Type & Hierarchy
Project 3 Exercises
Exercise 1: Typeface Tracing
In this exercise we were tasked to trace a few select fonts to study the parts of letterforms. We also paid close attention to similar features the typefaces shared such as weight, proportions, axis, terminals, and rhythm.
Exercise 2: Typographic Voice
Purity: freedom from adulteration or contamination.
- The first font looks as if someone had handwritten the word in a small fine-tip marker. To some this might feel the most pure as it looks as if it was created by a human rather than a machine. However, purity is relative to the reader.
- The second font is very bare-bones. The lack of serifs and uniform width makes it seem very bland, but the most true to it’s definition. It is stripped of all the extra bells and whistles and could be considered a typeface in its purest form.
- The last font is more bold, round, and soft. In a way it feels like it best belongs in a child’s work. The font is straightforward and uniform, but it’s bubbly-ness makes it feel like purity coming from a child full of innocence.
I personally feel that the middle font best portrays purity. However, the first font makes a compelling argument as well. I think the minimalist look suits the definition best. Pure doesn’t have to mean exciting. Often times objects in their purest form are also the most plain and simple.
Future: the time or a period of time following the moment of speaking or writing; time regarded as still to come.
- This first font is ironic to me because it feels retro, which is pretty much the opposite of future. The words looks like it belongs to a poster from the 1980’s referring to the future. However it still communicates clearly that it’s looking to the future. This is particularly interesting because as time changes our perception of the future changes as well.
- The second typeface doesn’t really allude to the literal definition of the future. Rather, it’s simple and thin qualities make it feel like it belongs in an scientific article that merely uses the word and help reiterate and statement. The typeface is versatile but doesn’t help portray the representation of the word future.
- This last font simply feels outdated. I think this typeface would only be appropriate in a work that must look like it came from an old type writing machine. Out of the three, this to feels the weakest in respect to the definition.
To me, the first font best represents the idea of the future best. Even though the overall look is retro and feels old, it’s easy to understand what is was trying to communicate. The future is something that is relative and even though this font might have been used in the past, it’s easy to understand what it’s referring to now in the present.
Exercise 3: Typographic Hierarchy
In this last exercise, we sought to explore typographic variables in clarifying a message. We had to manipulate the assigned text with certain variables for each iteration. The variables we experimented included linespacing, weight, indentation, and size change.
To me, linespacing and weight were the best at separating and organizing text for the reader. I found it most difficult to utilize indentations to direct the reader without the text feeling incredibly out of place.
