Designing with Type

1. Designing with Type BIMM

2. Design Relationships • Concordant—occurs when you use only one type family, without much variety in style, size, weight, and so on. Very harmonious and sometimes dull.

3. Design Relationships • Conflicting—occurs when you combine typefaces that are similar in style, size, weight, and so on. Disturbing because the visual attractions are not the same nor different, so they conflict.

4. Design Relationships • Contrasting—occurs when you combine separate typefaces and elements that are clearly distinct from each other. Visually appealing and attracts attention. • The following slides discuss contrast in more detail.

5. Contrast • Not just for visual appeal • Must communicate message not confuse it • Contrasts must be combined to be effective • Similarities cause problems with combining typefaces

6. Type Contrasts • Size • Weight • Structure • Form • Direction • Color

7. Size • Fairly obvious: big type vs. little type • Must be an obvious difference • Avoid using ALL CAPS • Use size contrasts in unusual ways like on symbols (π), numbers (5), or ampersands (&)

8. Weight • Heavy weights vs. light weights • Refers to the thickness of the strokes • Effective way to organize information • Useful on gray pages to draw reader

9. Structure • Refers to how the typeface is built • Categories of type • Combine 2 different typefaces (structures) like serif and sans serif • Never put 2 typefaces from the same category on the same page

10. Form • Refers to the shape of the letter; for example: “G” is shaped different from “g”. It has a different form. • ALL CAPS vs. lowercase, regular vs. italic, ROMAN vs. italic • Avoid using All Caps, too rectangular and difficult to read • Never use script and italic together

11. Direction • Do not use slant as a direction for type often. • Mixing horizontal text and vertical (column) text is recommended • Use graphics or lines to emphasize or contrast the direction • Use of strong alignment emphasizes direction

12. Color • Warm colors (reds,oranges) come forward and command attention • Cool colors (blues,greens) recede from our eyes • Use less warm colors to create a contrast and more cool colors • Color contrasts can be achieved in black-and-white by using variances in weight, structure, form, space inside letters, space between letters, space between lines, or the size of type.

13. Combine the Contrasts Don’t be a Wimpwhen using contrast Name the problem, then you can create the solution.

14. Design your own page • Using Word, design a flyer advertising Rockwall-Heath High School. • Include: • Pictures of students, staff, activities, etc. • Departments • Awards • Activities & Extra-curricular happenings • ETC. • Use categories of type and elements of design

15. Critique RHHS Ad Name: ____________________ Elements used effectively: (circle all that apply) Size Weight Structure Form Direction Color Categories of Type: (circle response) Combined at least 2 different categories on the page yes no Name the types: ______________________________________ Combined 2 fonts from the same category yes no Name the category: ____________________________________