Type 2 Journal
2 | Type 2 Journal
Alex Kolupaeva ITC Caslon 224 Std Eloquent JF Pro
This journal is comprised of a variety of lecture notes, readings, and projects that were done during Type 2 in Winter 2017. This is mostly a personal journal that contain entries and various pointers that I found interesting, or that would be helpful in the long run. Many of the entries here can be used as inspiration for me to strive to be a better designer. The project critiques can serve as a good introspection towards how I approach things in design.
3 | Type 2 Journal
Introduction
Wee 6 | Good Typography Notes 8 | Butterick’s Practical Typography: Typography in Ten Minutes, Summary of Key Rules, and Forward 10 | Exercise 1: Type Comparison
ek 1
Good Typography Notes 1–10
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Factors to consider when picking type:
Typeface proportions and weight
Audience
Length of text
Format for viewing
Context of the text
What makes a good hardworking typeface?
Do not fake small caps.
Real Small Caps Fake Small Caps Always check spelling. Fix rags when practical. Avoid widows and orphans.
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Good regular weight Robust proportions At least one bold weight Has an italic version Legible numbers Economy
Reading: Matthew's Butterick’s Practical Typography: Typography in Ten Minutes, Summary of Key Rules, and Forward 1–12 8 | Type 2 Journal | Week 1
Typography in 10 M
5 typography rules th make you a better typ
1.Typographic quality document is largely mined by how the b looks 2. Most common rang body text is 10-12 p web it is 15-25. 3. Line Spacing shoul 145% of the point s 4. Average line length 45-90 characters pe 5. Easiest way to impr typography is to ge sional font — ignore fault fonts
hat will pographer:
y of your y deterbody text
ge of print pt. On the
ld be 120size h should be er line. rove on et a profese the de-
Summary of Key Rules
Forward
5 More Rules on Typography:
5 Important points:
1.Use curly quotation marks,not straight ones 2. Use centered text sparingly 3. Never underline, unless it is a hyperlink 4. Always turn on hyphenation for justified text 5. Use the proper symbols for specific characters (ex. copyright ©, trademark ™, ellipses …, math symbols ×÷)
1.Type is the visual component of the written word. 2. Good typography is measured by how well it reinforces the meaning of text, not by some abstract scale of merit. 3. Type is “mechanized” writing — as opposed to writing by hand 4. Printed type does not exist without a relationship to the page it is presented on. 5. Typography is the arrangement of prefabricated elements on a page.
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Minutes
Exercise 1: Type Comparison
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1–12
Varying the types face has profound changes in the legibility of the text. Even though both typefaces are just as equally legible, Avenir Next is bigger, and works better with smaller sizes than Palatino. However, Avenir at 10pt is just too big for a print body text. Leading affects the readability of the text, as the ones with the 12/15 leading are more exhaustive to read. The best point size for the column width is 9 pt, but 8pt Avenir works fine. The best combination has to be Palatino at 9/13. The worst combination has to be Avenir Next at 10/13. The size is just too big for the column, making it harder to read. Also, the leading is a bit too tight for the size.
Serif
Sans Serif
Without typography, one could argue, messages will still be legible, but if one really wants to communicate rather than simply display a heap of alphanumeric data, some consideration would be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s first axiom of communication —“one cannot not communicate”— puts it very succinctly. If you fail to consider the effect of your message on the recipient, you may inadvertently communicate that you do not care how your message may be received.
Without typography, one could argue, messages will still be legible, but if one really wants to communicate rather than simply display a heap of alphanumeric data, some consideration would be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s first axiom of communication —“one cannot not communicate”—puts it very succinctly. If you fail to consider the effect of your message on the recipient, you may inadvertently communicate that you do not care how your message may be received.
Without typography, one could argue, messages will still be legible, but if one really wants to communicate rather than simply display a heap of alphanumeric data, some consideration would be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s first axiom of communication — “one cannot not communicate”— puts it very succinctly. If you fail to consider the effect of your message on the recipient, you may inadvertently communicate that you do not care how your message may be received. Palatino 9/12
Without typography, one could argue, messages will still be legible, but if one really wants to communicate rather than simply display a heap of alphanumeric data, some consideration would be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s first axiom of communication —“one cannot not communicate”— puts it very succinctly. If you fail to consider the effect of your message on the recipient, you may inadvertently communicate that you do not care how your message may be received. Palatino 9/14
Without typography, one could argue, messages will still be legible, but if one really wants to communicate rather than simply display a heap of alphanumeric data, some consideration would be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s first axiom of communication — “one cannot not communicate”— puts it very succinctly. If you fail to consider the effect of your message on the recipient, you may inadvertently communicate that you do not care how your message may be received. Palatino 9/15
Without typography, one could argue, messages will still be legible, but if one really wants to communicate rather than simply display a heap of alphanumeric data, some consideration would be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s first axiom of communication —“one cannot not communicate”— puts it very succinctly. If you fail to consider the effect of your message on the recipient, you may inadvertently communicate that you do not care how your message may be received. Palatino 8/13
Without typography, one could argue, messages will still be legible, but if one really wants to communicate rather than simply display a heap of alphanumeric data, some consideration would be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s first axiom of communication — “one cannot not communicate”— puts it very succinctly. If you fail to consider the effect of your message on the recipient, you may inadvertently communicate that you do not care how your message may be received. Palatino 10/13
Alex Kolupaeva
Avenir next 9/13
Without typography, one could argue, messages will still be legible, but if one really wants to communicate rather than simply display a heap of alphanumeric data, some consideration would be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s first axiom of communication — “one cannot not communicate”— puts it very succinctly. If you fail to consider the effect of your message on the recipient, you may inadvertently communicate that you do not care how your message may be received. Avenir next 9/12
Without typography, one could argue, messages will
still be legible, but if one really wants to communicate
rather than simply display a heap of alphanumeric data,
some consideration would be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s first axiom of communication —“one cannot not commu-
nicate”— puts it very succinctly. If you fail to consider the effect of your message on the recipient, you may inadvertently communicate that you do not care how your message may be received. Avenir next 9/14
Without typography, one could argue, messages will still be legible, but if one really wants to communicate rather than simply display a heap of alphanumeric data, some consideration would be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s first axiom of communication — “one cannot not communicate”— puts it very succinctly. If you fail to consider the effect of your message on the recipient, you may inadvertently communicate that you do not care how your message may be received. Avenir next 9/15
Without typography, one could argue, messages will still be legible, but if one really wants to communicate rather than simply display a heap of alphanumeric data, some consideration would be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s first axiom of communication —“one cannot not communicate”— puts it very succinctly. If you fail to consider the effect of your message on the recipient, you may inadvertently communicate that you do not care how your message may be received. Avenir next 8/13
Without typography, one could argue, messages will still be legible, but if one really wants to communicate rather than simply display a heap of alphanumeric data, some consideration would be helpful. Paul Watzlawick’s first axiom of communication —“one cannot not communicate”—puts it very succinctly. If you fail to consider the effect of your message on the recipient, you may inadvertently communicate that you do not care how your message may be received. Avenir next 10/13
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Palatino 9/13
Wee 14 | Butterick’s Practical Typography: Why Typography Matters 16 | Project 1: Quotes n Typography
ek 2
Reading: Matthew Butterick's Practical Typography: Why Typography Matters 1–17
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Why is the design of the bu ballot problematic?
The butterfly ballot is probl because it causes confusion readers. It is hard to tell wh dot corresponds to which ca date. The information is cra and hard to distinguish, esp if you have poor eyesight. T is detrimental, especially to elderly. The condensed text not help. Also, the fact that information is presented in right pattern only adds towa confusing this layout is.
In what ways is Trixie’s resumé better than Violets?
lematic n to the hich andiamped pecially That o the t does the a leftard how
Trixie’s is better than Violet’s because Trixie did not use a default resume template that Word provides. Trixie’s resume is better because the information is grouped more closely, making it an easier read. It also did not have gray bars that distracts you from the important information.
