation and development of visual communication is in the hand of designers. Just to quote Edward de Bono: You can analyze the past but you have to design the future.Everyone can say I could have done that. Important is «to do».

To design and develop the future and design you need fantasy, creativity and most of all knowledge. Only the knowledge of what you are doing or how you want to communicate, allows you to produce high quality graphic design. Knowledge gives you the ability to expand things, to combine things and to transform things into new thoughts. The thoughts of others are only relevant if you combine and develop them with your own. Therefore inspiration is good, but it gets better if you bring it to a new level or a new interpretation. Knowledge also means to be curious, to be interested and also not to be scared of new problems. The challenge to solve a new visual problem is a hard and though process.

If you want to produce work that just looks good it’s, like Bob Gill said, a mathematician who, before knowing the problem, knows that the answer is 128. I think you don’t have to start a new project and know that you want do this

or that since a long time because you saw something here or there. I think to use formalistic inspiration without any reason of subject is wrong. It is like if you always wanted to do something you saw somewhere and are waiting for the right job/project to do it the same way. Every project needs its own execution and form.

If you want to find your own visual language it needs a lot of time and also courage to trust your own skills. Sometimes the own style can also be created by weaknesses. If you aren’t the best drawer maybe your style is coined from typographical or conceptual skills or vice versa. If you want change that fact, you have to practice, do, make.

You can’t become a good designer by looking at things. You can learn from things or you learn to understand things. But to really learn and study something, you need passion, interest and most of all the own activity and practice.

The most important thing I can say is to think of what you are doing. Everytime you do something think about it. Think about design, culture or art. Be curious and self-critical. To be a graphic designer means to learn from each project or to want to learn something with everything you are doing. This is what makes our job interesting and what we could be happy to have in this profession.

rosarioflorio.ch

Bon VoyageFlyer297 x 420 mm

Printed in Magazine218 pages200 x 270 mm

Foldable Poster for a concert and party night with french artists dOP. Printed on Chromolux. The idea was to use some typical elements from maps and combine them in a new way. The folding remembers of a map too. We used flowchart-looking graphics to let the reader travel through the sentence.

Printed in is a magazine, which intends to bring blogs and printed media together and shows that these two medias can be combined. Both of them have some qualities to exploit. In different chapters, instead of posted in, called printed in, the magazine shows how blog articles can be designed on paper and in a professional way.

There is no doubt that Rosario has a keen eye for accurately laid out type, appropriate colour selection and incredible attention to detail. His work seems to flows effortlessly, experimenting with scale and orientation but his work is underpinned with a knowledge of how the grids’ structure can be used to create both minimalistic and intricate typography and layout for print.

typographyin print2Ben Hinchcliffe / The Beautiful Meme

Whilst on a placement at the The Beautiful Meme, I had the chance to ask Ben Hinchcliffe about printed graphic design, and the reasons why type and grid are important to print design and vice versa. Ben touches on the point that there isn’t as much budget for print so the luxuries you cannot create with screen based resolutions are stripped out.

What are your experiences of the way print for graphic design has evolved over the last five years?

It’s got tougher to sell print to clients. Mainly down to cost of paper and the fact that people in marketing are fearing for their jobs so they don’t want to risk signing anything off that costs 12k. 70% of my career has been in a recession so its just part of the norm for me. I find if the concept is good enough and you can ‘guarentee’ results, they’ll pay for it.

Do you design for both print and screen and what is percentage split between each discipline?

It’s totally dependent on the clients needs. For instance it could be 20% digital, 20% print and 60% performing art! depending on what we think will be the best way for the client to raise awareness of his ‘product’. In other words, the medium is dictated by the idea.

How do you persuade or advise clients to embrace printed design when cheaper alternatives are available?

I think its less about persuasion and more about education. Opening a dialogue with a client well in advance of any creative decisions to find out, what and why, they may want to embrace a particular medium. If they have decided to use a cheaper alternative because its ‘cheap’ thats their call. It’s our job to let them know a cheap approach to their marketing could have detrimental affects on how successful their marketing is.

How much can specific stock choices and print finishes add to the strength of communication? Can you reference any examples?

Stock choices and print finishes can add to a piece as long as they are used with careful consideration. This links heavily with your last question in how to ‘persuade’ people to spend on print. If they can see the reasoning for using a certain stock/finish they will buy it. In a

recent job we worked on for Dalesbred who make and sell luxury bespoke furniture we wanted to use a 400gsm stock for each page of a 20pp brochure. Having a dummy made, and them seeing and feeling this gave the essence of a wood sample, meant it was easier when we had to reveal the price!

