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4 | Helvetica Love it or hate it.

6 | Timless A tribute to legendary logotype designer Doyald Young

8 | Get your type fix 50+ examples of typography in the real-world

56 | Break Routine Inspiration comes in odd forms.

58 | Organized Originality Margo Chase Design & their creative proposals

64 | Collaborate Conversations with designer Kit Hinrichs

66 | Bold, Mammothy Flavor Utilizing your imagination– Stefan Bucher style

ela: typography at its finestSpring 2012

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Love it or hate it – Helvetica is everywhere.Helevetica Light (10/12)

Love it or hate it– Helvetica is everywhere.Helevetica Light Oblique (10/12)

Love it or hate it– Helvetica is everywhere.Helevetica Regular (10/12)

Love it or hate it– Helvetica is everywhere.Helevetica Oblique (10/12)

Love it or hate it– Helvetica is everywhere.Helevetica Bold (10/12)

Love it or hate it– Helvetica is everywhere.Helevetica Bold Oblique (10/12)

The beautiful nature of the typeface lies in it’s neutrality, versatility, and legibility. However, nothing on Earth is without fault. As perfect as this prominent typeface may seem, its popularity has ultimately led to its demise. The vastly abused typeface has become the default choice of type, resulting in a dull design and conformity in the design industry. I feel Helvetica is appropriate for the right project. In general, all letterforms should balance the meaning of the information with aesthetic. We are responsible for using appropriate typefaces to organize information in the most efficient mode possible. It’s essentially our job as designers to create order with well-designed information in a culture of disarray. Helvetica fits perfectly into this mode of efficient organization whether many designers care to admit or not. Yes, I will be the first to admit, it’s grossly overused. I believe I’ve only used it once or twice in my work. It has its time and place. After viewing the documentary on it, it did open my mind to the versatility of the typeface and I certainly learned a great deal about its origin. I learned something even more important about typography though. Prior to the Helvetica documentary, I never viewed letterforms as a figure and ground relationship. I have a new eye for not just the liveliness of Helvetica, but the element of life needed for any letterform successful in design. This raises a critical closing question. Perhaps it’s not the typeface that has become dull. Could it not also be equated to the designer’s lack of eye to bring the type to life? A good craftsman, after all shouldn’t blame his tools for a poor job.

Helvetica is everywhere.

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Celebrating the life and legacy of legendary logotype designer

doyald youngNever before has a documentary inspired me to sharpen my pencils, but then again, never before have I looked at script in such a profound way. Letters are essentially the building blocks of communication just as atoms are the foundation of life. Doyald Young’s logotype documentary was an eye opening experience to my broadening my typographic studies. Young brings up a tremendous point about the artform of hand written letterforms. While refined script is the epitome of luxury, I never realized how prominent it is. Chances are our bir th, graduation, wedding, and death are announced in script lettering. Script is timeless. I turn from computer to sketch book; armed with my sharpened pencil and perfect attention to detail. With practice, I hope to develop the passion and my own distinct style like Doyald Young.

Get inspired.

A passion for life begins with your first breath. A passion for graphic design beings with the hunt for inspirational type. Subconciously, you’re judging type crimes and taking notes of creative examples. Twenty-first century advertising is a battle ground with letterforms as the wepons of mass destruction. Here are sixty ideas to get you off.

spunky

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Spunky colors in the city

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Tesxtiles & Type: classy tags

classy

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Tesxtiles & Type: playful styles

playful

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Using tools to enhance your type

versatileusing textures and graphic elements

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Craveable type

crunchy

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Lady-like type

sweet

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working with moving type in small spaces

speedy

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Protien-packed type

powerful

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Defining a noun through letter forms

identity

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Bookworms and type nerds unite

novelty

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Chocolate meets luxury packaging

ambrosia

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Clean sans-serifs on acid. What? All the cool kids are doing it.

hip

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I sacrificed my banana to send a mes-sage, used poop to make letters, and cut my self with the broken porce-lain in the process. I wasn’t thinking about the potential bacteria though. Crouched over my creation, I let my blood leak onto the shards, leaving partial fingerprints behind. This is certainly not what I had intended for my morning, but you can never anticipate bold ideas. Reminiscing on my creation (which I left intact in the alley of the fraternity where I found all the porcelain shards), the blood from my hand maybe gone, but the change isn’t. In it’s most simple terms, I’m really proud of my broken letters. For once in my life, I gave a shit about a real concept, with no intent on making something beautiful. I want this to inspire the people who see it to break routine and try some-thing new by utilizing the resources around you. With that mantra in mind, I sought to design a response that wasn’t about something I made with the help of a computer. I wanted raw, uncensored materials. I essentially complied all the ideals that I gathered from Carson, Stagmeis-ter and Scher. Like Carson, I sought to create something without the use of a computer, I included the viewer in the process of the design like Stagmeister, and I captured my moment of enlight-enment without diluting the original idea like Scher. More importantly, I left my own mark on it. I left the pieces of chalk that broke behind inviting onlookers to design.

Inspiration comes in odd forms

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Inspiring new methods for solution proposalsAlthough Margo Chase and I have a different taste for design, I am inspired by her methods for working with clients. Her design firm takes a distinct approach to solve the client’s problem using consumer psychology in a way I hadn’t previously thought of. Coupled with her design knowledge and eagerness to work in a variety of mediums, her work exemplifies originality and clear integrity. In the future, I’d like to utilize a similar style of thinking and organizing to gain more clients as I build my skills and repertoire.

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There is an unusual parallel between typography and music– particularly the voice. Initially you are taught the basics. The basics of typography being of course the alphabet and grammar guidelines, while in voice you are taught the relation-ship between notes and vocals and the proper way to breathe. While the ex-cerpt from Type Rules! was largely a review of what I’ve learned over the course of the semester, reminding and remembering the basics of any art form is critical to mastering the subject.

Some are naturals and some are just– not.

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when you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything

Futura Medium, Small Caps (12/14)

When you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anythingAdobe Garamond Pro, Bold Italic (12/14)

When you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anythingGill Sans Regular (12/14)

[What we use in Ela]

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Kit Hinrichs is an inspiring figure in the graphic design world for his ability to connect with other professionals of his industry. It inspired me to do the same. I took on a new project working with a public relations firm within the University of Florida. There is a specific disconnect between the Fine Arts College and the Journalism school. I’m learning a great deal about the technicalities of advertising, while I am able to help them conceptualize identites with a professional edge. Collaborating with other professionals is essential to continue growing as a designer.

Inspiration to grow and communicate with Kit Hinrichs

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Stefan Bucher’s intense love of illustration is unparalleled by other artists I have studied thus far. I am inspired by his use to surrealism and chance in the initial drawing stages. The first black shape he creates in much of his work is something that I think could be developed far beyond what he creates. I find them amusing because they remindme of inkblot tests, the way you respond to this piece determines how and what things you think about. His eclectic style that spurs his illustrations is something I am looking forward to trying in my design work.

Diversifying design: utilizing tools beyond the mouse

ela: typography at its finestSpring 2012