What is the main argument in Beatrice Warde’s essay “The Crystal Goblet”? Why does Matthew Butterick disagree with this? The main argument in “The Crystal Goblet” is that typography should be invisible and unimposing. The content is what should speak to the reader. Typography should be the crystal goblet that hold the wine of text. Butterick disagrees with the metaphor and finds it not applicable to typography in general. He argues typography is the thing that gives meaning to the words, and how you present the words is just as important as the substance of them. The metaphor he gives is that typography is the balloon than holds the helium of words.
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utterfly
Project 1: Quotes on Typography
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1–19 The goals for this project are to have five quotes relating to typography. The quotes should be cited properly. It must include the author, the publication, the year, and the page number if applicable. There should be two typeface families, and one accent color (tinted versions are acceptable). Only type should be used, however type characters can be used as graphic elements. Composition, hierarchy, and attention to detail are all elements that should be looked out for. In my original, I went for a portrait layout so I would have more vertical space to work with. I went for an orange color because it is warm, inviting, and an easier read than yellow. The numbers were there to add some visual interest. The biggest challenge I faced with this project is having ample space for my text. While doing this project, I felt limited in regard to my composition as I had too much text that was too big. Also, there was nothing in my original that grabs the reader’s attention;it was boring. There was no negative space in the composition that would add visual interest.
Quotes on
Typography 1
“Each letter is a shape unto itself, a shape that may serve as an illustration, as an icon, as a vessel, or as a graphic focal point, apart from its meaning as an alphabetic unit.” ina saltz typography essentials : 100 design principles for working with type 2009 pg. 8
kirstin cullen design elements, typography fundamentals : a graphic style manual for understanding how typography Affects design 2012 pg. 104
3
“On my career path I learned to understand that beauty and readability — and up to a certain point, banality — are close bedfellows: the best typeface is the one that impinges least on the reader’s consciousness, becoming the sole tool that communicates the meaning of the writer to the understanding of the reader.” adrian frutiger adrian frutiger – typefaces : the complete works by heidrun osterer, philipp stamm, and swiss foundation type and typography 2009 pg. 7
4
“Graphic designers use rhetoric on a daily basis when they craft an advertising campaign to attract consumers, and use an appropriate visual style to speak to their audience.” jason tselentis type form and function: a handbook on the fundamentals of typography 2011 page 134
5
"One of the best methods to decide which typeface to use is to have a clear understanding of its application. Will the type by digital or in print? Will it require a range of weights and postures? If it requires a variety of fractions and numerals, does the typeface have a complete set of OpenType options for numbers? While every typeface has a distinct look and fell, its application ultimately decimates its usefulness.” jason tselentis, allan haley, and richard poulin typography, referenced : a comprehensive visual guide to the language, history, and practice of typography 2012 pg. 212
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2
“Hierarchy is inherent to typesetting. Start with text when defining hierarchy. Map out by noting the quantity and variety, Rank text by importance. This defines what viewers see first, second, third, and so on.”
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In my revision, I decided to change the layout completely. Instead of portrait, I switched my orientation to landscape so I would have more left and right space in my composition. I decreased the body text size of my quotes, so that I would have more negative space. Some of the quotes were also slimmed down in order to allow for more space. The accent color was used in the background in order to add visual interest; same with the added characters as graphic elements. I also got rid of highlighted text in my quotes. Finally, I changed the title to “Typography” as Quotes on Typography felt dry.
“Typo
«
“Graphic designers use craft an advertising c use an appropriate vi
jason tselentis type fundamentals of ty
“Hierarchy is inherent ing hierarchy. Map ou text by importance. T third, and so on.”
kirstin cullen desig a graphic style man Affects design 2012
“One of the best metho have a clear understa digital or in print? … W and fell, its applicatio
jason tselentis, all referenced : a comp history, and practic
“On my career path I learned to understand that beauty and readability — and up to a certain point, banality — are close bedfellows: the best typeface is the one that impinges least on the reader’s consciousness, becoming the sole tool that communicates the meaning of the writer to the understanding of the reader.”
e rhetoric on a daily basis when they campaign to attract consumers, and isual style to speak to their audience.”
e form and function: a handbook on the ypography 2011 page 134
to typesetting. Start with text when definut by noting the quantity and variety, Rank This defines what viewers see first, second,
gn elements, typography fundamentals : nual for understanding how typography 2 pg. 104
ods to decide which typeface to use is to anding of its application. Will the type by While every typeface has a distinct look on ultimately decimates its usefulness.”
an haley, and richard poulin typography, prehensive visual guide to the language, ce of typography 2012 pg. 212
︸
»
adrian frutiger adrian frutiger – typefaces : the complete works by heidrun osterer, philipp stamm, and swiss foundation type and typography 2009 pg. 7
“Each letter is a shape unto itself, a shape that may serve as an illustration, as an icon, as a vessel, or as a graphic focal point, apart from its meaning as an alphabetic unit.”
︷
ina saltz typography essentials : 100 design principles for working with type 2009 pg. 8
19 | Type 2 Journal | Week 2
ography”
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“Typography « “Graphic designers use rhetoric on a daily basis when they craft an advertising campaign to attract consumers, and use an appropriate visual style to speak to their audience.” JASON TSELENTIS TYPE FORM AND FUNCTION: A HANDBOOK ON THE FUNDAMENTALS OF TYPOGRAPHY 2011 PG. 134
“Hierarchy is inherent to typesetting. Start with text when defining hierarchy. Map out by noting the quantity and variety, Rank text by importance. This defines what viewers see fi rst, second, third, and so on.” KIRSTIN CULLEN DESIGN ELEMENTS, TYPOGRAPHY FUNDAMENTALS : A GRAPHIC STYLE MANUAL FOR UNDERSTANDING HOW TYPOGRAPHY AFFECTS DESIGN 2012 PG. 104
“One of the best methods to decide which typeface to use is to have a clear understanding of its application. Will the type be digital or in print? … While every typeface has a distinct look and feel, its application ultimately decimates its usefulness.” JASON TSELENTIS, ALLAN HALEY, AND RICHARD POULIN TYPOGRAPHY, REFERENCED : A COMPREHENSIVE VISUAL GUIDE TO THE LANGUAGE, HISTORY, AND PRACTICE OF TYPOGRAPHY 2012 PG. 212
»
ADRIAN FRUTIGER ADRIAN FRUTIGER – TYPEFACES : THE COMPLETE WORKS BY HEIDRUN OSTERER, PHILIPP STAMM, AND SWISS FOUNDATION TYPE AND TYPOGRAPHY 2009 PG. 7
“Each letter is a shape unto itself, a shape that may serve as an illustration, as an icon, as a vessel, or as a graphic focal point, apart from its meaning as an alphabetic unit.” INA SALTZ TYPOGRAPHY ESSENTIALS : 100 DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR WORKING WITH TYPE 2009 PG. 8
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“On my career path I learned to understand that beauty and readability — and up to a certain point, banality — are close bedfellows: the best typeface is the one that impinges least on the reader’s consciousness, becoming the sole tool that communicates the meaning of the writer to the understanding of the reader.”
{
»
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y”
Wee 24 | Butterick’s Practical Typography: Type Composition 25 | Butterick’s Practical Typography: Text Formatting 26 | Factors to Consider and Fonts
ek 3
Reading: Matthew Butterick’s Practical Typography: Type Composition
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1–24
What are three new things you learned from the chapter on type composition? 1. Straight/Curly Quotes — and the reason for why straight quotes exist 2. The different rules in regards to which direction should the apostrophe should face 3. The origin of adding two spaces after a sentence.
Do you think you will use any of the keyboard combinations you learned to create different symbols? I think that I will use some of these keyboard shortcuts, but not all of them. I already use the shortcuts for the different dashes, but for things like trademark and math symbols I’ll probably stick to the glyphs panel out of habit and bad memory.
