Carly draft2

ABUSED TYPE

Overview

Typography is a big part of our environment, playing a significant role in our culture. Typography is the basis of our written language helping us to communicate messages with one and other. The tone of these messages are dependent on the chosen typeface as each typeface has different characteristics. It is important to select the right typeface for your design in order to convey the intended message correctly. There are hundreds to choose from and every typeface is designed for a certain purpose. 

It is interesting knowing how important the choice of a typeface is, yet there are many typographic designs about which fail to use a suitable typeface. This abuse of typography is often due to designs being created by people who do not know the rules of typography or do not think carefully enough when choosing a typeface. A high percentage of amateurs manage to break all the rules of typography without even realsing it.

The aim of this report is to educate non-designers on the mistakes they are making, and to show them how choosing a good typeface will enhance their designs.

Chapters

Introduction

An overview of what the report aims to do 

The rules

The first chapter will explain the rules of typography. It is important to know the rules in order to understand what purpose each typefaces are designed for. Once you understand the rules you will be able to distinguish whether a typeface is used in a correct way or whether it is being abused. I will find these rules out by reading books on the subject.

Popular Typefaces

Chapter two will look into the typefaces most commonly used by designers and typographers. I will find this information out by interviewing designers and viewing articles and documentaries on the subject. I will relate these typefaces back to the rules in order to explain to non-designers why they are successful. 

Abused Typography

In the third chapter I will gather evidence of abused typefaces and again relate the examples to the rules of typography. I will also show these to professional designers to get their reactions. These tasks will allow me to compare the results with the popular typefaces and point out the differences.

Enhancing your design

The fourth chapter will hopefully prove to the non-designers how choosing a typeface will enhance the design and communicate a better message. I will show them how the abuse can be avoided by taking one of the found abused typefaces from my research and redesign it by manipulating it's characteristics, turning it into a better typeface using my gained knowledge.

Conclusion

A summary of my report and reflection on if investigation was successful. 

Action Plan

In order to carry out my investigation I will carry out the following tasks:

I will learn the detailed rules of typography by spending some time in the library reading books and articles on the subject.

Interview designers/ typographers to find out what their favorite typefaces are and why; to find out which ones they frequently use and why they think they work.

Interview non-designers to find out how much they know about typography and compare their favorite and to those of graphic designers.

Contact Font Shop to see what are the most popular selling typefaces.

Watch the film documentary: Helvetica to learn why is it such a well used typeface, and to learn critics views of it.

Investigate how Hoefler and Frere-Jones created their typeface Gotham as it is based on a similar principle.

Visit Walworth Road, London and take photographs to get visual evidence of abused typography used in the environment.

Take photographs of typography displayed in New York. Gathering research from different cities will provide me with wider range of typographic examples.

Collate my images of abused typography and use my enhanced knowledge to create a suitable typeface for amateurs to use from the abused letterforms.

Bibliography

Films

Helvetica (2007) Produced and Directed by Gary Hustwit. London: Plexi Productions under the license of Swiss Dots in association with Veer. [Video: DVD].

Imagine: Helvetica (2007) Directed by Gary Hustwit. London: BBC1 [Video Recording]

Books

Pao, I and Berger, J. (2006) 30 Essential Typeface of a Lifetime. Taiwan: Long Sea International Book Co. Ltd.

Jury, D. (2002) About face: reviving the rules of typography. Miles: RotoVision

Articles

Rawsthom, A. (2007) Helvetica: The little typeface that leaves a big mark. The New York Times: Style, 1st April. Anon.

Websites

Molinaro, R. (2009) Abused Typefaces. [Internet]. Available from [Accessed 19 May 2009].

Anon. (2008) Gotham: Barack Obama's favorite font. [Internet]. Available from [Accessed 9 July 2009].

Hoefler and Frere-Jones. (Anon) Gotham: An American Vernacular. [Internet]. Available from