Type/Typography as Design

When I look at words, the first thing I do (consciously) is read them, interpreting their meaning. It is rarer for me to think about the how the design of the words are influencing my comprehension or experience of their meaning. I would venture to guess that most people are similar to me in this respect. However, I look forward to delving into how meaning is communicated through design in the same amount of depth that I delve into what is being communicated by the word itself. I view form and content (or, the typography and the word itself) as two equally valid, yet vastly different ways of communicating, which are closely intertwined.

It would be an interesting experiment to look at two separate series of typographical designs: on one side, the same word over and over, but in each image, a different typographic design, and on the other side, different words in each image, but the same typographical design for each. I would be curious to see how the variable interactions of the form and content would influence reactions to each image. I wonder how extensively the psychology of typography has been researched in comparison to color psychology.

Balance

Typically, I am drawn to designs which are balanced and symmetrical. I associate balanced images with harmony, comfort, satisfaction, and safety. Unbalanced, asymmetrical images evoke a sense of uncertainty and discomfort. In thinking about balance in design, I usually look at the weight or size of the shapes which make up the images, and their spatial relationships to each other. However, I’m going to challenge myself to pay attention to the ways in which elements such as color and value can be used to create balanced or unbalanced images as well.

Intangibles

This is a challenging one for me…according to one definition on Dictionary.com, “intangible” means: “incapable of being perceived by the sense of touch, as incorporeal or immaterial things; impalpable.”

I suppose (related to design and branding) this could refer to the idea that a brand is made up of many things, and ultimately exists as an intangible, overall identity. This identity is influenced by the image in the brand, but also by the mission of the organization, the context within which that organization exists and operates, and by it’s reputations and history. A brand is not simply an image, but an image tied to many associations, which ultimately makes up something large and intangible, but something that is still very real in people’s minds.

Flexibility

I’m glad we discussed the idea of flexibility in our last class! This is not something that I had really considered when thinking about branding, but I’m sure it will prove to be very important. I kept this idea in mind as I searched through logos for the “Brand Awareness” project, and became acutely aware of which designs I felt translated well to different objects, backgrounds and sizes, and which didn’t. I found that, often, the brands which were most flexible were ones which could be condensed or broken into smaller parts, yet still be distinguishable, and still tie into the original logo. I look forward to experimenting with my own brand designs, and challenging myself to make images which are flexible.