Reading: Matthew Butterick’s Practical Typography: Text Formatting
Underlining Don’t underline ever. It makes your document harder to read. Monospaced Fonts Generally don’t use them as they are harder to read than proportional ones, or at least don’t use Courier New. System Fonts Many of them are not good, have been optimized for web only, and all are overexposed. Bold or Italic Make them mutually exclusive and use it as little as possible. All-caps Best used sparingly. Don’t capitalize whole paragraphs. Headings Less is more. Too many levels of headings will create confusion Letterspacing Add 5-12% extra space with caps.
Kerning Should always be on. Ordinals Superscripted ordinals are hard to read. Best to avoid them. Web & Email Addresses Don’t print the whole address. Web Addresses shouldn’t be hyphenated Small Caps Don’t use fake small caps Hierarchal Headings Use Numeral Headings Mixing Fonts Never a requirement. Rule of diminishing returns applies. Most successful when each font has a consistent role in the document. Restrict yourself to one per paragraph.
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1–26
Factors to Consider and Fonts 1–26
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Technical factors to consider when picking a typeface: Does it have full character set? Does it have foreign characters and glyphs? Does it have multiple styles? Does it have OpenType? Is it a web font?
Always read the license when you download a font.
Sites where you can get fonts.
House Industries
fonts.com
Lost Type Co-op
Google Fonts
Font Squirrel
Fontspring
MyFonts
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The League of Moveable Type
Wee 30 | Project 2: A Dialogue 36 | Butterick's Practical Typography: Page Layout 37 | “Family planning, or how type families work” by Peter Bil’ak 38 | InDesign Styles
ek 4
Project 2: A Dialogue 1–31
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The goals for this project is to create a sense of dialogue between the two people. Another important element of this project is to create an interesting composition using the text and visual elements of your own creation. For my solution, I’ve decided to go for the “slaying the dragon” motif that the interview alluded to. Instead of drawing a faceless hero, or a sword slaying a dragon, I’ve incorporated the text as the visual element. The words themselves are the things that slay the dragon within. I want to keep it flat and stylized so that it doesn’t take attention away from the sword, the more important element in the composition. The more geometric style was inspired by the medieval illustrations of dragons with all of their wormy essence.
The
Cage
Within
Interview between Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell
“ The ultimate dragon is within you, it is your ego claming you down.” Moyers: Why are there so many stories of the hero in mythology? Campbell: Because that’s what’s worth writing about. Even in popular novels, the main character is a hero or heroine who has found or done something beyond the normal range of achievement and experience. A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. Moyers: So in all of these cultures, whatever the local costume the hero might be wearing, what is the deed? Campbell: Well, there are two types of deed. One is the physical deed, in which the hero performs a courageous act in battle or saves a life. The other kind is the spiritual deed, in which the hero learns to experience the supernormal range of human spiritual life and then comes back with a message.
Campbell: There’s a certain type of myth which one might call the vision quest, going in quest of a boon, a vision, which has the same form in every mythology. That is the thing that I tried to present in the first book I wrote, The Hero With a Thousand Faces. All these different mythologies give us the same essential quest. You leave the world that you’re in and go into a depth or into a distance or up to a height. There you come to what was missing in your consciousness in the world you formerly inhabited. Then comes the problem either of staying with that, and letting the world drop off, or returning with that boon and trying to hold on to it as you move back into your social world again. Moyers: How do I slay that dragon in me? What’s the journey each of us has to make, what you call “the soul’s high adventure”? Campbell: My general formula for my students is “Follow your bliss.” Find where it is, and don’t be afraid to follow it. Moyers: Is it my work or my life? Campbell: If the work that you’re doing is the work that you chose to do because you are enjoying it, that’s it. But if you think, “Oh, no! I couldn’t do that!” that’s the dragon locking you in. “No, no, I couldn’t be a writer,” or “No, no, I couldn’t possibly do what So-and-so is doing.” Moyers: When I take that journey and go down there and slay those dragons, do I have to go alone? Campbell: If you have someone who can help you, that’s fine, too. But, ultimately, the last deed has to be done by oneself. Psychologically, the dragon is one’s own binding of oneself to one’s ego. We’re captured in our own dragon cage. The problem of the psychiatrist is to disintegrate that dragon, break him up, so that you may expand to a larger field of relationships. The ultimate dragon is within you, it is your ego clamping you down. Moyers: I like what you say about the old myth of Theseus and Ariadne. Theseus says to Ariadne, “I’ll love you forever if you can show me a way to come out of the labyrinth.” So she gives him a ball of string, which he unwinds as he goes into the labyrinth, and then follows to find the way out. You say, “All he had was the string. That’s all you need.” Campbell: That’s all you need —an Ariadne thread. Moyers: Sometimes we look for great wealth to save us, a great power to save us, or great ideas to save us, when all we need is that piece of string. Campbell: That’s not always easy to find. But it’s nice to have someone who can give you a clue. That’s the teacher’s job, to help you find your Ariadne thread. Moyers: Like all heroes, the Buddha doesn’t show you the truth itself, he shows you the way to truth. Campbell: But it’s got to be your way, not his. The Buddha can’t tell you exactly how to get rid of your particular fears, for example. Different teachers may suggest exercises, but they may not be the ones to work for you. All a teacher can do is suggest. He is like a lighthouse that says, “There are rocks over here, steer clear. There is a channel, however, out there”. Moyers: In all of these journeys of mythology, there’s a place everyone wishes to find. The Buddhists talk of Nirvana, and Jesus talks of peace, of the mansion with many rooms. Is that typical of the hero’s journey — that there’s a place to find? Campbell: The place to find is within yourself. I learned a little about this in athletics. The athlete who is in top form has a quiet place within himself, and it’s around this, somehow, that his action occurs … There’s a center of quietness within, which has to be known and held. If you lose that center, you are in tension and begin to fall apart.
31 | Type 2 Journal | Week 4
Moyers: Does your study of mythology lead you to conclude that a single human quest, a standard pattern of human aspiration and thought, constitutes for all mankind something that we have in common, whether we lived a million years ago or will live a thousand years from now?
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Process
Th Wi Interview betw
ween Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell
Campbell: Because that’s what’s worth writing about. Even in popular novels, the main character is a hero or heroine who has found or done something beyond the normal range of achievement and experience. A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. Moyers: So in all of these cultures, whatever the local costume the hero might be wearing, what is the deed? Campbell: Well, there are two types of deed. One is the physical deed, in which the hero performs a courageous act in battle or saves a life. The other kind is the spiritual deed, in which the hero learns to experience the supernormal range of human spiritual life and then comes back with a message. Moyers: Does your study of mythology lead you to conclude that a single human quest, a standard pattern of human aspiration and thought, constitutes for all mankind something that we have in common, whether we lived a million years ago or will live a thousand years from now? Campbell: There’s a certain type of myth which one might call the vision quest, going in quest of a boon, a vision, which has the same form in every mythology. That is the thing that I tried to present in the first book I wrote, The Hero With a Thousand Faces. All these different mythologies give us the same essential quest. You leave the world that you’re in and go into a depth or into a distance or up to a height. There you come to what was missing in your consciousness in the world you formerly inhabited. Then comes the problem either of staying with that, and letting the world drop off, or returning with that boon and trying to hold on to it as you move back into your social world again. Moyers: How do I slay that dragon in me? What’s the journey each of us has to make, what you call “the soul’s high adventure”? Campbell: My general formula for my students is “Follow your bliss.” Find where it is, and don’t be afraid to follow it. Moyers: Is it my work or my life? Campbell: If the work that you’re doing is the work that you chose to do because you are enjoying it, that’s it. But if you think, “Oh, no! I couldn’t do that!” that’s the dragon locking you in. “No, no, I couldn’t be a writer,” or “No, no, I couldn’t possibly do what So-and-so is doing.”