What were your inspiration for getting into graphic design?

The music industry was a big pull for me. I remember loving the Dire Straits album Brothers in Arms when I was around 5 years old. Halfway through uni I attended a seminar called ‘Print is dead’ hosted by Ian Anderson, Saville and Tony Wilson and was told I only had a 3% chance of ever designing for music. I liked those odds! Little did I know I was actually entering a world of tinted psychology and skull crushing business!

Just how important are grid systems to modern graphic design when designers such as Carson influenced young designers to ignore it?

Carson may have influenced young designers to ignore it but he knew it inside out before he ignored it. You have to learn the rules before you break them as you can spot it a mile off when its the other way round. As Picasso said “As a child I drew like Raphael, it took the rest of my life to draw like a child.”

Craig Oldham / Music

I contacted a long list of designers with questions that I had previously asked Ben Hinchcliffe to get a rounded view with varied opinion. The responses from Craig Oldham gave me a different perspective entirely to what Ben had said.

What are your experiences of the way print for graphic design has evolved over the last five years?

Graphic Design has changed, but Graphic Designers haven’t. The term is redundant and needs redefinition in order to encapsulate the industry. The news can be ‘graphic’. Graphic is the wrong term. Its about communication. About the transference of messages and of thinking.

Has the role of the print industry changed significantly with the introduction of screen based design solutions?

Not the role, but the consumption. Design hasn’t driven a change or dictated anything, the technology has. Design is a solution to a problem.

Do you design for both print and screen and what is percentage split between each discipline?

The split is dictated by the relevance of the medium to the project. Nothing is ever set out to be a certain medium, it is done in a medium because that is deemed the

relevant and right way to communicate that idea or message. You don’t split the work, you get the idea and the medium presents itself.

How much can specific stock choices and print finishes add to the strength of communication? Can you reference any examples?

Production is undervalued in design. The way a piece of print is produced can elevate the idea or even be the idea itself. Making it a crucial part of the process.

Has the budgets for Graphic Design been affected by the economic downturn? And if so how has this affected your work?

Design isn’t exempt from the economy so of course it has been affected. It affects every aspect of every business.

typographyin print2

Craig’s answers were well recieved. I was interested to see what he would come back with. Some of the answers were not exactly what I thought they would be. I agree with the statements he made, particularly the idea about how a print finish is selected to elevate an idea, which ties in with what Ben was saying when he mentioned that clients will pay for for work on the merit of the work and how the stock ties in with the concept idea. The clients also need to see a dummy before they fully get it.

MIF 2007 PosterPromotional material for the individual Festival events. Il Tempo del Postino was a contemporary art performance and the cross, which always appeared at a different angle, signified the passage of time.

MCFC CSR ReportThe CSR report is an opportunity for the club to let stakeholders and supporters know what it has been up to. By scaling the report up to a broad-sheet and using bold imagery we produced a document that was as accessible as it was engaging

Kim Hartley / Construct

I contacted a long list of designers with questions that I had previously asked Ben Hinchcliffe to get a rounded view with varied opinion. The responses from Craig Oldham gave me a different perspective entirely to what Ben had said.

What are your experiences of the way print for graphic design has evolved over the last five years?

interestingly we all thought print would be obsolete with the rise of the internet and the invention of smart gadgets such as the ipad, however, our experience has been that books and printed materials that can be held in the hand still hold much gravity in the world of luxury. people desire tactile experiences and if anything printed materials and the processes are being pushed to their limits in order to provide a totally unique experience.

Has the role of the print industry changed significantly with the introduction of screen based design solutions?

yes, we’ve seen unfortunately a lot of large printing companies fall by the wayside in the last few years. however, it has shaken up the print industry and provided a streamlined set of printers to us who are now specialising in supreme

production techniques. there is a rise in retro print processes as their is a strong search for the authentic and rare craft based print production to meet designers ideas. letterpress has never been so popular.

Do you design for both print and screen and what is percentage split between each discipline?

yes we do. we look at a brand’s identity and ensure that our solution works practically and beautifully across both print and digital.

How do you persuade or advise clients to embrace printed design when cheaper alternatives are available?

many of our clients immediately see the benefit when we show mock-ups of packaging/printed items at concept stage. we only recommend print where appropriate and fully embrace the environmentally efficient alternatives of using smarter alternatives such as digital.

typographyin print2

How much can specific stock choices and print finishes add to the strength of communication? Can you reference any examples?

i can but i’m running out of the door. they are enormously important and we always do a stocks/materials/finishes mood board for every concept

Has the budgets for Graphic Design been affected by the economic downturn? And if so how has this affected your work?

not for us luckily but we did reduce rates at the dire times. we are now on full rate.

