Week 1: Jasuta

The Wicked poster presents a good choice of typeface for its purpose. It's a serif font (with the exception of the "c") and is used in small caps, creating a bold, austere tone--which is appropriate for the musical--and it pops off the dark contrasting background. The "i" is dotted by a flying witch, bringing that added unique quality to the wordmark. Since the rest of the type in the poster is also in small caps, the result is clean, clear, and cohesive, emphasizing both the image of the two Oz witches, and intentionally sets the figurative stage for the musical.
An example of poor type is this Smokey Joe's Cafe poster. Though the Smokey Joe's Cafe musical doesn't have a prescribed theatrical poster, they all revolve around graphics of neon lights and an old-fashioned mic. This particular poster tries to create script out of neon-stylized font, which just comes across as confusing and convoluted, making it hard to read. The font tries too do too much, and takes away from the main focus of the poster: the title.

Week 1 | Mariotti

When finding type for this post, I decided to look at album cover art. An example of good type in cover art is The Kills' Midnight Boom. The sans serif font in the band name and the script font in the album name are bleeding a little at the edges, which shows that this band is sort of punk. Also, the script font doesn't connect some of its letters, which gives the font some personality.



An example of badly-used type in cover art is Radiohead's In Rainbows. This sans serif font is just boring, hard to read over the image, and uses too many colors. It have any personality or convey what the band is like.

Week One| Susan Mihalick

As an advertising major, I took special note of the "logotypes" section in Lupton's Letter chapter. I realized in reading how some of my favorite logotypes actually come from the covers of playbills, and the signs on Broadway, and not only from the big name brand products. Theatrical performances need to choose or create typefaces and logotypes that will serve as a continuation of the show’s story. Because theatre is a creative enterprise I believe that some excellent examples of creative typography come from the covers of show playbills and marquees.

I have seen great examples of this recently. The musical, In the Heights utilizes types’ ability to communicate a message. Although some graphics aficionados may hate the choices this designer made with this logotype, because of its rough, unfinished design and use of non-alignment, I believe that because this seems to not work, it does. It’s made up of sans serif fonts that are clear and commercial looking. The intent of the logo is to appear to be a business sign that could be found hanging in the setting of the show, Washington Heights, New York. The coloring and texture of the lettering is played with to give it a distressed, and worn appearance. The design is not aligned or a “perfect”, but it does have an authentic style and appropriateness for its use. This logotype would definitely not work for any other show out there. However, the designer has truly captured the gritty, “street” essence of this show all in the lettering of the title.

Another example from musical theatre comes from Beauty and the Beast’’s logotype. I believe what could be considered a “transitional” or “humanist” style serif type is used. The font evokes calligraphy, and has an old world charm that connects to the nature of the show. The designer chose to kern the letters to fit within each other and overlap at some points, while still making the letters appear to be a “perfect”. Like in the In the Heights logotype, the “beast” in this logotype has texture added to it, to enhance the primal, animalistic intent of the word.

These examples of logotype on Broadway, prove the power of lettering and type as a communicative force.

Week 1: Lupton Letter

While shopping online recently I though about this week's blog assignment. Forever 21 is one of my favorite clothing stores and since it introduced its other "shops", which are mainly online, I have grown to like it even more. From the screenshot below, you will notice that for each shop the company uses a different typeface which I believe is mainly to distinguish the apparel sold at each. I think the use of different typefaces are effective because they give each of the shops their own identity apart from the company as a whole. The main shop "Forever 21", has a simple and inviting font. I think its simplicity makes you wonder what it has to offer. This could also be negative because it plainness can be taken as uninteresting. When I look at the "Heritage 1981" tab I see it as a good representation for the style of clothing available at that shop. It's calm, clean-cut and classic. The Heritage Kids font has color and a symbol (heart) in it, unlike the other tabs. I think adding the symbol and color to this tab was a good idea because it appeals to children, it's fun and cute yet the typeface is still somewhat sophisticated, illustrating that the quality of its products should be taken seriously. The last tab, "Twelve by Twelve" is written in a script. As a consumer of some of its apparel, I think they should have chosen a thinner yet clean script because the apparel it offers looks a little more upscale. Also, I think a thinner script would have shown that the clothing is a little more upscale than that of the other three shops but it is still affordable.

