9.30.2009

a garden of opportunity awaits!

My recent trip to the sweetest place on earth (otherwise known as Hershey, PA!) presented me with an abundance of childlike typography…I narrowed it down to these two which, by coincidence, are both logos for parts of the Hershey Gardens. The typeface used in the Butterfly Garden logo reminds me of a child’s handwriting, this is mostly because the letters are various sizes; the “f” is noticeably shorter than in other typefaces and it lines up with the height of the other letter. It makes for a very fun and interesting typeface to look at & explore. The color of the typography adds to the childlike feeling as do the colorful illustrations included within the name, it makes me think of the little doodles I used to create when I was younger…this example is unique, I think, because it uses illustrations with typography- this adds a new layer to the concept of typography as art- when type & illustrations are paired, they fuse together. It becomes one cohesive statement and in this case it has formed a logo for the butterfly house.

This “cutesy” logo for the Hershey Children’s Garden is childlike, literally, and besides that, I love how they’ve made the letterforms grow into little flowers and birdhouses. It brings the typography to life and once again it reminds me of an art class doodle. Clearly, this is an occasion when the audience has really been taken into consideration when creating the typography. This type does a great job of making something very child-friendly and inviting!

9.21.2009

say it with graffiti!...?

Graffiti is seen as a form of communication, it expresses attitudes, feelings and conveys messages to viewers…sounds just like typography, doesn’t it? Graffiti is words, it is a very public form of typography, and yes, it is sometimes considered vandalism and it can be offensive, but other times it may be commissioned and today we even see elements of graffiti that show up in design. I find this photo pretty cool because it shows the graffiti in context- a person is walking past it on a city street where you might find graffiti painted on the side of a building, I’m not too sure what it says…but nevertheless it’s colorful, very public and screams 'look at me!'--(which, you could say, isn't necessarily a bad trait in typography)...

Typefaces have been inspired by the unique letterforms of graffiti. While it can be considered typography because of its use of letters & words in several different aspects, there is an ongoing battle about whether or not graffiti should be considered art. it would definitely be fun to hear alternate opinions on graffiti in public as typography/art etc., feel free to comment!!

Typeface: Uomo DSk Chiseled Photograph:Graeme Robertson/Getty

9.11.2009

with aesthetics & purpose

Our written language is unique. Whether we realize it or not, typography- the good & the bad- plays an important role in the design of our daily life-- it is a crucial part of our communication today. From bowls to descenders, our letter forms are works of art. To say that words are elegant, bold and PlAyFuL is just the tip of the iceberg. Typography is created with the intent to grab our attention, evoke emotion and create movement.This blog exemplifies how, with aesthetics and purpose, typography can be seen as an art of its own.


Some unique typography sites:


www.fontstruct.com --- Fun activity for a rainy day! Once you sign up, (it's free, don't worry) this site provides you with a program to create your own font-- from A-Z, upper & lowercase, numbers & symbols. You can name your "fontstruct", save and download it!

www.typographer.de --- An interactive site that allows you to take part in their typography challenges and view other user's creations in the gallery. Test your skills & see how you compare!

www.typesites.com --- I thought this site could provide some good inspiration for our class...it showcases websites that involve interesting typographic designs. You can suggest sites that they should add too.

A blog or two that I find interesting:
www.ilovetypography.com
www.creativeroots.org