a westside story

a westside story

A N E X A M I N AT I O N O F P U B L I C T Y P O G R A P H Y I N W E S T S I D E , K C Written, photographed, and designed by Alyssa Rachele Engel Published by Blurb

a westside story

INTRODUCTION When was the last time you took a deep breath of air, let your head swivel around, and paused your life momentarily to take in your surroundings? You’re busy, I know. It’s hard to balance work, school, family, and all of those pesky errands that need to be done. But if you go through life just trying to check everything off of your to-do list, you’ll never see the little things that surround you. It’s amazing the things you’ll see if you just put that pesky mental task list on hold for a minute.

Kansas City is one of the best places to be if you’re one of the few who notices and appreciates the little details. Though there are many neighborhoods that are all vibrant and alive with these amazing details, Westside is arguably one of the most welcoming neighborhoods, one in which you will find these details around every corner and trampled into every

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sidewalk, all just waiting to be appreciated.

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The Neighborhood of Westside, KC.

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>

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POWER & LIGHT DISTRICT

< WEST BOTTOMS

CROSSROADS >

Westside is a hidden gem inside the broad range of Kansas

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City. Its variety of housing and local shops and restaurants is so unique and feels very personal. Unlike the many other districts surrounding it, Westside never feels crowded or too commercialized. Packed within a square mile, the streets of Westside seem friendly and familiar even to those who have never visited before. Little typographic details that typically go unnoticed are everywhere in Westside, making it the ideal setting for this book.

Typography is everywhere, from the branded storefront signage to the trampled cigarette box in the street. It’s rare to find someone who doesn’t take this for granted, but you’ll notice that those who do have a very different view of the world. They are the ones truly living in the moment and appreciating everything around them, from the way the crisp fall air feels in their lungs to the hand painted lettering on the side of the old warehouse at the end of the block.

You may be one of the ones who notices these things, and it is important to observe your surroundings. Typography is everywhere, graffiti, stop signs, even fire hydrants have typography embedded into them. This book was created to expose the overlooked, the neglected, the utilitarian… all of the typography in nature that goes unnoticed and unappreciated. Hopefully it will inspire you to take a look at any street you walk down.

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your surroundings and start to notice the quirky details of

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NEEDED

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Necessity is not simply wanted, but is needed. We find it essential in our daily lives. This includes typography required by the government or for safety purposes.

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NECESSITY CALLS UTILITARIAN TYPOGRAPHY is one of the most

direction. But taking the time to notice the

commonly seen forms of lettering in nature.

way that letterforms interact with nature

It also goes the most unnoticed because of

will give you a better appreciation of

how common it is, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all learned how to

Westside and beyond.

glance over it without even a thought. This isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a bad thing, we use the type for what

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it was meant for, which is information and

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Westside packs in more flavor than a neighborhood twice its size.â&#x20AC;?

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LOOK AROUND MORE OFTEN TYPE THAT is found on these utilitarian objects is not meant to be beautiful, simply to be durable and efficient. This is why it is typically a sans serif font; these clean typefaces are the easiest to be read, especially after the wear and tear of mother nature. Similar to wayfinding signage, like traffic signs, utilitarian typography is usually set in a sans serif typeface because it is clear and legible and translates to the viewer faster than more ornate typefaces. One can tell immediately that despite the rust, dirt, or sun-fading, this typography can

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easily be read on these utilitarian objects.

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BEAUTIFUL LETTERING is everywhere and you

know the next place some inspiring typography

will begin to notice it when you pause to

might appear. The best finds are unexpected.

look around. Look up, look down, you never

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Sometimes the most interesting typography is found beneath your feet or above your head. Remember to keep your eyes open and attentive on more than just an eye-level.

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MORE THAN A NUMBER Westside is known for more than just its strip of local businesses, the houses are one of the main features in this area. Each house is entirely unique from the ones surrounding it, a feature that gives Westside its quirky personality.

Walking down Summit street can be therapeutic, the calm atmosphere provides pedestrians with a warm feeling that encourages creativity and inner reflection. Dreams feel bigger and more

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exciting than ever thanks to this environment.

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Beyond the architecture of the houses is the typography that brings them to life. Unlike suburbia, each house or business has its very own unique way to relay who they are to the onlooker. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to overlook these small typographic details, but once you notice them thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no turning back. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to think that every home or business address is the same, but in Westside that is not the case. The typefaces, materials, and placement varies greatly between each building.

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Home and business addresses are usually boring, but not in Westside! The variety of type used for these addresses is unmatched in any neighborhood.

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WANTED

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Westside store-owner’s branding and signage might be necessary to them, but is objectively what we define as ‘wanted.’

This typography is used to direct and inform, but is not required by law but by personal preference.