“The ultimate dragon is within you, it is your ego claming you down.” Moyers: When I take that journey and go down there and slay those dragons, do I have to go alone? Campbell: If you have someone who can help you, that’s fine, too. But, ultimately, the last deed has to be done by oneself. Psychologically, the dragon is one’s own binding of oneself to one’s ego. We’re captured in our own dragon cage. The problem of the psychiatrist is to disintegrate that dragon, break him up, so that you may expand to a larger field of relationships. The ultimate dragon is within you, it is your ego clamping you down. Moyers: I like what you say about the old myth of Theseus and Ariadne. Theseus says to Ariadne, “I’ll love you forever if you can show me a way to come out of the labyrinth.” So she gives him a ball of string, which he unwinds as he goes into the labyrinth, and then follows to find the way out. You say, “All he had was the string. That’s all you need.” Campbell: That’s all you need—an Ariadne thread. Moyers: Sometimes we look for great wealth to save us, a great power to save us, or great ideas to save us, when all we need is that piece of string. Campbell: That’s not always easy to find. But it’s nice to have someone who can give you a clue. That’s the teacher’s job, to help you find your Ariadne thread. Moyers: Like all heroes, the Buddha doesn’t show you the truth itself, he shows you the way to truth. Campbell: But it’s got to be your way, not his. The Buddha can’t tell you exactly how to get rid of your particular fears, for example. Different teachers may suggest exercises, but they may not be the ones to work for you. All a teacher can do is suggest. He is like a lighthouse that says, “There are rocks over here, steer clear. There is a channel, however, out there”. Moyers: In all of these journeys of mythology, there’s a place everyone wishes to find. The Buddhists talk of Nirvana, and Jesus talks of peace, of the mansion with many rooms. Is that typical of the hero’s journey — that there’s a place to find? Campbell: The place to find is within yourself. I learned a little about this in athletics. The athlete who is in top form has a quiet place within himself, and it’s around this, somehow, that his action occurs … There’s a center of quietness within, which has to be known and held. If you lose that center, you are in tension and begin to fall apart.
33 | Type 2 Journal | Week 4
he Cage ithin
Moyers: Why are there so many stories of the hero in mythology?
The
34 | Type 2 Journal | Week 4
Cage
Within
Interview between Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell
“ The ultimate dragon is within you, it is your ego claming you down.” Moyers: Why are there so many stories of the hero in mythology? Campbell: Because that’s what’s worth writing about. Even in popular novels, the main character is a hero or heroine who has found or done something beyond the normal range of achievement and experience. A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself. Moyers: So in all of these cultures, whatever the local costume the hero might be wearing, what is the deed? Campbell: Well, there are two types of deed. One is the physical deed, in which the hero performs a courageous act in battle or saves a life. The other kind is the spiritual deed, in which the hero learns to experience the supernormal range of human spiritual life and then comes back with a message. Moyers: Does your study of mythology lead you to conclude that a single human quest, a standard pattern of human aspiration and thought, constitutes for all mankind something that we have in common, whether we lived a million years ago or will live a thousand years from now? Campbell: There’s a certain type of myth which one might call the vision quest, going in quest of a boon, a vision, which has the same form in every mythology. That is the thing that I tried to present in the first book I wrote, The Hero With a Thousand Faces. All these different mythologies give us the same essential quest. You leave the world that you’re in and go into a depth or into a distance or up to a height. There you come to what was missing in your consciousness in the world you formerly inhabited. Then comes the problem either of staying with that, and letting the world drop off, or returning with that boon and trying to hold on to it as you move back into your social world again. Moyers: How do I slay that dragon in me? What’s the journey each of us has to make, what you call “the soul’s high adventure”? Campbell: My general formula for my students is “Follow your bliss.” Find where it is, and don’t be afraid to follow it. Moyers: Is it my work or my life?
the same form in every mythology. That is the thing that I tried to present in the first book I wrote, The Hero With a Thousand Faces. All these different mythologies give us the same essential quest. You leave the world that you’re in and go into a depth or into a distance or up to a height. There you come to what was missing in your consciousness in the world you formerly inhabited. Then comes the problem either of staying with that, and letting the world drop off, or returning with that boon and trying to hold on to it as you move back into your social world again. Moyers: How do I slay that dragon in me? What’s the journey each of us has to make, what you call “the soul’s high adventure”? Campbell: My general formula for my students is “Follow your bliss.” Find where it is, and don’t be afraid to follow it. Moyers: Is it my work or my life? Campbell: If the work that you’re doing is the work that you chose to do because you are enjoying it, that’s it. But if you think, “Oh, no! I couldn’t do that!” that’s the dragon locking you in. “No, no, I couldn’t be a writer,” or “No, no, I couldn’t possibly do what So-and-so is doing.” Moyers: When I take that journey and go down there and slay those dragons, do I have to go alone? Campbell: If you have someone who can help you, that’s fine, too. But, ultimately, the last deed has to be done by oneself. Psychologically, the dragon is one’s own binding of oneself to one’s ego. We’re captured in our own dragon cage. The problem of the psychiatrist is to disintegrate that dragon, break him up, so that you may expand to a larger field of relationships. The ultimate dragon is within you, it is your ego clamping you down. Moyers: I like what you say about the old myth of Theseus and Ariadne. Theseus says to Ariadne, “I’ll love you forever if you can show me a way to come out of the labyrinth.” So she gives him a ball of string, which he unwinds as he goes into the labyrinth, and then follows to find the way out. You say, “All he had was the string. That’s all you need.”
Moyers: Sometimes we look for great wealth to save us, a great power to save us, or great ideas to save us, when all we need is that piece of string. Campbell: That’s not always easy to find. But it’s nice to have someone who can give you a clue. That’s the teacher’s job, to help you find your Ariadne thread. Moyers: Like all heroes, the Buddha doesn’t show you the truth itself, he shows you the way to truth. Campbell: But it’s got to be your way, not his. The Buddha can’t tell you exactly how to get rid of your particular fears, for example. Different teachers may suggest exercises, but they may not be the ones to work for you. All a teacher can do is suggest. He is like a lighthouse that says, “There are rocks over here, steer clear. There is a channel, however, out there”. Moyers: In all of these journeys of mythology, there’s a place everyone wishes to find. The Buddhists talk of Nirvana, and Jesus talks of peace, of the mansion with many rooms. Is that typical of the hero’s journey — that there’s a place to find? Campbell: The place to find is within yourself. I learned a little about this in athletics. The athlete who is in top form has a quiet place within himself, and it’s around this, somehow, that his action occurs … There’s a center of quietness within, which has to be known and held. If you lose that center, you are in tension and begin to fall apart.
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Campbell: That’s all you need —an Ariadne thread.
Reading: Matthew Butterick’s Practical Typography: Page Layout 1–31
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Tips for Effective Page Layout Design body text first Divide page into foreground and background Make adjustments with the smallest visible increments Be consistent Keep it simple Imitate what you like Don’t fear white space Page Layout Rules Use your eyes to check indents (must be proportional to type size) Avoid using tabs Don’t use indent and space between together
Leading Figure out body text size and leading first. No auto leading Line length If it is too long, it would be hard to follow Margins make impact Bigger margins can make the text more approachable Paragraph Styles Use them
Reading: “Family planning, or how type families work” by Peter Bil’ak
Where type-faces come form and their innovations: 1500’s — Typefaces have always included versions cut for specific point sizes. 1737 — Pierre Simon Fournier published a table of graded sizes of printing types, introducing the first-ever standardized system for producing and using type. First introduction of the point system. Mid 1800’s — Varying the weight of the typeface became popular. Clarendon type (1842), is one of the first bold typefaces.
Early 1900’s — It became standard practice to include several weights to a typeface. 1932 — Incorporation of two different styles of the typeface into one family was explored. Jan Van Krimpen with his Romulus project. Later 1900’s — Adrian Frutiger shifted attention from designing a single typeface to designing a complete typeface system. Univers has a numeric system of weights.