Week One: Nelson

As we've talked about in class a bit, restaurants definitely make use of typefaces in order to draw customers in--though in some cases, it keeps people away. Last night, I went to Uno's for dessert, and keeping this blog in mind, I looked at their typefaces more closely. I had noticed it before, but never took the time to really think about what it meant, other than looking nice and professional. Looking closely at the text, I saw the two fonts working together to achieve an image for the restaurant; Uno's uses both sans serif and serif fonts in its name, the serif being most predominant as the "Uno" portion of the size is in bold, large, uppercase letters outlined in both yellow, white and black (at least for the one I went to; I've seen many variations of the sign). The Uno portion of the sign stands out the most, all the letters in contact, with the "o" tucked into the "n". The font type used has both thicker and thinner lines, which also gives the image a more modern twist. Underneath "Uno", Chicago Grill is placed in a sans serif font, the designer putting the tracking technique to use so all the letters are spread apart evenly and fit under Uno to leave equal space on either side of the words. This portion of the sign is also done in thickly bolded font, this time in white with a black background. Rule lines are also used to still give "Chicago Grill" some notice and attention from the eye, despite "Uno" being the visual hierarch in this case. Since "Chicago Grill" is in white font, it also enables it to stand out on its own after the eye follows the white space in the Uno above to the also stark white against the black of this text. By mixing the sans serif and serif fonts, Uno's manages to give off a unique vibe: the serif tells us that they're a traditional, family friendly restaurant where any customer can expect good service and good food; the serif lets us know that Uno's goes beyond tradition, and incorporates some modern aspects and unique qualities that not just any restaurant could offer to us. In this way, Uno's can attract both a young and old crowd, as young people often look for the newest, hippest most modern hang out, and the older folks will tend to go for the safe traditions. In all, I think the combination of colors and fonts works for Uno's, enabling the restaurant to get a diverse crowd of people heading in, old and young; and since from what I can tell the parking lot's almost always full, I think most people would also agree the typeface works.

Another example of typeface I never really took note of until thinking about this blog, is on another blog site I post to: tumblr. As the main font is all lower case letters, with only ascenders, the name in itself looks very clean and uniform. The b and the l are both made to ascend slightly more than the t, and a period is placed at the end of the name, as if to say the name tumblr can speak for itself much in the same way as a sentence describing the site could. Tracking is again used here, each letter spaced evenly, giving it a clean and professional look. Using a bolded serif font in white with a grey hue gradually being incorporated in more and more of each letter (i.e. the t has hardly any grey, where as looking at the last letter, r, it is almost completely grey), the coloration works as a linkage element to take our eyes across the name. The lower cased font and serif use gives the site an over-all friendly and modern look; it gives the sense that it is easy to use, but also a new, hip way to let out one's creativity. I think the font and color use tumblr utilizes works really well, enabling beginners to feel comfortable with the site and others to feel safe in returning periodically.

(As a side note, I wanted the image of the tumblr. font at the bottom, but couldn't figure out how to, so sorry it looks odd).

Week 1 | Leveille

My first example of typeface is from the "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" movie poster. I see the poster every day (it's hanging on my wall right now), but the first thing I always find myself looking at is the movie title. In my opinion, that in itself makes the use of the typeface successful.

The font used was a modified version of Ray Larabie's Goldburg. It consists of small caps, with the exception of the "S" and "T." Some letters were also modified so that they extend slightly higher than the x-height. If you look at the "e" and the "y" of Sweeney, you can see that the "e" is tucked into the "y." Each letter has distinct, sharp serifs which have a similar shape to the razor Sweeney Todd holds in his hand. Within the letters themselves, you can also see each individual line. The format of the letters gives the title a hard-to-miss, bold look that resembles the character well.

The last piece of the typeface is the bottom line, which was made to fit perfectly under the main part of the title. This prevents the rest of the title from taking attention away from Sweeney Todd.

What makes this typeface successful is it's focus on "Sweeney Todd." The boldness and the personality it seems to portray brings the eye directly to the title, and it does so in such a way that the image it compliments isn't lost in the background. There is an overall balance between the image and typeface.

My second example of typeface is Phoenix's "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" album. The first thing I noticed is the use of three different fonts. "Wolfgang" is written in a script in order to make it perfect relative to "Amadeus," which is written in a serif font with uppercase letters. This is followed by "Phoenix," which is written in what looks to be a bold sans serif font. The album artist also widened the tracking because it forms a perfect with "Amadeus."

The fact that the album artist was able to create a perfect out of these three words makes it appealing, but the use of three fonts also loses that appeal at the same time. Personally, my favorite part is the format of "Amadeus." The tracking isn't too wide and it creates a balance, or support, between the two contrasting fonts it is sandwiched between.

The typeface would have been better if only two fonts were used, or if the perfect combination was only used between two of the words rather than all three. Even if the album artist kept this combination, the typeface would have looked better if there was less differentiation between the three words. Instead of using a sans serif font for "Phoenix," the font could have been similar to that of "Amadeus."

Week One | Loguidice

Here we go for the first post. I'm not sure how many examples, we need, but here goes.

Seeing as how there seems to be an increasing number of both Papyrus-phobic people, and designers who love the font, I thought it might be good to point this one out. The new James Cameron film, Avatar, uses a slightly altered version of Papyrus in the movie's title. I did a little research, check this out:


In case you can't see the picture because I messed up: http://www.papyruswatch.com/2009/08/avatar-really.html

The very top type is the Avatar name used for the film, papyruswatch.com (yes, there is such a thing), shows us how the designer from the film made a few adjustments to the font. They extended the A and the R beyond the baseline and adjusted the tracking. The strokes used to make the letters are the same (aside from a few notches in the letters, and a serif added to the V etc).