Kim reveals some interesting insights. The luxury of print is still a big draw for clients with the budget. The tactile experience of print is something that clients still regard as an important part of the experience they want to portray.

Interestingly, Kim also touches on the competition between printers such as Generation Press who are pushing the boundaries in terms of what is possible with design for print. The printers have to keep designers interested through new ways of displaying information using different stocks and inks. She also backs up what Ben said about mock ups and dummies.

I have gathered research interviews from secondary sources which have enabled me to get a more rounded view of type and layout for print. I found questions being asked that I hadn’t really thought of. I have picked out a selection of quotes that sum up my argument.

typographyin print2

‘We only use a handful of typefaces at the studio. It might seem

we are more akin to Sans, but this is not the case. We will usually

use a sans for our the majority of design work, but when it comes

to designing books we like to be more classical and depending on

length will use a serif or mixed’.

Experimenta

‘The way we use Helvetica can be compared to the way we speak. We use Helvetica not because it is our favorite typeface, but because we feel it is our mother tongue. It is our natural tone of voice, the typeface most close to us.’Experimental Jetset

‘Grid is my way of design. For me it’s a fundamental basis for all my design from poster to business card and books. In a sense it’s a very safe environment but also very rough path. It’s always challenging to design using a grid because the need to accept to be free.’Xavier Encinas

‘I ALWAYS use grids. I love it. My type of graphic design without grids is like

shooting yourself in the head. My latest font Quart is made using my own

grid software “Quartype”. The software is basically a drawing tool where

you have a bunch of different shapes to play around with. Then when you’re

satisfied with the result, you export the shapes as an Adobe Illustrator file

and viola’ — you can start making a font out of it.’

Andreas Philstrom

In a recent interview with I Love Typography, Ellen Lupton reveals her tips and opinions on sprucing up typography and layout skills. It’s important to recognise that setting typography is a difficult task to master.

What would be your biggest piece of advice for aspiring type users/typographers?

Spell check.

In Thinking with Type you identify the ‘grid’ as a major expressive tool. Rick Poynor, in No More Rules, says that you use the grid in a Saussurean way as a form of language, “…just as language is a grid which breaks down experience into repeatable signs…” How do you perceive the grid as a tool?

Grids exist in the background of nearly all printed communication. Even the Microsoft Word document through which this interview is being conducted has a grid, consisting of the default margin settings of the page. As designers, we try to avoid defaults and use the grid in an active, deliberate way, sometimes rendering it visible. For example, the grid is a way to attack the oppressive linearity of discourse, allowing us to present multiple columns, parallel texts, and so forth. Designers use grids to disperse a linear document across space.

typographyin print2

What common mistake(s) do you see designers making that could be easily remedied?

Newcomers to design do things like mixing larger CAPITAL letters with lowercase, supposedly for emphasis, resulting in ugly mismatched weights. My students avoid printing out their work, to save time and money, but then they are disappointed that it doesn’t look good. I explain to them that everything looks good on the screen, because of the glowing light and the way we are constantly adjusting the scale of the image to suit ourselves. The same layout may die on the printed page.

typographyin print2Mini CritThis section supplies critical analysis of examples of inspirational typographically driven graphic design for print. These examples include design from The International Office, Six, Hunt, and Spin.

Timothy Saccenti IdentityBuild / 2009Fonts: Plantin BQ

typographyin print2The International Office

TypeShed11- MapThis map was designed for TypeShed’s presentation and workshops supported by designers including Experimental Jetset. The design of the map had to be typographically focused to fit with the credentials of TypeShed. The cover holds no frills, bells or whistles and the map itself is simple and to the point. The whole design is a little understated, and should be appreciated for it’s minimalist qualities.

Ed RuschaThis poster is one of a set of posters designed for artist Ed Ruscha. Ruscha is known for his experimental drawings and paintings. The type featuring grafik font has been displaced to replicate the concept of experimentation. Each poster was printed on 80gsm Fuji-Xerox and laser printed. The laser print gives a sharp finish to the letterforms.

Hue & Cry Journal Issue 3This publcation shows great typography skills and is appropriate to the format. The type work governs the frame around it. The Helvetica font was produced for designs such as this. The tight leading and kerning is a trademark associated with the font, as it looks its best when used in this way. The other font is Galaxie Copernicus and the stock is Mohawk Navajo.

typographyin print2Six

Dropyx - Branding and print collateralDropyx, a creative network in Germany asked Six to design branding for them to communicate to an international market. Once again, we see more type manipulation on the ‘d’ and ‘p’ letterforms which pick out the circular symbol. The stationery and poster were printed two colour on pale grey colourplan stock. The quality of print and stock enable the design to be seen in the best light.