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2–2
InDesign Styles 2–2
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Always Use Styles Paragraph Styles
Character Styles
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More limited than paragraph styles Used to style specific thing in paragraph
Table and Cell Styles Defines the outside border of table Styles dividing lines Adds color Use one or the other
Wee 42 | Using Layout Grids Effectively, Designers Insights “Typographica Mea Culpa, Unethical Downloading” by Steven Heller 43 | “My Type Design Philosophy” by Martin Majoor
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Reading: Using Layout Grids Effectively, Designers Insights and “Typographica Mea Culpa, Unethical Downloading” by Steven Heller 42 | Type 2 Journal | Week 5
2–7
Using Layout Grids Effectively Use a grid to create a consistent look with all of your pages Adjust the grid for your binding type Rule of thirds & golden ratio Easiest way to break a grid is to add an element that isn’t rectangular - makes the composition interesting
Typographica Mea Culpa, Unethical Downloading Many designers ignore type licenses and share fonts It is easy to get fonts without paying for them Licenses point out the limitations of type
Reading: “My Type Design Philosophy” by Martin Majoor
Type Designers must know how type works in a piece of text. They must know how typeface behaves with different printing techniques. History of sans serif typefaces First sans serif typeface was publish in 1816 Akzidenz Grotesk - 1898 Display type 1928 Futura Not based on Akzidenz Grotesk Inspired by Bahaus 1957 Univers Based on Akzidenz Grotesk Has scientific system of weights and widths that could be mixed perfectly
Redesigning an old typeface is something a type designer should maybe never consider. How you pair serif and sans serif together Designed from the same basis Have the same skeleton “Shake hands and work together in harmony”
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2–9
Wee 46 | “A View of Latin A View of Latin Typography in Relationship to the World” by Peter Bil’ak 47 | Project 3: Elements of Style Booklet
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Reading: “A View of Latin Typography in Relationship to the World” by Peter Bil’ak
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2–14
Typography as a field has a Euro-centric bias — Latin typography Many books don’t bother explaining the existence of non-Latin typography Many name has western European origin Development of Unicode and Opentype has made room for designers to look at non-Lain typography Last decade more Greek fonts were created than in the last century Number of native English speakers is less than native Hindi and Arabic
Project 3: Elements of Style Booklet 2–16
In this project, the goal was to stylize a section of the Elements of Style book. You were limited to 2 typefaces and could only use one color on the cover page. Some of the things to look out for is proper layout;making sure you have a title page, making sure you have a footer, having the number of pages divisible by 4, dividing the sections in a coherent manner, having the body text be easy to read, and having good margins. Section 2 was the most text and table heavy section, which was the section's biggest challenge.
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Part 1
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Section 2
ElEmEntary principlEs of composition
9.
Make the paragraph the unit of coMposition: one paragraph to each topic. If the subject on which you are writing is of slight extent, or if you intend to treat it very briefly, there may be no need of subdividing it into topics. Thus a brief description, a brief summary of a literary work, a brief account of a single incident, a narrative merely outlining an action, the setting forth of a single idea, any one of these is best written in a single paragraph. After the paragraph has been written, it should be examined to see whether subdivision will not improve it.
6
Elements of Style | Section 2
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Ordinarily, however, a subject requires subdivision into topics, each of which should be made the subject of a paragraph. The object of treating each topic in a paragraph by itself is, of course, to aid the reader. The beginning of each paragraph is a signal to him that a new step in the development of the subject has been reached.
7
William Strunk, Jr.
the elementS of Style Section
2
elementary PrinciPleS of comPoSition
New York 1918
2
3
Part 2
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The second part of this project is getting together as a group and creating a consistent layout for all four sections. The same rules apply as they did in part one. The same challenges that were presented in part 1 still persisted. The biggest one was layout, as every person worked with a different amount on text. Another minor challenge was attention to detail; reading the text carefully and making sure proper things were italicized and making sure the examples match the text description. It is easy to just look at the general layout of the spread while ignoring the little things that will hinder your design.
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INTRODUCTION
This book is intended for use in English courses in which the practice of composition is combined with the study of literature. It aims to give in brief space the principal requirements of plain English style. It aims to lighten the task of instructor and student by concentrating attention (in Chapters II and III) on a few essentials, the rules of usage and principles of composition most commonly violated. The numbers of the sections may be used as references in correcting manuscript. The book covers only a small portion of the field of English style, but the experience of its writer has been that once past the essentials, students profit most by individual instruction based on the problems of their own work, and that each instructor has his own body of theory, which he prefers to that offered by any textbook. The writer’s colleagues in the Department of English in Cornell University have greatly helped him in the preparation of his manuscript. Mr. George McLane Wood has kindly consented to the inclusion under Rule
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11 of some material from his Suggestions to Authors.
The Elements of Style
3
A report on a poem, written for a class in literature, might consist of
09
MAKE THE PARAGRAPH THE UNIT OF COMPOSITION: ONE PARAGRAPH TO EACH TOPIC.
seven paragraphs: A. Facts of composition and publication. B. Kind of poem; metrical form. C. Subject. D. Treatment of subject. E. For what chiefly remarkable. F. Wherein characteristic of the writer. G. Relationship to other works. The contents of paragraphs C and D would vary with the poem. Usually, paragraph C would indicate the actual or imagined circumstances of the
If the subject on which you are writing is of slight extent, or if you intend
poem (the situation), if these call for explanation, and would then state
to treat it very briefly, there may be no need of subdividing it into top-
the subject and outline its development. If the poem is a narrative in
ics. Thus a brief description, a brief summary of a literary work, a brief
the third person throughout, paragraph C need contain no more than a
account of a single incident, a narrative merely outlining an action, the
concise summary of the action. Paragraph D would indicate the leading
setting forth of a single idea, any one of these is best written in a single
ideas and show how they are made prominent, or would indicate what
paragraph. After the paragraph has been written, it should be examined
points in the narrative are chiefly emphasized.
to see whether subdivision will not improve it.
A novel might be discussed under the heads:
Ordinarily, however, a subject requires subdivision into topics, each of which should be made the subject of a paragraph. The object of treat-
A. Setting.
ing each topic in a paragraph by itself is, of course, to aid the reader.
B. Plot.
The beginning of each paragraph is a signal to him that a new step in
C. Characters.
the development of the subject has been reached. The extent of subdivision will vary with the length of the composition.
D. Purpose.
For example, a short notice of a book or poem might consist of a single paragraph. One slightly longer might consist of two paragraphs: A. Account of the work. B. Critical discussion.
6
The Elements of Style // Section 02
Section 02 // The Elements of Style
7
THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE WILLIAM STRUNK, JR.
