Lupton Text

When thinking of a website that involves interaction and different type faces used to help the reader, I automatically thought of Google, which I probably use at least 15 times a day but have never actually sat down and analyzed the format of the website.

If you enter the website by simply going through google.com a giant logo and search box pop up.  The logo is easily recognized because of its vast use of colors for each letter.  Once a topic is searched the results pop up in large type and the titles are in blue to make them stand out against the small black description underneath.  The words that match your search are in BOLD so they stand out and you can see how often the terms pop up.  The actual website title in in green again contrasting other things on the web page so it can stand out to the viewer.  The same sans serif font is used for all the type on the page, so the size differences are what catches the viewers interest.  Obviously the more important things are large and bold and less important simply black and small.  The indents underneath each entry where the summary and website are found visually organize the site and make it easy for the eye to jump from one entry to the next down the page.  However, the use of only one different indent level prevents the stair effect and keeps the site looking clean and well composed.

I'd used the site a million times but never really analyzed how much thought was put into it before.  Looking at it from a graphics angle shined new light on a site I've been using for years.

Type Analysis

Type surrounds us everyday and everywhere.  But how often do I consciously observe and analyze it?  Almost never.  So when looking for examples of type in design I started in my kitchen.  A place where I go everyday, and where type is constantly present, but I've never bothered to think more about the type than the fact that is designates which cereal box I'm grabbing.

The first object that caught my eye was a jar of peanut butter.  "Smucker's" arched across the top of the label in a type that's enclosed in a border shaping it like an old-fashioned wooden store sign.  That idea blends well with the rest of the jar and label, which is meant to remind you of jars homemade jams would come in.  NATURAL is the largest font on the label, separating it from the other smaller words on the label that surround it.

The size and elegant font of NATURAL grabs the reader's attention at first glance.  The change in type size and font style tells the viewer that something is special about this jar, as opposed to others on the store shelf, because this jar is natural.  Small type on the rest of the label tells the reader that that information is insignificant because it is all thin small type that bends together the list of nutritional facts and ingredients.   The reader's attention is grabbed again at the ingredients list when PEANUTS is boldfaced contrasting all the other ingredients listed.  This signifies importance again; telling the reader is is something worth noting.  The small variations in type size and style clearly demonstrate what the viewer is supposed to look at and what their eyes should avoid.

LUPTON: Letter (Starter Post)

Type bombards your everyday life. Every waking moment you are surrounded by messages expressed in typographic form, whether it is the box of your favorite morning cereal to your school textbooks. Designers take a lot of time and consideration to select the most appropriate typeface to convey that message to you.

In the first section of your reading entitled "Letter" from Ellen Lupton's Thinking with Type, she discusses how typography derived from handwriting and evolved over the years.

Through the evolution of type during the Renaissance, Baroque, and the Enlightenment periods up to present day, the preservation of type heritage became very important in the classification and identification of typefaces.

As a graphic designer, it is through these classifications (humanist, transitional, modern, etc.) that you will be able to express certain moods and emotions by selecting an appropriate typeface(s) to accomplish the message you are trying to send to your audience.

From page 30 of Thinking with Type:

There is no playbook that assigns a fixed meaning or function to every typeface; each designer must confront the library of possibilities in light of a project's unique circumstances.

Now take time to explore the use of type in your everyday life. Find, post, and discuss examples of type in design used appropriately, or even inappropriately, and the message the designer is trying to send to his/her audience. Keep in mind the discussions we've had in class including the lectures on hierarchy and typography.