Brandfluent - LogotypeSix cleverly manipulated this font to create an original logotype for Brandfluent. Extra serifs were added to create a flamboyant serif/slab serif combination. The business card was print using one colour plus a matte platinum foil on both pistachio and damascus green colourplan stock. The way the type has been manipulated and set has fluency about it. The foil adds quality and depth to the finished piece.

typographyin print2Hunt

Process Journal Edition 4 Process Journal is a quarterly released design publication designed and published by Hunt Studio. The fourth edition of the journal features a metallic ‘sky blue’ cover foil, PMS 353U printed throughout and is typeset in Tiempos.

The blue foil lifts the finish of the book, and elevates the concept and ideas behind the cover. The 96 page book seems safe in terms of design, but layout of creative work should be minimal in order to show the quality. The layout has to have a clear strcture and hierarchy, which is what this does. In terms of stock the interior is printed on Knight Vellum 120gsm and the cover is print on Knight Linen 280gsm

Wim Crouwel ‘C’ Portfolio – Set of Five PrintsUsing Wim Crouwel’s original letterforms Spin have chosen to replicate these letterforms as part of a set of five limited edition prints to coincide the exhbition for Crouwel’s Graphic Odyssey.

Each poster has excellent composition, clinical typography work and enough negative space to address the balance between the iconography and the relevant information.

typographyin print2Spin

Wim

Crouw

el: A G

raphic Odyssey – C

atalogueThe book, also designed by S

pin, is printed on an uncoated stock with

a fine texture. A self adhesive label is applied to the front cover w

hich offsets the design perfectly. E

ach sticker has been designed, each w

ith a different icon made fam

ous by Crouw

el. The books’ design is m

inimalistic and content driven. There w

ould be a tendancy to over design the book but S

pin have got the balance perfectly right.

typographyin context3The next chapter of this book features work in and around the environment. These examples have been taken from exhibitions, as well as road side information and advertising. The first feature is London based agency Cartlidge Levene, who have were originally founded in 1987. Their recent work features signage and exhibition graphics. Their work is orientated by clinical typography and solid, bold colours.

Cartlidge Levene

V&A Ceramics Gallery Identity and Interpretive GraphicsThe signage was printed on a magnetic substrate for ease of application and removal. The attention to detail is breathtaking. The image above shows how the letterforms perfectly fit the furniture they have been applied too. The ascenders and descenders of the type have been split to the nearest millimetre. If it didn’t fit so perfectly, the impact would be lost.

The graphics also are featured on the inside of the drawer to continue the interactive experience. There is a strong emphasis on grid usage, within these pieces, and the general design direction ties in well to counter balance the varied amount of pieces on display. This simplicity of this design direction keeps the focus on the exhibits.

typographyin context3

Design Museum — Brit Insurance Designs of the Year 2010The concept was to create a coherent, unobtrusive display to contain the eclectic mix of exhibits. A continuous, fluid ribbon was designed that could rise and fall to create spaces and surfaces for the exhibits and create discrete zones for each theme. The typography is once again, bold, and unequivocal. The clean lines and bold colours take direct inspiration from the Swiss standards, and the type that follows the pillars surface is encourages exploration.

The full scale signage is balanced by a simple family of clear acrylic label holders that integrate with the table tops and indicate the design disciplines of the featured in the exhibition.

typographyin context3

London Fashion Week - Branding and Art DirectionHarriman Steel designed this unassuming and clear wayfinding signage for guests to navigate their way around the Designer Exhibition. The type and colour selection is unobtrusive and post modernistic. It is not a design direction that one would immediately associate with the subject matter, especially in terms of the typography choice and the fact it is all in uppercase, which could be said to be harder to read. The font used here is Tungsten. The graphics are finished with zigzag strokes which reference stitching and detailing.

Harriman Steel

The graphics are laid directly onto the wall space which is used to compliment the interior of the Sommerset house where the exhibition took place.

crossplatform4

Tailored By England - Advertising CampaignThis unusual campaign courtesy of Umbro was inspired by gorilla advertising which saw rock stars launching shirts, and decorated walls adorned with this logotype. Although it is not driven by type and layout this campaign is a classic example of an idea that transcends beautifully across print and web. The whole campaign seems to encompass and embrace England as a nation who are proud to be who they are.