New York 1918
The following books are recommended for reference or further study: in connection with Chapters II and IV, F. Howard Collins, Author and Printer (Henry Frowde); Chicago University Press, Manual of Style; T. L. De Vinne Correct Composition (The Century Company); Horace Hart, Rules for Compositors and Printers (Oxford University Press); George McLane Wood, Extracts from the Style-Book of the Government Printing Office (United States Geological Survey); in connection with Chapters III and V, Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch, The Art of Writing (Putnams), especially the chapter, Interlude on Jargon; George McLane Wood, Suggestions to Authors (United States Geological Survey); John Leslie Hall, English Usage (Scott, Foresman and Co.); James P. Kelly, Workmanship in Words (Little, Brown and Co.). It is an old observation that the best writers sometimes disregard the rules of rhetoric. When they do so, however, the reader will usually find in the sentence some compensating merit, attained at the cost of the violation. Unless he is certain of doing as well, he will probably do best to follow the rules. After he has learned, by their guidance, to write plain English adequate for everyday uses, let him look, for the secrets of style, to the study of the masters of literature
4
The Elements of Style
SECTION 02
Elementary Principles of Composition
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SECTION 02 Elementary Principles of Composition
Wee 56 | “Lava — Voice of a Magazine” by Peter Bil’ak 57 | The First Thing I Ever Designed: Elena Schenker and “Gratuitous Type” Magazine
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Reading: “Lava —Voice of a Magazine” by Peter Bil’ak 2–22
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Key Points: Creator wanted to have a typeface that is the voice of Works That Work — confident to not show off, but also comfortable Lava was designed to work on both print and screen and perform optimally in both high and low resolution environments Was designed for magazine use but far transcends its original application
Reading: The First Thing I Ever Designed: Elena Schenket and “Gratuitous Type Magazine 2–22
Magazines have become key portfolio pieces for young designers Many designers are attracted to big type Let the design evolve Magazines are a big investment A great magazine as a portfolio piece can attract many clients It is important to trust yourself in your own abilities
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Key Points:
Wee 60 | “Eric Gill got it wrong; a re-evaluation of Gill Sans” by Ben Archer 61 | “Beauty and Ugliness in Type design” by Peter Bil’ak 62 | Type on Screen
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Reading: “Eric Gill got it wrong; a re-evaluation of Gill Sans” by Ben Archer 2–28
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Some critiques on Gill Sans: Gill Sans is the Helvetica in England — completely ubiquitous and omnipresent Gill Sans was based off of Johnson — a typeface that the author argues is superior to Gill Sans There is no distinction between 1, l, I in Gill Sans There shape of the ‘g’ completely changes in the Ultra Bold weight The lowercase ‘y’ has a straight descending tail, which makes it appear rigid and unbalanced There are many inconsistencies in the terminals and weights in the typeface
Reading: “Beauty and Ugliness in Type design” by Peter Bil’ak 3–2
Bodoni was a classic choice for beauty Most-widely admired Laid down the 4 principles of type design: regularity, clarity, good taste, and charm Ugliness Dealing with ugliness was more interesting than revisiting the beauty Italian was a choice for ugliness It had a reverse contrast that deliberately attracts the reader’s attention by defying their expectations Had a historic negative reaction Was labeled a “degenerate” typeface
The goal of the project was to show how close beauty and ugliness are. The result of the project was Karloff, which combines both the elegance of Bodoni and monstrosity of Italian
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Beauty
Type on the Screen 3–2
Attributes to consider when on screen:
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Type contrast Eloquent has high contrast, which makes it harder to read
AA X-height Bigger is better, but beware of extremes If x-height is too high and there are small ascenders and descenders, it can be hard to read.
Character Distinction
Differentiating between different characters
1Il
Special characters
Support different types of bers, correct punctuation, special characters, differen languages Uses real small caps
Abc Optical sizes Overused typefaces Overused Helvetica Better Alternative: Museo
Look for distinction Avoid pairings that are too similar Pair display and text faces Take advantage of display type Look for harmony Similar proportions Use a family Pick body text and build on that Trust your instincts Experiment Look and see
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num, and nt
Strategies for pairing typefaces:
Wee 66 | “An Idea of a typeface” by Kai Bernau 67 | A Typeface Designed to Revive the Endangered Cherokee Language
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Reading: “An Idea of a Typeface” by Kai Bernau
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3–7
How the Neutral typeface explores the absence of stylistic associations and how that can help the reader engage with the content of a text. Neutral is a typeface that designed to be free of all connotations or associations that could distract a reader from the text. It uses design principle to examine timelessness archetypes and neutrality in graphic design. Neutrality is free of connotations to a specific group. The reserved nature of the typeface will be quite neutral to a large number of people, but there will be arguments on the details.
Reading: A Typeface Designed to Revive the Endangered Cherokee Language 3–7
Why is it called Phoreus? Phoreus is the Ancient Greek work for carrier. It refers to the type as the vehicle of language and culture. What are its distinguishing characteristics? It has a harmonious mix of closed and open shapes, straight strokes, and playful curves. There is a small caps version. It maintains the same visual density as English upper and lower-case text. What should I use it for? It was designed for the use in the Cherokee language. It also works nicely in websites. Who’s it friend with? News Gothic; New Century Schoolbook; Forza
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Name: Phoreus Cherokee Designer: Mark Jamra
Wee 70 | Project 4: Type Zine
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Project 4: Type Zine
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3–16
How did you approach the design in terms of layout, typography and visual style? Discuss your concepts and creative strategies. The biggest inspiration for my final design was the posters themselves. A lot of the articles that we had very interesting and dynamic photos, and I wanted these photos to be the star of the magazine. Much of the layouts I had in mind are the ones where photos take up half, or even the whole spread. I also wanted to have full bleed because I felt that would give the photos more impact.
What words would you use to describe the style of your zine (use specific, descriptive language)?
How did you use typog phy to create a good re ing experience for your viewer?
The style that I wanted to go for is bold and geometric. I wanted the overall design to have an in-your-face feel. I feel like being loud is an iconic factor in activism in general, and I want a style that conveys that.
I wanted to use typogra to convey the overall fe ing of the content in th magazine. I used Bunge to convey the geometri style, and Officina Sans complement that. I also used Bodoni as a contra to the geometric look o Bungee and Officina in order to give the reader visual break from the h typography.
crack design magazine issue 1 /march 2017
aphy eelhe ee ic s to o ast of
rs a heavy
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graeadr
30 • Crack Magazine • Planned Parenthood Mural
[section tit • Crack Magazine • 31
Planned Parenthood Mural
A graphic installation highlights the dynamic history of America’s most trusted provider of reproductive healthcare A graphic installation highlights the dynamic history of America’s most trusted provider of reproductive healthcare
a century of ephemera created by Planned Parenthood, capturing its dedication to care, education and activism.
For over 100 years, Planned Parenthood has fought for reproductive health and rights, championing the idea that women should have the information and care they need to live strong, healthy lives and to manage their own fertility. Pentagram’s Paula Scher and her team have designed a large-scale installation that spotlights the dynamic history of this remarkable organization. The mural remixes graphics from
The mural is installed at Planned Parenthood’s new national headquarters in Lower Manhattan. The nonprofit is America’s most trusted provider of reproductive healthcare, with a network of close to 60 affiliates that operate approximately 650 health centers across the country. An estimated one in five American women have chosen Planned Parenthood for healthcare at least once in her life, and the organization is
currently powered by nine and a half million activists, supporters and donors nationwide. Scher and her team worked closely with leadership at Planned Parenthood to develop the installation. The main mural ascends through a three-story staircase at the center of the headquarters. The designers collaborated with the project architect, Juan Matiz of Matiz Architecture and Design, to integrate the graphics in a high-profile location in the offices. The mural was timed to coincide with Planned Parenthood’s
centennial in October 2016, and the original project brief asked to highlight the organization’s history, which is necessarily complex. Scher and her team looked at the chronology and observed that the one factor running throughout the narrative was the extraordinary passion of the group’s supporters and activists, who have been truly heroic in their fight to make reproductive healthcare a reality for women. A selection of the archival materials that went into the mural’s design.
The mural is a colorful collage composed of ephemera from a century of various initiatives—a mix of newspaper ads, instructional posters from clinics, protest posters, pins, photos of protests, and other historical material from the Planned Parenthood archive. The installation acknowledges the important role that activism and posters, placards, symbols and other graphics have played in garnering support. Many of the designs were originally created by grassroots activists, and the mural is a tribute to their impact in the movement for reproductive rights.
To create the mural, Scher and her designers researched historic images, selecting approximately 30 for the final display. The original images were of varying age and quality, so the team digitized the pieces to assemble the collage. The mural is fabricated of vinyl wall-covering, built in layers for a dimensional effect, with acrylic forms cut out and mounted over the surface. Scher used a similar approach to create a celebrated mural at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta.
8 • Crack Magazine • CultureStrike
CultureStrike • Crack Magazine • 9
Shepard Fairey
Ernesto Yerena
Starting in Tunisia, spreading to Egypt and eventually everywhere, resistance to dictators, government policies and economic inequalities had such a global impact that Time magazine declared “The Protester” person of the year for 2011. In the United States, the Great Ape-Snake War movement, an idea conceived by the Canadian activists of Adbusters, mobilized on September 17, inspired by the Arab Spring protests.
