US Typography

While this example is not fashion related, it is located on the National "Mall" hah hah...hah...

Anyway, I thought what better way to find see an example of US history than with some from Washington, DC - the nation's capital. I even took it one step further and chose the museum of AMERICAN History. I would assume that the slightly serifed type chosen here represents tradition and credibility of our nation's past.

I look forward to the day were I can know what typeface was used just by looking at the sample...

Cool color treatment!

This jumped off the page when I saw it. The block, 3D letters give the actual type some weight and the color is so trippy! I found in on a website on creative typography. The more I get exposed to type, the more I have an interest in graphic art. It just looks so clean even through the chaos which is hard to accomplish! I think this also illustrates that color can impede on the readability of type.

This logo/design makes me think of t-shirts that my little brother likes to wear. Pete Wentz (Ashlee Simpson's new hubby) also has a clothing like with a very similar color palette. I think art and fashion are very closely linked and it's easy to be inspired by either!

Latin Influenced

My mom is from Cuba. She and her family became political refugees when she was only 5 years old. I think her fashion sense is influenced by her Latin roots as she likes to wear colors that are brighter than that sun! Although she has not passed on her Spanish speaking skills to me, she has passed on her love of Cuban food and support for my Latina sisters! I hope to look like some of them in my next life!

Alessandra Ambrosio is pictured here attending the MTV Latin American Awards. As you can see, MTV has not only chosen a latin inspired color theme, but the type reflects latin influences as well - sans serif, tight kearning, very rounded letter in general, no harsh lines.

Childlike Type

Childlike type looks great, obviously, on clothing and accessories for children! There are lots of humorous and cute saying out there for baby. Of course, parents often use these options to push the envelope.

In my search for cute baby bibs (a present for my cousin's baby Gracyn), I say such options as "poops...i did it again" and "he thinks he's my daddy." I guess the caution here is that as you can find/print anything on baby clothes, make sure you know your audience before purchasing. I think the "I love my mommy and daddy" is always a safe bet!

Typographical Error...

Let me just start by saying that I am not the best speller or a grammatical crusader, BUT basic errors and poor grammar really rub me the wrong way. Here is an example of the importance of a good quality check on your work.

This is a t-shirt from American Eagle, printed and available to purchase in stores. At first glance you may not even see the typography in the design, but when you zoom in (as in the other picture) you see the mistake!

Apparently "your" and "you're" are interchangeable in the phrase "Love the one YOU'RE with" :)

Digital Culture & Type

Digital is the term of the 21st century. Successful companies and organizations without websites are the exception due to consumer expectations of having all information that could ever be needed at their fingertips. The transformation to a digital medium has forced designers to learn a new craft and, as the digital culture has come to be dominated by a handful of companies, are having their hand forced when it comes to choosing a creative solution that can be distributed worldwide. Thanks to Apple, the success of sans serif type in the digital realm was sealed. The following is a brief look at the evolution of sans serif type and the cultural icon it has become today.

Revolutionary for its time, being the first sans serif type to be widely used, Akzidenz Grostesk was released in the late 1800's by the H. Berthold AG type foundry. As with many firsts, the typeface was a little crude and harbored imperfections, yet served as the basis of many of its successors. For the first time, type is now able to be set closer together, making printing longer materials more efficient. The impact of this innovation is still manifesting itself in staples such as Futura, Helvetica, Arial, and many more.

German designer Paul Renner is best known for Futura created in 1927. This was a time of political and cultural distress due to the Nazi control of Germany. The country was in a state of unrest and so was the local design world when it came to gothic versus roman. Renner spent countless hours researching the implications of both. Although the abbreviated curves of gothic allowed for a more efficient use of space in typesetting longer words and works, its origins in courts had Renner concluding it was pure "decadence;" not to mention the Nazis outlawed it by decree in 1941. Renner thought roman type was more German in the end having its origins traced back to the first German Reich. Therefore, in his quest to emerge from the "old-fashionned" and to create a balance between upper and lower case letter, Futura was born. It's the forerunner of the geometric sans serif typefaces, recognizable by its signature even-weighted strokes. While Futura appeared in the early 1900's, it is still used on a daily basis today. Futura was made an icon for its use in the Stanley Kubrick promotional campaigns for 2001: A Space Odyssey and Eyes Wide Shut. It's also seen in corporate design - Volkswagen and Union Pacific - further deeming its worthiness as a classic. To quote Toronto art director, Nick Shinn, "Futura's severe geometric simplicity, stately proportions, and the lightness of its book weight became a key component of early 20th century modernism."