Umbro

The official launch of the new away England jersey was at a Kasabian gig. Front man Tom Meighan wore the shirt in a publicity stunt that was muted. The lavish premieres and tv campaigns featuring players were scrapped.

crossplatform4Umbro

The campaing was extended for the world cup which developed the concept to feature the home towns and cities of players involved in the England world cup squad. The quality of the concept was underpinned by the execution, making use of tradiitonal sign painting skills. This not only makes the project more personal than using vector graphics and large format printed posters. This would bring communities together to not only embrace the world cup tournament but the brand as a whole.

crossplatform4Lou Dorfsmann

Gastrotypographicalassemblage - Exhibition installation & Print Collateral The gastrotypographicalassemblage exhibition is another example of clever ideas that transcend across printed design as well as other media. The installation designed by Dorfsmann and recreated by The Center for Design Study. The idea which takes 3D letterforms has been taken across into the print campaign designed by Robert Petrie and printed on Colorplan, 540gsm, litho with a blind de-boss. This was printed by Generation Press.

crossplatform4

A standard printed poster was also part of the range, which feature more of Herb Lubalin’s typography. The poster has the same concept but still works as well as the de-bossed version.

crossplatform4North

Barbican Curve Exhibition Graphics & CommunicationsGallery guides, invitations, exhibition graphics and flyers were designed for the artgallery which hosts a series of new commissions created for the space by contemporary artists. The identity acts as a visual analogy; the grid representing the permanance of the space in which the artists info and /images are flowed into.The typography used throughout this campaign portrays movement and cutting edge artwork. The poster below also reflects continuous change, and updates.

crossplatform4North

The typography flows effortlessly from

the paper page to the context of a wall space

to create a timeless backdrop for each exhbition. The font, Futura bold and bold itallic

work w

ell within this structure, w

hich is minim

al but seems m

ore complex due to the

angling of the design.

thebibliography

BooksWeidemann, E J. Stationery Design Now! Stationery from all over the world 2010 Taschen, Cologne

Belyea, P. & Sullivan, J. Fantastic folders and exceptional envelopes. A designer’s guide to custom carriers that open conversations and seal deals 2005 Rockport, Massachusetts

Lupton, E. Indie publishing: how to design and produce your own book 2008 Prince-ton Architectural Press, New York

Fawcett-Tang, R. & Jury, D. New Typographic Design 2007 Laurence King Publishing Press, London

Pipes, A. Production for Graphic Designers: 5th Ed 2009 Laurence King Publishing Press, London

Roberts, L. & Thrift, J. The Designer & The Grid 2002 RotoVision SA, East Sussex

David, G. The Designer’s Toolkit: 500 Grids & Style Sheets 2007 ILEX, East Sussex

Denison, E. Print Formats & Finishes: The Designer’s Illustrated Guide to Brochures, Catalogs, Bags, Labels, Packaging, and Promotion 2010 RotoVision SA, East Sussex

Squire, V. Getting it Right with Type: The Dos and Don’ts of Typography 2006 Lau-rence King Publishing Press, London

Hill, W. The Complete Typographer: A Manual for Designing with Type 2010 Pearson Prentice Hall, New Jersey

Bierut, M. Helfand, J. Heller, S. Poynor, R. Eds Looking Closer 3: Classic Writings on Graphic Design 1999 Allworth Press, New York

McLean, R. Eds Typographers on Type 1995 Lund Humphries Publishers Limited, London

Jury, D. What is Typography? Essential Design Handbooks 2006 RotoVision SA, Hove

Samara, T. Making and Breaking the Grid: A Graphic Design Layout Workshop 2002 Rockport Publishers, Beverly

MagazinesComputer Arts Computers Arts Projects Issue 146 February 2011

Websiteshttp://www.aisleone.net/2008/intervista/intervista-darren-firth/http://www.thegridsystem.org/2009/articles/interview-with-khoi-vinh/http://ilovetypography.com/2008/01/10/type-faces-ellen-lupton-interview/http://www.aisleone.net/2008/intervista/intervista-andreas-pihlstrom/http://www.aisleone.net/2008/intervista/intervista-experimenta/http://www.aisleone.net/2007/intervista/intervista-xavier-encinas/http://swisslegacy.com/2007/12/17/interview-with-hamish-muir-4/

theacknowledgements

Rosario FlorioBen Hinchcliffe Craig WardCraig OldhamKim HartleyEllen Lupton

Designed by Adam TownendAll images are copyrighted to by their respective owners.