Design Blog 3: Typographica

Stephen Coles' article: http://typographica.org/on-typography/roboto-typeface-is-a-four-headed-frankenstein/

Before looking on the blog Typographica, I had only read approximately two or three articles/stories on typography. I have always appreciated the art as an observer with practically no knowledge of it until Visual Communication class. Now, I know a bit about serif, sans-serif and slab fonts, as well as some of the purposes they serve. Reading Stephen Coles’  Typographica article, “Roboto is a Four-headed Frankenfont,” taught me just how passionate typographers are about their work. Coles argues that the new typeface Google had created for high density displays looks terrible. To be completely honest, when I looked at the sample Coles provides, I was not disgusted by Roboto. I did not like it, but I did not loathe it. I felt that there is almost unlimited creativity in coming up with a new typeface, but I soon learned that thinking that is a mistake. Coles analyzes this new typeface and informs readers that it borrows design elements from a Grotesk sans and a Humanist sans. While he states that it is acceptable to combine these families, he claims that Roboto combines all the wrong elements from them to create a mish-mash of a typeface. There are unspoken rules in borrowing aspects of typeface families to make a new typeface. One must be diligent in his or her choices so that the combination is harmonious, not jarring or muddled. Google notes that the typeface was created for the high density display of a cell phone, so it may look different on that screen than that of a computer. I never realized that the device providing the medium for which the typeface is displayed can change the look of the letters and symbols. Now that smart phones are so common, typographers must be busy trying to make typefaces that look good on those screens. 

www.typographica.org

Design Blog 2: enpundit.com

The website enpundit.com has thousands of articles on art, design and technology. Its multifaceted selection of topics ensures that nearly everyone can find something pertaining to his/her interest. One article, “A Positive Light on Negative Space by Artist Tang Yau Hoong,” shows how the artist plays with the idea of negative space. Usually, I think of negative space as something that is empty, a part of the document or art piece that helps provide balance for the true design it surrounds or cuts through. However, Tang Yau Hoong’s artwork utilizes the negative space so that it becomes an apparent active part of the design. Many of his works feel almost like optical illusions; they provide two different worlds within the same piece.

http://enpundit.com/a-positive-light-on-negative-space-by-artist-tang-yau-hoong/

Another article I enjoyed is “Quite Possibly the Most Gorgeous Office Space Ever,” which includes photos of Urban Outfitters’ office space in Philadelphia. The article explores how the office strikes a balance between old and new, original and renovated. The exposed pipes and wooden beams in the ceiling contrast with the pops of bright color provided by the swivel desk chairs and couch pillows, which also lend softness. All of the industrial elements might seem cold, but they become interesting and beautiful when paired with natural elements of plants and water features. It reminds me of good feng shui principles, which call for a balance amongst all of the elements in order to maintain strong, flowing energy throughout the rooms. Even though it is an office, I would like to live there.

http://enpundit.com/quite-possibly-the-most-gorgeous-office-space-ever/ 

Design Blog 1: LogoDesignLove

While perusing the LogoDesignLove blog, the photo of Katona Jozsef Theatre’s design element instantly caught my attention. I love bright, clean, simple designs. The theatre’s business cards, papers and envelopes are all stark white with red quotation marks in the corners. My favorite color is red, and I loved how they paired such a brilliant, energizing color with the clean whiteness. Also, I think I was attracted to the quotation mark motif because I love quotes and book passages. I admired the photo amongst all the others, yet I had to click on it to learn more after reading its caption, which tells its audience that the quotation marks are designed after theatre masks. I did not see it on first glance, and I do not know if I would have noticed if I had not read that. However, this subtlety balances out the pop of color so that nothing screams at the viewer in a bad, glaringly obvious way. The theatre mask design has a clear connection to the company, yet the quotation marks might throw off many viewers. I believe they chose quotation marks to show that all these words - from the magazine article to the company letter to the theatre’s title on a business card - are mere snippets of its entirety, a small look at its whole being. One may even go so far as to say that the quotation marks can be metaphorically placed around each performance of the theatre, since one performance is just one small part of the millions of performances out there. The actors can only show us one slice of life each night. It may not create an impossible, all-encompassing “book” on theatre, but it makes for a damn good quote.

http://www.logodesignlove.com/katona-jozsef-theatre