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DEEPER THAN THE SURFACE ONE OF THE most common places that

inform outsiders. These personal signs are

typography is noticed is signage that

used often and typically aren’t admired as

is used to relay a message. Similar to

beautiful typography, but given a chance they

utilitarian type, this personal signage must

can prove themselves to be more than what

be readable and clear. Typically it is in

meets the eye.

the same type style, being sans serif for easier understanding. Bold colors are used to attract the viewer’s eye and drive the desired narrative home. Signs like these are not necessary, but more of a personal choice. By this I mean that putting up a sign that says ‘beware of dog’ is not required by law but is the homeowner’s choice to

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“The next message you need is always right where you are.”

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INDIVIDUAL BRANDING ONE MIGHT be confused why many of these

like storefront signs and personal signs

photographs are under the section “wanted”

that individuals use to direct others. The

and not “needed”. The separation here is

separation is that a “beware of dog” sign

that the typography that is needed is

is wanted by the individual who placed it,

required for the benefit of mankind, while

whereas type on a fire hydrant is needed

typography that is wanted is used more for

by our society.

personal direction. In many cases this can

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be signage that directs bystanders, things

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NOT ALL ‘wanted’ typography is used for

to communicate with others visually. This

store signage, though that is most commonly

includes ‘keep out’ signs and others in

the case. Many use it for their own homes

a similar vein.

PLACED

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Typography litters the streets of Westside, Kansas City. This is found in many placed items, such as

stickers,

graffiti, and even trash.

Anything that was left behind by human hands is considered â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;placed.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

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LEFT BEHIND WESTSIDE HAS a wide variety of typography

are common in urban areas and often go

that was created or placed by pedestrian

unnoticed, but can contain some of the most

hands. This category includes everything

riveting and beautiful typography.

left behind by those who walk Summit street and its surroundings; things like trash,

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graffiti, and even stickers. These things

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TECHNICALLY, THESE public scribblings are graffiti, although theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not what we expect when we hear that term. The word graffiti brings to mind brightly-colored bubble words Anything that was left behind by human hands fits into this category, whether that is a sticker in a bathroom stall of a beer can that was abandoned in some bushes.

illegally painted to the sides of trains and under bridges. But graffiti can be more than that, it can be a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s writing in chalk on the driveway or a sharpied phone number inside a bathroom stall. All of these things

sans serifs used for utilitarian purposes.

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are typography, and different from the simple

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“Blank walls are a shared canvas and we’re all artists.”

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is made by an individual company or artist

These things we glance over have purpose and

and is not serving a larger function such as

meaning beyond that of a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sticker

wayfinding. They are made to draw attention

book. Often, companies, small businesses,

and spread messages rather than to provide

or political movements will provide their

clear instruction.

communities with stickers to go out and tag their cities with. Westside has a wide variety of these small business and artistmade stickers adorning the area. This type has the widest range, being that each sticker

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ALSO DECORATING the streets are stickers.

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BEYOND THE MECHANICS In Westside, typography is everywhere to those with a trained eye. This extends beyond the permanent features of the neighborhood like buildings and signage and into the less permanent objects: automobiles.

Some of the most intriguing type is found on vintage cars and trucks. If itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your lucky day, you might even stumble upon a homeowner waxing their 1955 Ford Thunderbird. Stay attentive to the cars parked streetside, for you

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never know what treat youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in for.

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The branding and letterforms used for vehicle branding is typically more elaborate and fun than what you would find on utilitarian objects. It is clear that attention was payed to each letterform on this Ranger.

The quirky curves blend in seamlessly to the surroudings in Westside.

Old cars, far more than the new, have a sort of character that cannot be replicated due to

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the wear and tear that they lived through.

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IN CLOSING This is the end, and now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time for you to go experience your neighborhood in a similar way. Leave your phone and take a ten minute walk, appreciating and noticing the little quirks of the things that surround you. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be surprised at all of the things that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been missing for so long.

Typography and design are everywhere, all the time. They shape the feeling of a place, whether it be large or small. It is important to note that typography is found so commonly in nature and outside of things that are traditionally designed, like book covers.

This is a push towards a movement of being more present in daily life and activities. We believe in creativity, and in breathing fresh air, and in appreciating our surroundings.

We hope you do too, now. Set this book down and take a walk!

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CREDITS VISC 404 / Designer as Author Professor Patrick Dooley / Fall 2017 The University of Kansas Written, photographed, and designed

by Alyssa Rachele Engel Typeset in Din Condensed, Eczar, and Roboto Mono Photographed using a Canon Rebel T3

QUOTES: pg. 10 / VisitKC.com

cr e d it s

pg. 28 / Ram Dass

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pg. 42 / Carla H. Krueger