methodologies in choosing fonts
DESCRIPTION
Part of the PETE, Creative Ideas Worth Spreading series. This presentation by Tom Futrell explains the value in choosing the right font for your audience and the functional criteria to consider.TRANSCRIPT
Creative ideasworth spreadingPETE
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METHODOLOGIES IN CHOOSING FONTS11.14.12Tom Futrell
PETE
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LANGUAGE IS ARGUABLY THE MOST SIGNIFICANT HUMAN CHARACTERISTIC
OVERVIEW
TYPE IS THE VISUAL MANIFESTATION OF LANGUAGE.
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WHY?
OVERVIEW
characters into WORDSwords into MESSAGES
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OVERVIEW
TYPE IS THE AUDIBLE VOICE - LINKING THE WRITER WITH THE READER
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OVERVIEW
MORE THAN MAKING
MESSAGES LEGIBLE
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FUNCTIONALCRITERIA
OVERVIEW
FORM CAN ALTER THE
INITIAL INTENTOF MESSAGE
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FUNCTIONAL CRITERIA
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Everyone thinks he knows an ‘A’ when he sees it; but only the few extraordinary minds can distinguish between a good one & a bad one, or can demonstrate precisely what constitutes ‘A-ness.’ When is an A not an A? Or when is an R not an R? It is clear that for any letter there is some sort of norm. To discover this norm is obviously the first thing to be done.
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Everyone thinks he knows an ‘A’ when he sees it; but only the few extraordinary minds can distinguish between a good one & a bad one, or can demonstrate precisely what constitutes ‘A-ness.’ When is an A not an A? Or when is an R not an R? It is clear that for any letter there is some sort of norm. To discover this norm is obviously the first thing to be done.
FUNCTIONAL CRITERIA
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Everyone thinks he knows an ‘A’ when he sees it; but only the few extraordinary minds can distinguish between a good one & a bad one, or can demonstrate precisely what constitutes ‘A-ness.’ When is an A not an A? Or when is an R not an R? It is clear that for any letter there is some sort of norm. To discover this norm is obviously the first thing to be done.
FUNCTIONAL CRITERIA
OVERVIEW
FORM=
FUNCTION
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FUNCTIONAL CRITERIA
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FUNCTIONAL CRITERIA
Helvetica Condensed RetinaMore compact. More contrast.
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FUNCTIONAL CRITERIA
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FUNCTIONAL CRITERIA
Clearview Highway+80 ft (+1.2 seconds @ 45 mph)
FHWA Highway Gothic
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FUNCTIONAL CRITERIA
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PERSONALITY OF TYPE
TOOLS
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WHAT'S IT SAYING?PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTESTHE DESIGNER(S)TIME PERIODCOMMON USEGEOGRAPHIC ORIGIN
THE DESIGNER
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FRENCH DESIGNER XAVIER DUPŔE
PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES
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GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION
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type = place
JOHNSTON SANS BY EDWARD JOHNSTON IN 1916
TIME PERIOD
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BODONI BY GIAMBATTISTA BODONIIN 1798
COMMON USE
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COMMON USE
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HELVETICA BY MAX ME=IEDINGER IN 1957
COMMON USE
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Corporate face 3MCorporate face AEGCorporate face Agfa GevaertCorporate face American AirlinesCorporate face BASFCorporate face BayerCorporate face BMWCorporate face BundespostCorporate face Daimler BenzCorporate face JeepCorporate face LufthansaCorporate face NestléCorporate face NixdorfCorporate face PanasonicCorporate face SiemensCorporate face Sparkasse
Cultural ReferencesTypeface SelectionStephen Coles
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CULTURAL REFERENCS
CULTURAL REFERENCES
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BABY TEETH BY MILTON GLASER IN 1968
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TEMPLATE GOTHIC BY BARRY DECK IN 1990
CULTURAL REFERENCES
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TRAJAN BY CAROL TWOMBLY IN 1989
CULTURAL REFERENCES
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CULTURAL REFERENCES
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BLACK LETTERHOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE BLACKLETTER WHICH IS COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH FASCISM AND THE RIGHT WING MOVEMENTS WAS ADOPTED BY COMMERCIAL BLACK MUSIC GENRE R&B?
CULTURAL REFERENCES
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CULTURAL REFERENCES
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CULTURAL STEREOTYPES
CULTURAL STEREOTYPES
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CULTURAL STEREOTYPES
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CULTURAL STEREOTYPES
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BEST + WORST
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COMIC SANS BY VINCENT CONNARE IN 1994
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BEST + WORST
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THE BEST?WHAT EVER IS THE MOST APPROPRIATE AND COMPLEMENTS THE MESSAGE
BEST + WORST
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HOWEVER
BEST + WORST
1. Helvetica - 1957
2. Garamond - 1530
3. Frutiger - 1977
4. Bodoni - 1790
5. Futura - 1927
6. Times - 1931
7. Akzidenz Grotesk -1966
8. Officina - 1990
9. Gill Sans - 1930
10. Univers - 1954
11. Optima - 1954
12. Franklin Gothic - 1903
13. Bembo - 1496
14. Interstate - 1993
15. Thesis - 1994
16. Rockwell - 1934
17. Walbaum - 1800
18.Meta - 1991
19. Trinit - 1982
20. Din - 1926
100BESTTYPEFACES.COM
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IN CONCLUSION
FORM EQUALS
FUNCTION
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CHOOSE BASED ON
NEED
KNOW YOUR
AUDIENCE
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RESOURCES
RESOURCES
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INFORMATION GRAPHIC BY JULIE KATRINE ANDERSEN
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See: Fontstruct http://fontstruct.com
Listen: TypeRadio www.typeradio.org
Read: Designing Type by Karen Cheng http://www.amazon.com/Designing-Type-Karen-Cheng/dp/0300111509
Read: Typophile http://typophile.com
Read: Fonts in Use http://fontsinuse.com
typography.com
typotheque.com
underware.nl
typofonderie.com
RESOURCES
MORE!
MORE!
MORE!
MORE!
MORE!
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PETETHANK YOU
OVERVIEW
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CONCEPT SKETCHES BY XAVIER DUPŔE