Does it work for Avatar? Possibly. But personally, I feel that, considering the unique nature of the film, the designer could have maybe designed a typeface that isn't so popular now. EVERYONE is using Papyrus. It doesn't match the movie's unique flavor. James Cameron could get away with using this (an he did, Avatar beat Titanic's box office record) but probably only because the font was in all caps; I think all caps gives the title a raw, semi-untamed, almost primal feel (much better than the Bleu Monkey, Paul?)

I'll add another restaurant to our list. Olive Garden is an Italian Restaurant (with amazing salads and bread sticks, I might add) and their restaurant sign/name is designed with a scripted font. I think the cursive font (not exactly sure which one it is) is great for the restaurant because I feel like it gives people a classy, sophisticated impression. This is a restaurant that you don't wear jeans and a hoodie to, and I think their typeface really speaks to that.
And here's this one's URL: http://whitneymcd7.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/logo-olivegardentuscany-rgb.jpg

Handout on the Process of Creating a Resume

For those who did not have the second page of the handout titled "The Process of Creating a Resume," here are both sides. As always, let me know if you need a copy of something and I'll try to just post up here. I'll also be posting fun videos that I hope will make you laugh, if not give you inspiration for the major design projects this term.

Cheers,
paul

Week 1: Lupton "Letter" Starter Post

Get ready. You’re going to start looking at the world in a different way. Instead of merely reading a sign, or magazine spread, you’re going to start dissecting what’s working for a design and wondering what typeface is being used. It may drive you nuts, but you will still view the world in a different way.

Type is everywhere. You can’t escape it – on your cereal box in the morning, receipts from meals out, building signs, newspapers (who reads them?), magazines, signs that may or may not help guide you through the labyrinthine halls of Newhouse.

You’re surrounded. Sorry, guys, if I’m just now breaking this to you, but this message is also type. (Anyone remember the old elementary school gag about telling someone they’re epidermis is showing? Well, it’s kind of like that).

While you probably all knew that type is everywhere, now it’s time to start thinking about the back end of these everyday assaults from type. Designers carefully (for the most part) choose these typefaces after a great deal of consideration about for what appropriately conveys the message desired by a client.

For this assignment you will be responding to the chapter 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.

In graphic design, 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 (and don’t forget to document these reasons in your written rationale!).

This is crucial legwork, in addition to sketching, for your wordmark/resume project currently underway.

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."

For this assignment, analyze and evaluate the uses of type in your life – whether signs you see walking around or type choices in print and online media you consume. Find, post, and discuss these examples of type in design used appropriately, or even inappropriately, and the message the designer is trying to send to his/her audience. What about the choice helps the message and works? Keep in mind the discussions we've had in class.

For example, it drives me NUTS to see the sign at the Bleu Monkey Bistro on Marshall Street. It’s totally an example, in my opinion, of type used poorly. Not only is the novelty typeface Papyrus used, but it has absolutely no communicative value. Based on the name and typeface, you’d NEVER know this was a sushi place. And the name Bleu Monkey makes no sense! To this day, I’ve never gone in there (yes, like Prof. Taylor I’m a type nerd), and I don’t plan on it, either. I urge you to seek sushi at other places (like Sakana-ya in Armory Square or Metro on Westcott).

So, that’s the starter post. As always, please feel free to shoot me an e-mail if you have any questions or have trouble getting screen shots or want other great restaurant suggestions. Also, please don't hesitate to come by office hours just to chat. Otherwise I'll just sit in there, awkwardly, and look like I have no friends.

Happy blogging!

pb

Welcome to the Blog

Heya Ladies and Gents,

I hope the blog will be an enjoyable part of this semester. Throughout the term it will be a way to continue the discussion beyond class and to learn from your peers.

Many of you will start looking at life in a completely different way after this course. I fell in love with graphics last summer when I moved up to Syracuse for grad school, and now I find myself in Wal-Mart wondering if I've correctly identified Futura as the font they use on department banners in store. Or watching Mad Men (AMAZING SHOW) and googling for blog posts about the typography.

Each week there will be one required post, and part of your grade will be based on your adherence to deadlines and post instructions. Before the end of the semester you’ll also be required to post at least 2 comments on the projects uploaded by your classmates. Project comments should be substantive, critical analyses of projects completed for class.

You’re not limited to the required posts! Please feel free to post as often as you’d like, provided you’re sharing relevant information to the course/projects/principles of design.

Advice for the Semester:

• Have FUN and enjoy this class! Think of this class as a creative outlet to relieve the stress of your other courses. You may end up a design nerd after this experience. That’s not a bad thing, and you can seek help for it.
• More importantly, this class is one of the only instances in which it is perfectly fine to be sketchy. By that I mean prepare early and often. Sketches/conceptualizing is crucial before you even step into the lab. Projects really do rise and fall on the quality of your planning. Brainstorm and sketch it out.
• Never underestimate the importance of strong hierarchy and organization in the lab. When you’re working, set up a folder structure that will make it easy for you to access and use your files for these projects.

I’m looking forward to working with you and getting to know you. Don’t be afraid to stop by my office hours if you have any questions or if you just want to talk. I’ve been through the graduate level graphics course which is structured the same way as this one. It’s going to go by fast, but I hope this semester is fun for everyone involved.

And don’t forget to blog it like it’s hot!

Cheers,
paul