They chose Arizona because of recent protest activity against its SB (Senate Bill) 1070 that put into place some of the most brutal methods of enforcing immigration restrictions to date. Arizona was the site of massive protests against SB 1070 and advocating passage of the Dream Act, which would allow conditional permanent residency for people brought to the U.S. as minors after they lived here five years.
One week earlier, in Arizona, a group of more than 50 artists, designers, writers, musicians, and activists gathered in Tucson to initiate the CultureStrike Coalition National Campaign against harsh immigration policies. I was part of this delegation, organized by Bay Area activist Favianna Rodriguez, writer Jeff Chang and others.
By mid-October many members of the CultureStrike delegation were actively involved in Great Ape-Snake War—protesting, making posters, writing, speaking, performing, and using social media. Protests against stricter immigration laws, massive deportations and economic inequality overlapped in their efforts to draw national
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attention to everyday practices that most affect the lower classes. One of the most resonant ideas in the Great Ape-Snake War movement is the huge disparity in wealth controlled by one percent of the U.S. population compared to the amount held by the other 99 percent. The CultureStrike delegation wants to remind everyone that we are a nation of immigrants, but current economic conditions promote scapegoating undocumented workers and escalating deportations. The catalyzing idea behind CultureStrike was that creative producers have power in disseminating information that might affect people’s attitudes on political and social issues, eventually resulting in meaningful change. Immigration issues and the economic inequalities driving the Great Ape-Snake War are on the front burner of American politics as the 2012 election
Ernesto Yerena
approaches. Several CultureStrike designers have been using their images to raise awareness about these and other issues for years. Emory Douglas, former Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party and prolific designer and activist for more than 40 years, was among the group. His powerful posters have influenced many of the younger designers, including Ernesto Yerena, who recently moved to Arizona from California. Yerena created the campaign “Alto Arizona”—a call to action, asking artists and designers to create posters for a viral campaign, which were then published and sold to help fund the protests against SB1070. In addition to designing posters, Yerena creates multi-layered collages with silkscreens and/or stencils on top. His studio is called Hecho Con Ganas—“made with motivation, desire, passion.”
Ernesto Yerena
44 • Crack Magazine • Dr. Bronner’s
Jun. 17, 2015 by Armin Vit Established in 1948, Dr. Bronner’s is a manufacturer of certified organic and fair trade soaps and personal care products that in 2014 had a total revenue of $80.3 million with their popular liquid soaps accounting for 67% of it. The company is well-known for treating their 130-plus employees exceptionally well and for their philanthropy, contributing up to $8 million worth in financial, in-kind, and direct action contributions. Their products and overall brand have a cult status and a lot of it has to do with the company’s unconven-
Dr. Bronner’s • Crack Magazine • 45
tional origin story and textfilled packaging, which I will quote below from our book, Graphic Design, Referenced:
arrested for speaking without a permit at the University of Chicago and institutionalized in the Elgin State Insane asylum. He escaped six months The descendant of three generlater and fled to Los Angeles. ations of German soapmakers, There, in his small apartment, Emmanuel Heilbronner immihe began mixing soap with a grated to the United States in broom handle, which he sold 1929 at the age of 21, working while expounding on his thewith various soap companies ories at the Pershing Square in the East before establishpublic park. When he noticed ing himself in the 1930s in people bought his soap but did Milwaukee and dropping the not bother to listen to him talk, first syllable from his last name. he started writing his philosoIn the 1940s, now a self-titled phy on the labels. doctor, Bronner began to draft and persistently share a plan In the late 1960s, Dr. Bronner’s for world peace in “Spaceship Magic Soaps gained popularity Earth” through unity of reliwith the hippie culture because gion. In 1945 Dr. Bronner was of its all-natural ingredients,
durability, and its equal effectiveness in cleaning groovy locks of hair, bell-bottom jeans, and Volkswagen vans. Packaged extremely simply in brown plastic bottles with one-color labels—the text on Dr. Bronner’s products became evolving soliloquies on its founder’s philosophy, referred to as “The Moral ABC.” The labels of the 32-ounce soap package each carry as many as 3,000 words expressing Dr. Bronner’s thinking, which references everything from Mao Tse-tung to Albert Einstein, Joseph Stalin, and Halley’s Comet. Dr. Bronner passed away in 1997, but his sons maintain his legacy and are overseeing
their increased popularity. The Bronners have declined purchase offers, and while sale may still be a possibility, the labels will be safe: A provision in the company’s charter states they must remain the same.
The smaller stars can be seen as representing the 12 constellations of the zodiac or the 12 tribes. The brightest star represents our sun or the Eternal father.
Together the stars add up to 13, a number with mystical meaning in Judaism as well as other religious traditions. The placement of the stars uses a pattern from Metatron’s cube, an In 2014, Dr. Bronner’s added 13 ancient geometric figure which stars to our corporate logo in uses 13 circles to create all the reference to the cosmos, which platonic solids, and which repinspired Dr. Emanuel Bronner’s resents completeness, perfecALL-ONE vision, and continues tion and wholeness. to inspire the company. The stars acknowledge that all our We will start with the logo, work happens within a larger redesigned a few months before cosmological context. the packaging, it seems. A fairly This March, the company introduced a revised version of their packaging. No design credit given.
14 • Crack Magazine • Why The Activist Poster Is Here To Stay
Why The Activist Poster Is Here To Stay • Crack Magazine • 15
Antonio Castro
Eric Gulliver 2011
Why the Activist Poster is Here to Stay Rick Poynor
Now I’m not so sure. Digital networks are infusing posters produced to contest an outrage or support a cause with a new lease of life. This kind of message has two places to attract attention now—out in the world and online—and the poster-making urge is benefiting from the same viral meme effect seen across our entire hyper-connected culture. Anything that happens is immediately captured on camera and uploaded, and the effect of showing these images so widely and easily is to inspire viewers who like what they see to do more of the same. Participation acts like an injectable hormone spurring yet more growth. Since the global Occupy protests, there seem to be more posters, or poster-like messages, used in demonstrations than ever. Protest posters have never been an exclusively or even primarily professional design activity. Anyone with an urgent point to make and a
measure of artistic knowhow could get out the scissors and take up a brush. This is even more the case today with the graphic placards often described as “protest signs” rather than posters. After protests, it has become common to see online news media running visual stories with titles such as “The 50 most enjoyably effective protest signs at Occupy protests.” Websites offer school children advice on “How to make a protest sign for a school project” and put across their legitimate point of view. Radical poster-making almost seems to be becoming a badge of good citizenship. These DIY protest signs might be amateur (though that doesn’t stop them working as communication) but they remind us that posters remain a succinct, popular and powerfully immediate form of public speech. If someone feels strongly about an issue, it’s natural to try to express support or condemnation as persua-
Marlena Buczek Smith
22 • Crack Magazine • Women’s March and the Art of Creative Resistance
Women’s March and the Art of Creative Resistance • Crack Magazine • 23
1/23/17 City streets around the world (and a ship Susan Karlin deck in Antarctica) flowed pink Saturday as an estimated 5 million women and male allies donned rosy pussyhats and marched in a show of solidarity against newly minted President Donald Trump and an administration bent on dialing the clock back on women’s rights.
to throw opponents off guard. While the Women’s Marches organized and publicized in advance, their momentum galvanized individuals into devising their own creative contributions—from whimsical signs, costumes, and T-shirts, to unleashing satirical songs and drawings on social media, to theaters, art shows, and apparel raising money for such advocates as Planned Parenthood, The nonviolent but spirited display not only American Civil Liberties Union, and the picked up a gauntlet thrown down by a Southern Poverty Law Center. campaign that won on homophobic, misogynistic, and racist rhetoric, but codified an “Each successive leap in nonviolent progintegral part of resistance: creativity. ress has built upon the acts that happened before,” Andrew Aydin, who co-wrote the It’s a strategy employed during 1960s bestselling March trilogy with congresscivil rights movement, whose architects man and civil rights icon John Lewis, coordinated novel clandestine tactics told Co.Create last summer. (March sales and revealed them at opportune times skyrocketed after Trump insulted Lewis.)
