spring 2018 fidm
portfolio Typography
cont intro
8
character studies
18 terms 24
sketches
logo designs
Spring 2018/ t
10 30
tents
the art of type
46
42
redesign
historical typography
58
pop! project
70
fonts used
typography
cover
2-3
4-5
12-13
14-15
22-23
24-25
32-33
34-35
42-43
44-45
52-53
54-55
spring
2018
62-63
64-65
6-7
8-9
10-11
16-17
18-19
20-21
26-27
28-29
30-31
36-37
38-39
40-41
46-47
48-49
50-51
56-57
58-59
66-67
68-69
60-61
70-71
72-73
8 T ypographical Port folio Paulina Vazquez
the intro
G
rowing up in an artistic family, Paulina found her calling. She began by studying fine art and
let me introduce myself
decided to continue building her skills and talents by attending the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in order to study Graphic Design. She enjoys working both the old fashioned way of using film cameras and paint brushes as well as using modern devices of digital cameras and computers. Paulina has brought in her artistic perspective to typography. She loves to play with fun, feminine, and modern fonts in order to create interest on the page. She also looks to design tyopgraphy that best illustrates the piece while sprinkling in a pinch of her own style. Over the past 10 weeks, Paulina has learned and practiced the art of tyopgraphy through several projects. In this course of time she has designed her personal logo with its branding, typographical spreads, a redesign of FIDM’s weekly newsletter, and many more.
10 T ypographical Port folio Paulina Vazquez
character studies
CHARACTER STUDIES
N
A
o one knows why ‘A’ is the first letter of our alphabet. Some think it’s because this letter represents one of the most common vowel sounds
in ancient languages of the western hemisphere. Other sources argue against this theory because there were no vowel sounds in the Phoenician language. (The Phoenician alphabet is generally thought to be the basis of the one we use today.) No one also knows why the ‘A’ looks the way it does, but we can construct a fairly logical chain of events. Some say the Phoenicians chose the head of an ox to represent the ‘A’ sound (for the Phoenicians, this was actually a glottal stop). The ox was a common, important animal to the Phoenicians. It was their main power source for heavy work. Oxen plowed the fields, harvested crops, and hauled food to market. Some sources also claim that the ox was often the main course at meals. A symbol for the ox would have been an important communication tool for the Phoenicians. It somewhat naturally follows that an ox symbol would be the first letter of the alphabet.
T H E
F O
N
F
T U R A U T
CHARACTER STUDIES
I
F
n its earliest years, the letter that evolved into our F was an Egyptian hieroglyph that literally was a picture of a snake. This was around 3,000 B.C. Through the process of simplification over many years, the F began to lose its snakelike character, and by the time it emerged as an Egyptian hieratic form it wasn’t much more than a vertical stroke capped by a small crossbar. With a slight stretch of the imagination, it could be said to look like a nail. This may be why the Phoenicians called the letter “waw,” a word meaning nail or hook, when they adapted the symbol for their alphabet. In its job as a waw, the character represented a semiconsonant sound, roughly pronounced as the W in the word “know.” However, at various times the waw also represented the ‘v’ and sometimes even the ‘u’ sound. When the Greeks assimilated the Phoenician alphabet, they handled the confusing waw with typically Greek logic: they split it into two characters. One represented the semi-consonant W and the other became the forerunner of our V. (The ‘w’ sound became the Greek digamma, or double gamma, and was constructed by placing one gamma on top of another.) While the character was eventually dropped from the Greek alphabet, it was able to find work in the Etruscan language. Here it did yeoman’s service until the Romans adopted it as a symbol for the softened ‘v’ or double ‘v’ sound. Even today, the German language (an important source for English) uses the V as an F in words like “vater,” which means father and is pronounced “fahter.” Finally, the F found a permanent home as the very geometric sixth letter of the Roman alphabet.
Old English Font This design has been popular throughout England for centuries. Its style of lettering, conveniently also called Old English, can be found all over the UK. Old English-style typefaces belong to the Blackletter category. They nicely combine the design attributes of both the medieval and Victorian eras. This is mostly because their Textura forms, which were born during the Middle Ages, became quite fashionable again in the late 1800s! This Old English font is very legible for a Blackletter face. Perhaps that is why it is more familiar to readers in the UK and North American than German Blackletter varieties, like Fraktur.
