“Typefaces are to the written word what different dialects are to different languages.” - Steven Heller
Letterform was developed from spoken words into the alphabet we know today though pictograms and icons. A letterform is the shape of a letter which has characteristics to a certain typeface. Examples of these pictograms are the Egyptian Hieroglyphics which were carved into stone or the roman lettering which they chiselled into marble which created a serif typeface look. This types of letterforms are frozen letterform styles meaning they don’t change as they are a kind of alphabet. All these pictograms were also written by hand which I think is amazing as I would never be able to do that never mind into stone or marble.
The printing press or moveable type first came about in the 15th century. It was created as an easier and quicker way to produce written communication. It allowed people to share large amounts of written communication a lot quicker and evolved our society when it came to written communication. The printing press is where the expression “Mind your P’s and Q’s” as you have to print the letters upside down so the letter P and Q looked the exact same. To beable to print words, each letter was on a metal block, these metal blocks were stored on a typeface Wall. It is pretty much like a library but with letter press blocks.
In 1960, Helvetica was created as typeface that strips back typefaces as it is a san serif where before everyone used a lot of serif or fancy typefaces. The introduction of this stripped back the details and the fancy extra feeling of typefaces and kept them simpler.
A lot of people get typefaces and fonts confused thinking they are the same thing, even me. However a typeface communicates the message for someone when they are not present to hear the spoken words. They are a single set of letters which share the same style and features where a font is a certain size of a typeface. For example Helvetica is the typeface but Helvetica Bold is the font.
The tone of voice conveyed through written words is so important. It achieves a certain feeling for a reader through a specific typeface choice and normally aligns with the values of the brand, conveying the tone the brand wants to spread it information in. An example of this is the phrase “ I can see you!”, if you saw this in a fun, childish type you would think of peekaboo but if you saw it in a dark, sinister type you would think of a horror movie.
Another great example of how tone of voice impacts what you read is the type used for high end fashion brands. Each brand used to have a unique looking text logo which was distinctive to each brand and aligned with each brands values. Now they all look the same in black san serif letters which gives each brand no uniqueness and no distinctiveness.
We completed a task of a user persona to help us get a better understanding of how type is almost like a person in the way it is portrayed. My typeface was GT Bold. At first I found it really hard to think of ideas for it but once I started, I got lots of inspiration!
I learned a lot about how a typeface or specific font can really impact what a brand is trying to portray. Before this lecture I was not aware of this but I know understand how a specific typeface look of a brand aligns with their branding values and the message they are trying to portray. I am now able to apply this knowledge of what I have learned to my banking deliverable.
I want to learn more about why such big and well known luxury brand such as Balenciaga and Burberry are ditching their unique serif fonts for more sans serif fonts which make them all look the same and the impact this has on their brands.