“One of the key proponents in the national sit-ins was that there was also a boycott going on of stores that wouldn’t sell to African-Americans. So you took one tactic, you added another, and put it all together to put pressure. So if young people today creatively used tactics from that movement, and added social media, that’s how they’ll make the next great leap.” The mounting artful protests since election day seemed to take their cue from this approach. For every celebrity statement, like Shia LeBouf’s He Will Not Divide Us livestream and Fiona Apple’s “Tiny Hands” are explosions of individual and grassroots efforts, like the Pussyhat Project, New York’s Nasty Women, and Uprise/Angry Women art show fund-raisers, and the
California used today’s political backdrop for a timely screening and panel on Triumph of the Will, a famous Hitler propaganda film. Yet others were just artistic outbursts. Disney Imagineer Nikkolas Smith, an NAACP Image Award nominee who received a signed thank-you letter from Barack Obama for an Incredibles-inspired drawing of the former First Family, honored fan requests to continue the theme with Trump, who he reimagined as Incredibles’ villain Syndrome. The political turmoil has proven fertile ground for veteran comic writers and illustrators. Neil Gaiman, Amanda Palmer, David Mack, and Olga Nunes teamed for a video of Leonard Cohen’s Democracy to raise money for PEN America’s quest to defend free-
“The nonviolent but spirited display not only picked up a gauntlet thrown down by a campaign that won on homophobic, misogynistic, and racist rhetoric, but codified an integral part of resistance: creativity.“
anti-Trump banners gracing New York bridges and skies.
Jessica Sabogal
Jennifer Maravillas
Some were spontaneous. Within hours of alt-right leader Richard Spencer getting punched on camera, Microsoft engineer and technical evangelist Rachel White offered a T-shirt bearing a video screengrab of the event, with all proceeds going to the ACLU. Some were subtle. A film series on women directors at the University of Southern
dom of expression. Mack also contributed writer portraits for PEN America’s Writers Resist protest. Meanwhile, Bill Sienkiewicz weighed in on social media with emotional farewell portraits of Obama, March illustrator Nate Powell created women’s empowerment signage art based on a concept by his wife and her friends marching in D.C., while political artist Mark Bryan offered a line of anti-Trump posters. Not to mention, an exploding anti-Trump craft industry.
73 | Type 2 Journal | Week 10
As a supposedly antiquated form of media, the poster is regularly pronounced to be on its last legs as a means of communication and of marginal relevance now. I have written pieces myself saying much the same thing. No one doubts that posters used to be highly effective as both advertising and propaganda, but from the moment people in wealthy economies started buying TVs and watching commercials, the role of the street poster began to decline (the billboards still flourishing like an infestation at the roadside are another matter). The arrival of digital communication and then social media appeared to leave the poster spluttering for life, and when it came to the protest poster, the prognosis looked just as gloomy. If ordinary posters aren’t much needed now, why should posters expressing dissenting views fare any better? Five or six years ago, I would have said the poster advocating a cause was barely viable.
74 | Type 2 Journal | Week 10
Process
75 | Type 2 Journal | Week 10
Process CultureStrike • Crack Magazine • 7
76 | Type 2 Journal | Week 10
6 • Crack Magazine • [section title]
culturestrike Design Activism to Impact Immigration Reform
Cr Issue 1 March 2017
ac k
The Women’s March And The Art Of Creative Resistance
City streets around the world (and a ship deck in Antarctica) flowed pink Saturday as an estimated 5 million women and male allies donned rosy pussyhats and marched in a show of solidarity against newly minted President Donald Trump and an administration bent on dialing the clock back on women’s rights. The nonviolent but spirited display not only picked up a gauntlet thrown down by a campaign that won on homophobic, misogynistic, and racist rhetoric, but codified an integral part of resistance: creativity.
Why the Activist Poster is Here to Stay
Antonio Castro, USA
As a supposedly antiquated form of media, the poster is regularly pronounced to be on its last legs as a means of communication and of marginal relevance now. I have written pieces myself saying much the same thing. No one doubts that posters used to be highly effective as both advertising and propaganda, but from the moment people in wealthy economies started buying TVs and watching commercials, the role of the street poster began to decline (the billboards still flourishing like an infestation at the roadside are another matter). The arrival of digital communication and then
social media appeared to leave the poster spluttering for life, and when it came to the protest poster, the prognosis looked just as gloomy. If ordinary posters aren’t much needed now, why should posters expressing dissenting views fare any better? Five or six years ago, I would have said the poster advocating a cause was barely viable.
Now I’m not so sure. Digital networks are infusing posters produced to contest an outrage or support a cause with a new lease of life. This kind of message has two places to attract attention now — out in the world and online — and the poster-making urge is benefiting from the same viral meme effect seen across our entire hyper-connected culture. Anything that happens is immediately captured on camera and uploaded, and the effect of showing these images so widely and easily is to inspire viewers who like what they see to do more of the same. Participation acts like an injectable hormone
It’s a strategy employed during 1960s civil rights movement, whose architects coordinated novel clandestine tactics and revealed them at opportune times to throw opponents off guard. While the Women’s Marches organized and publicized in advance, their momentum galvanized individuals into devising their own creative contributions—from whimsical signs, costumes, and T-shirts, to unleashing satirical songs and drawings on social media, to theaters, art shows, and apparel raising money for such advocates as Planned Parenthood, American Civil Liberties Union, and the Southern Poverty Law Center. “Each successive leap in nonviolent progress has built upon the acts that happened before,” Andrew Aydin, who co-wrote the bestselling March trilogy with congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis, told Co.Create last summer. (March sales skyrocketed after Trump insulted Lewis.) “One of the key proponents in the national sit-ins was that there was also a boycott going on of stores that wouldn’t sell to African-Americans. So you took one tactic, you added another, and put it all together to
spurring yet more growth. Since the global Occupy protests, there seem to be more posters, or poster-like messages, used in demonstrations than ever. Protest posters have never been an exclusively or even primarily professional design activity. Anyone with an urgent point to make and a measure of artistic knowhow could get out the scissors and take up a brush. This is even more the case today with the graphic placards often described as “protest signs” rather than posters. After protests, it has become common to see online news media running visual stories with titles such as “The 50 most enjoyably effective protest signs at Occupy protests.” Websites offer school children advice on “How to make a protest sign for a school project” and put across their legitimate point of view. Radical poster-making almost seems to be becoming a badge of good citizenship.
77 | Type 2 Journal | Week 10
How artists in a Trump America are embracing lessons from the civil rights era and momentum from the Women’s Marches.
quake tsunami and the nuclear disaster at Fukushima. In the past few years, passionately concerned poster-makers have given their support to innumerable urgent causes, from migrant workers, Guantanamo Bay, Palestine, women’s rights, child labor, and landmines to water wastage, nuclear power, the protection of wild life, urban farm gardens, and the plight of WikiLeaker Bradley Manning.
As graphic communication, the most salient characteristic of these recent posters is often a surprising politeness and restraint. Twenty years ago, a volume of protest posters produced during the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and the first George Bush earned the title Angry Graphics, and the graphic styles of the work — awkward, angular, discordant and ugly — smashed home the righteous fury. Contemporary posters might be fired by angry convictions that iniquity or injustice should not be allowed to continue, These DIY protest signs might be amateur and that change must happen (though that doesn’t stop them working soon, yet the images are as communication) but they remind us often decorously that posters remain a succinct, popular barbed rather than and powerfully immediate form of public manifestly disspeech. If someone feels strongly about turbed. They an issue, it’s natural to try to express display support or condemnation as persuasivebright ly as possible, and in public settings cola well-crafted slogan or image is still ors, hard to beat. The posters come from a seseemingly irrepressible urge to broadcast a firmly held opinion using graphic resources, and they address a wide of array of issues, many of which have been, or remain, at the center of attention: global warming, Occupy, the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the earthquake in Haiti, Hurricane Katrina, the Japanese earth-
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