Finally, there is Helvetica designed by Swiss Max Meidinger and released by Linotype in 1957. Of all the fonts out there, few elicit the strong emotional response of Helvetica in designers - it's either loved or hated with no gray in between. While Meidinger originally designed Helvetica as an alternative to Akzidenz Grotesk (1898) as well as to be used in multiple mediums, it wasn't until it was embraced by the post-war emergence of western world design schools in the '60's that it became a standard. Helvetica lost some steam in the post-modernism of the late '70's, but with the explosion of digital typesetting and the internet, came back into the lime-light a mere decade later. Having purchased the licensing from Linotype in the 80's, Apple bundled Helvetica in its free font package. The sans serif typeface bodes well for the computer screen, large or small print, and its many weights and clean readability create many prospects for users. Also, mass availability led to the type's adoption by well-known companies like Crate&Barrel, Jeep, Toyota, American Airlines, Target and more to enhance their branding, being arguably the most used typeface as it tops the online sales charts.

Does the prevalence, and perhaps overuse, of a typeface make one type superior to another? Probably not, but being a standard in readability and availability during the digital age has led the majority of designers to embrace the sans serifs with open arms. As technology improves and the digital culture evolves, it will be exciting to see where the sans serif shakes out in the end.

Bibliography:

Clark, Joseph. "The Grotesk as Universal Font" Screenfont.CA. 29 April 2005. http://screenfont.ca/fonts/today/interim/grotesk/

Baglee, Patrick. "Paul Renner: The Art of Typography (Review)" U&lc Online Issue: 25.3.3. http://www.itcfonts.com/Ulc/2533/BookRevRenner.htm

AllExperts.com. http://en.allexperts.com/e/f/fu/futura_%28typeface%29.htm

Shinn, Nick."The Face of Uniformity" Graphic Exchange. July 2003. http://www.biblioteca.co.cr/pdf/Uniformity.pdf.

Strizver, Ilene. "Arial vs Helvetica" U&lc Online Issue: 41.1.2. http://www.itcfonts.com/Ulc/4112/ArialvsHelvetica.htm

McClure, Michael. "Helvetica used Successfully with Global Branding" Design Spotting. 31 August 2008. http://designspotting.wordpress.com/2008/08/31/helvetica-used-successfully-with-global-branding/

Pictures:

Jeep. http://www.sprintusers.com/wallpapers/uploadedfiles/060206Jeep%20logo.jpg

Helvetica vs Akzidenz. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRiGwnMfn3X5ZpjhsAoUmrtFgc8Xk6Ai4aFnocBMBrGoe8AWl1PTIgJOHMuII7nQaZ0TVBIVqJIa3xFQAkNZsP3TugxXghHEOimkoXZ49VB-KjCXUjQ3Sp0xRChS707Syjo_EbgxeAzkQ/s1600-h/hel_akz.png

2001: a space odyssey. http://www.houseofhorrors.com/crypt/pages2/uploads/1/2001.jpg

Volkswagen. http://www.volkswagenspectacular.com/2006A/VW_LOGO_lockup%20300dpi.JPG

Honeymoon Type!

So while waiting in line at the airport in the French Polynesia, I was still in my type mindset!! I felt a little creepy taking pictures of complete strangers (my new husband and I later befriended them) but the things we do in the name of blogging!

I'm not sure if the "B's" are a new logo, but I've never seen that particular arrangement associated with Brookstone. I thought it was really neat in that no matter which way you look at the bag, the design looks exactly the same. I also find it a nice use of the space on the bag as opposed to "Brookstone" just displayed in the middle.

The new bride's sweatpants are from the Victoria's Secret PINK line - a line that definitely relies on the name to sell the product. In the last few years, they just started putting out things, like bathing suits, that doesn't have large PINK type all over it.