These are some of the ornaments that come with the typeface Nelson. They are mostly nature icons such as flowers and leaves, but there are also several glyphs that are nice for borders. I found this typeface and the ornaments on Typekit, and I was drawn to these because I like how they look like ink stamps (with the bleeding, rugged edges). I think these would be nice for stationery, especially invitations, greeting cards, and maybe even business cards if you want to add a rustic nature vibe.
One of the learning resources available through typewolf.com is Fontology. It is a free online workbook and glossary of sorts for typography skills and terms. From type anatomy to numbers and symbols, this interactive space brings you through the basics of typography and how to use certain elements. It’s a bit annoying that the page is mostly reading without much visual aid, so I’m not sure if it would be good for new learners, but I think it’s great for those who already know a bit about typography to get a quick refresher on things!
You can explore this resource for yourself by clicking here!
These are the fonts Bely Display Regular and Halyard Display Book. I retrieved them from Adobe Typekit and tested them out in InDesign, using Bely for the heading and Halyard for the body copy. I think these two work well together because one is a heavy slab serif typeface while the other is sans serif and better for reading. I played with different weights for Halyard (ExtraLight, Medium, etc.) until I found one that went well with the Bely heading.
This is the poster for the King Kong musical that recently closed on Broadway. The type for the title is shaped to look like the ape’s teeth. This shape and calligraphic type are used to put more emphasis on the ape’s gaping mouth, suggesting that the mouth is opening to let out a fearsome roar. The white type against the dark background also establishes the title as a focal point, and the overall dark tones of the poster further convey a serious tone and fearsome energy.
This is the Table of Contents for Playbill Magazine (that little program you get at a Broadway show). I like the simplicity, brief single-sentence descriptions, and the hierarchy of elements. I think this basic format is used because the contents are all on one page (8″ x 5.5″ dimensions), so it is a very small space to work with. I think there is somewhat of a grid for the type and images separately, but because they don’t line up too well, it’s hard to see how one cohesive grid could be used for both of them. Grid or no grid, the images are still visually pleasing next to the type, so I don’t see any issues there. The emphasis is on the bold type, which includes the headings and article titles. The orange color is also used to further emphasize the headings, as well as the Playbill logo.
This is a lyric video for Taylor Swift’s song “You Need to Calm Down.” It is very vibrant in regard to color and also utilizes basic icons to accompany some of the lyrics. The sans serif typeface is set in all caps, and I think the blockiness and simplicity of this really fit with the song. I also think that having the lyrics in all caps conveys somewhat of a sense of urgency. Taylor Swift is trying to express an important social message in this song, and I think the design takes this into consideration while also managing to be very playful. The movement of the type is also very nice. It doesn’t just stay flat but also manages to grow, shrink, slide, or take a different action depending on what that part of the song is like (i.e., the “OHHHHH”s swelling with each part of the cord).
You can watch this video by clicking here!
This is a poster for the Hudson River Clearwater Festival (a big music event that I attend every year with my family). Even though there isn’t a huge list with many different dates, there is still a lot of information that is separated using color and type hierarchy. For example, the dates are highlighted in yellow rectangles, and the more popular artists also tend to stand out more because they are in white while the other bands are in yellow. They both contrast well against the dark background, but there is a greater range in value between the white and dark green, making the white stand out a little more than the yellow. Size and typeface are also used to establish a hierarchy. The popular names are in a slab serif font and larger than the others, which are smaller and in a basic sans serif font.
FontShop is a type foundry based in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1990 by typographers Joan Spiekermann, Erik Spiekermann, and Neville Brody. Since then, they have organized numerous publications and conferences and have even expanded into the US. They sell a wide range of typefaces ranging from serif to sans serif and even script and calligraphic fonts. Some of their most popular ones are actually variations of popular and commonly-used typefaces such as Futura and Helvetica, and this was one thing that I found surprising. Along with displaying typefaces for sale, their website also has a blog with news and updates, as well as a section to sample and try out typefaces that you like.
You can visit the FontShop page by clicking here!
This is a spread from a type specimen book for the typeface “Alda.” This is a particular spread that stood out to me because even though it is somewhat busy and crowded, it is designed and put together very well. One of the first things that I noticed was the use of color, and I think the warm color scheme fits well with the typeface. I also like that the author provides hand-drawn experimentation in order to gain a better grasp of the typeface’s structure. From a distance, my eye is drawn to the top orange section, which displays the different variations of Alda, and I think this is a good focal point because the movement is then from the large display type to the more detailed body copy. This flow, along with the overall structure of the spread, does a great job expressing this typeface and its personality.
When fonts are being developed there are a variety of gylphs, ornaments, widgets, etc. That need to be added into the font family but there are various type designers who leave them out because they don’t want to be bothered with the design.
My favorite font I have ever been able to use is Avenir Next, and they took it upon themselves to go through and design special characters, greek letters, etc. Because when it comes to a good design you don’t leave out possible clients.
Although people choose not to design them based on if they would work with their type design, sometimes they don’t. Specifically the way their typeface is designed may not be able to produce a special character or ornament; it could be unreadable, so why make it?
It is always interesting how fonts, and typefaces are designed and what is chosen to be designed and what isn’t based on their structure.
Typography Fall 19 