To Type is To Design
On the Artists and Ninjas in the typography industry
Typography, in my opinion, arguably, is the most significant form of expression in visual communication. Let me tell you why I think that, any other form of visual communication — graphics, photography, etc.,—lets you interpret what you see and make an opinion based on it. With typography, you’re going to read what they want you to read and form an interpretation based on what they say and not the design itself.
Typography represents text. And, text is the most direct there is, in communication.
Typography can be most effective with successful choice and usage of fonts. Fonts — serif/sans-serif, light, thin, regular, bold, black — can tell stories themselves.
Recently, there is an increase in using fonts as design elements itself rather than to just represent text.
Are fonts really that important?
Yes. An absolute yes.
Let me demonstrate by example.
The Nike ad on the left uses a font which seems rather simple, straightforward or plain. Not many would wonder about the reason for the choice of font. It might not even seem like a big deal. Now, take a look at the one on the right. I changed the font. Notice the loss in impact as compared to the one on the left — How it has lost its boldness.
You may also wonder if maybe using handwriting fonts will all create the same impact and if, they are pretty useless in general. Let’s look at another example I created below for demonstration.
The image on the left uses a handwriting font. Reason: to be conversational and to connect to the user on a personal basis. Take the one on the right now, this is a font similar to the original Nike Ad in the previous example. Notice how the same font in the Nike ad made a powerful impact and here makes it look dull and boring.
Choosing the right font for the right design is an art in itself.
I think these examples are testimony enough to showcase how important choosing a font can be.
Thinning the line between design and art.
What is the difference between art and design? In the simplest way I can put it — design is for solving a need whereas art is a form of self-expression. Art can solve a need, but the concept of need in art is abstract and varies from every individual interacting with it. Design must solve a need — anyone or anything’s need.
Can design and art be fused? Yes. And, if done well, they lead to incredible products like the Apple iMacs or Lamborghinis.
That is exactly what designers have now moved into with Typography as well. They’ve added the element of art to typography design.
Simple phrases or sentences, using nil external design element aids such as graphics or photography, depicted powerfully.
I think you can probably imagine how boring and ineffective any of these would be if they were just on a white background with comics sans.
Type is great. Design is awesome. Both, together, are incredible.
Ninjas who Type
One of the most recent trends in typography is — slicing and splattering text. This has added an element of abstraction to traditional typography.
The above is an example of using a single word which is sliced. The left one says Atmosphere and the one on the right is Where.
This is the very abstract end of the spectrum. It is more of an art than a piece of communication design. The goal here is not to make the message clear but for it to just become a thought. There’s no message or goal with this except for you to ponder about it or spend a few seconds with it.
This is the central band of the spectrum; even with an abstract beginning, the end is clear. It has a goal to let you know about something. This piece of design is equal parts of art and typography design.
This is that end of spectrum which is more of typography design than art. The goal of the post is clear for you to have a takeaway while looking great. The emphasis on the clarity of text is apparent while paying attention to the overall aesthetic.
Prioritise your need.
Always the first question should be — What does the creative intend to achieve?
If you want to make sure that the text is important and should be impactful — choose minimal design and make the text clear — Eg. the left-most one on the above example.
If you want to make sure that the text is second priority — choose more of design (such as photography or graphics) and reduce the significance of the text — Eg. the middle one in the above example.
If you want to make sure that the text itself has to be design and don’t want any other external design element — Choose to play with the text as freely as you want to — Eg. the right one in the above example.
Play. But, with caution.
Typography as a design element definitely thins the line between art and design. Therefore, through this, any viewer has a longer chance of remembering the design itself more than the end-message and can stick with them for longer.
But, also, I want to bring forth what I think are the pros and cons of typography design.
Pros
- Makes it more aesthetically appealing and gives character to the text as well
- Can instill an emotion — Eg. the creative can be designed accordingly to make it look conversational rather than instructional or vice versa
- Chances of communicating more with less; using typography as an additional design element can create a greater impact than without it
Cons
- Can prioritise art over communication by a large margin and leads to a of loss of information
- Increases the absorption time of the creative; if time is of the priority, keeping the creative as simple as possible is very important
- Might not be for the masses; often the designers, by infusing too much of art, can make the art comprehensible only to a certain section of people and can even make certain audiences feel less than the others because they couldn’t grasp the same
End note
Simplicity is key. Whatever the design is, ensure that it is simple and direct to absorb.
Communicate, don’t confuse.
An art exhibition might require an artistic creative done for it, but, a stationery company might just not need it. Understanding the goals and needs is very essential.
