Comments on: Typography – a dying art form?

By: IBM

IBM — Fri, 05 Aug 2005 15:09:57 +0000

Yes Typography is an Art Form.

It’s not just fonts - that’s not what typography is.

Typography believe it or not takes a great deal of knowledge and yes - skill.

You need to know more than just what the different parts of a font are, but also how a certain font draws out emotion from people. You need to understand standard fonts used in standard industry. Ie. You would use a heavier font for industrial work etc…

Typography is beyond the scope of web design. We cannot yet do the same quality of work in web design as we can in programs like quark. Not in keeping with web standards anyway.

By: Jobe

Jobe — Thu, 04 Aug 2005 23:17:20 +0000

I guess typography these days is more or less being confused with the (ab)use of fonts...It seems everybody can do it, and therefore as an artform it changes.

But eventually, as in evolution, this will bring new perspective...and it will live on!

By: Aaron

Aaron — Tue, 02 Aug 2005 18:38:57 +0000

I believe that typography in general seems to be a slowly progressing form of design because of it’s use in today’s mainstream media. One example is some design magazines, they would often use sans-serif typefaces that would be hard to read at 9 to 10pts. The use of type shouldnt be limited to that of digital, we should always remember that type started out with the written character. Alot of designers have forgotten paper in their design. On the web, alot of designers have been using small type. With the emergence of CSS2; the ability to control more important aspects of type, we should not have an excuse not to have better use of the typefaces we choose as a default in any website.

I guess what Im trying to say is that, typography in design is in slow progression because of the lack of information about it. Finding foundries, and other designers who have been using typography seriously in design are really hard to find.

For normal users, alot of people like fancy things. Sometimes even if it isnt legible. All they know that is if it looks good for them, it is ok. That’s where I see typography lost.

By: Raanan

Raanan — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 00:50:41 +0000

I love the analogy of typography and masonry!
The grandeur of buildings of old are maybe gone, but I think the usability of new building is much better.

By: r.saavedra

r.saavedra — Mon, 01 Aug 2005 00:30:05 +0000

As a student at Guru Digital Arts, here in Edmonton, Canada we have been taught a great deal as to Typography and how it can effectively add so much and remain invisible to the general public.

I went to a few lectures at the U of A when Gerry Leonidas was speaking on the future of type, be it print or web based. It was well worth my time and are lessons I will not forget.

Type will continue to evolve, as many of you say. I think we are in a great transitional period when more and more up and coming designers are learning that it is exceptionally important, no matter what the job is.

By: Gerard McGarry

Gerard McGarry — Sat, 30 Jul 2005 05:01:37 +0000

Nathan, that is deadly cool! URL is safely tucked into del.icio.us and ready for an idle half hour’s experimentation.

Thanks for the heads up!

By: Nathan Smith

Nathan Smith — Sat, 30 Jul 2005 04:53:53 +0000

I think sIFR is pretty cool, when used sparingly. For a really cool sIFR selection, go here…

[url=http://www.fontsmack.com]http://www.fontsmack.com[/url]

By: Gerard McGarry

Gerard McGarry — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 07:23:34 +0000

What are people’s thoughts on sIFR for typography on the web?

By: Nathan Smith

Nathan Smith — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 06:11:28 +0000

As a web designer, and having to work within the limited amount of default system fonts, I am intrigued by typography. This is not to say I know much about it, quite the contrary. It is because its usage is still somewhat scarce on the web that I find it so fascinating. I think that people who got their design start in printing are really cool, sorta like venerated sages who can lead the way into the future. It’s like you said, typography is not dead, it’s just getting started!

By: Mark Boulton

Mark Boulton — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 04:45:53 +0000

Matthew - I think I agree with you to some extent. Anyone who worked in a high pressure design studio has to admit that sometimes quality slips when budget and timescales don’t allow for it. Now who’s fault is it? Well, the design studio for not quoting enough in the first place!

By: Michael Spence

Michael Spence — Fri, 29 Jul 2005 03:17:17 +0000

Typography and stonemasonry have this in common (among many other things): they help us function better when done well, they have each developed an art and science, and if that art and that science fail to be continually taught and developed we will be greatly impoverished.

I don’t see many buildings rising up in America to rival the great cathedrals of Europe these days. And I hope the Web has not and does not become merely the equivalent of steel and glass.