CHARACTER STUDIES
O
?
f course, there is a nice old urban myth that could be constituted as a thrid origin story, but the likelihood of it being true is slim to none. Some claim that the question mark was actually created as a device to mark places on maps and such that were unknown, and they got the shape from the shape of a cat’s tail that the cat makes when it is inquisitive. They also go on to state that the exclamation point comes from the shape a cat’s tail makes when they are surprised. These two marks reportedly come from the Egyptians, who worshiped cats. However, no punctuation was used by the Egyptians ever, and it wasn’t until the 19th century that punctuation became standardised, so we can safely throw this hypothesis away. Now, on to the other two! The first (and admittedly the less likely) of the two stories starts where most things inevitably start: in Rome. The story goes that the question mark actually originated from the Latin word qvaestio, meaning question. This word was reportedly abbreviated in the Middle Ages by scholars as just qo. Eventually, a capital “Q” was written over the “o”, and it formed one letter. Then, it morphed into the modern question mark we know today. Here’s a picture so you can visualize it. However, the actual evidence that this is the case is almost non-existant, for no medieval manuscript found thus-far supports this idea. In fact, it seems that the opposite holds true; the question mark morphs to look more like a q rather than less like a q as time passes.
Berkshire Swash designed by Astigmatic in 2017. Berkshire Swash is an alluring semi-sweet typestyle with a bold yet feminine flair to it. With modern script style this font will be perfect for many different projects ex: quotes, blog header, poster, wedding, branding, logo, fashion, apparel, letter, invitation, stationery, etc.
Berkshire Swash
18 T ypographical Port folio Paulina Vazquez
sketches
24 T ypographical Port folio Paulina Vazquez
terms
li
serif Serif typeface contains a tail or small line at the end of a stroke in a letter or symbol.
oblique Oblique type is similar to italics in that it slopes slightly to the right.
display
Display is a typeface used for headline faces that brings strength and utility to classic types. The type is usually set larger than 14 points.
12 pt. rule
A point is equal to 1/72 in typographers and typeset have traditionally specifie given type setting as 12/1 indicate 12 point type wit point leading.
blackletter
Blackletter is an all encompassing term used to describe the scripts of the Middle Ages in which the darkness of the characters overpowers the whiteness of the page.
slab serif
A typeface of the serif font characterized by thick, block-like serifs. Slab serifs were invented in and were most popular during the nineteenth century.
Typogr
Te r
Illust
drop cap
A
large initial letter that drops below the first line of a paragraph, usually used at the beginning of a section or chapter of a book.
Reversed a light colo When whit backgroun and the pa the term ‘k
swash
B
A swash is a typographical flourish, such as an exaggerated serif, terminal, tail, entry stroke, etc., on a glyph.
handlettering
Handlettering uses the same principles of thick downstrokes and light upstrokes as calligraphy, but is written with a pen of some kind rather than a nib and ink.
wood type
Type makers in search of nov countless ways to vary the de serifs, brackets, and stems, a pollinating these techniques p an endless number of new sty wood cut outs.
bullet ■ ●▲♦ In typography, a bullet is a typographical symbol or glyph used to introduce items in a list.
Transition contrast Wider, gr flat base
cursive
ligature Typographic ligature, a combination of two or more letters into a single symbol.
Cursive is a set of characters that are joined together in a flowing, slighlty slanted manner generally for the purpose of making writing faster.
k ern ing
nch, tters ed a 16, to th 16
Kerning is the process of adjusting the spacing between characters in a proportional font, usually to achieve a visually pleasing result.
tracking
Tracking refers to a consistent degree of increase (or sometimes decrease) of space between letters to affect density in a line or block of text.
dignbat
raphical
rms
A dingbat is an ornament, character, or spacer used in typesetting, sometime more formally known as printer’s ornament or printer’s character.
☺ ☻ ♣ ⇪
glyph
trated reversed
type refers to text that has or on a darker background. te text is set on a black nd, the text is ‘knocked out’ aper shines through, hence knockout text’.
A glyph is an elemental symbol within an agreed set of symbols, intended to represent a readable character for the purposes of writing.
℮ ◉ ₧ ¶
grotesque A Grotesque font is a group of san serif fonts created around 1815, usually geometric in design with simple letter forms and fairly even stroke weights. They are also often bolder and can be used as display type.
calligraphy It is the design and execution of lettering with a broad tip instrument, brush, or other writing instruments.
velty found esigns of and crossproduced yles using
transitional
nal fonts create a greater between thick and thin stokes. racefully bracketed serifs with es.
hairline rule The thinnest rule that can be printed, it is a 0.025 inch line.
distressed Distressed typeface is used to be creative and give a messy, imperfect look to your usual typeface.
re
s th pa m w he do t e ry e e ev now t fre d. if th se u k a a d en se we . Th r de cke you ou y e y ll ly d o lo f b n f on lea eft f is b n. I hen idua a y i e l y c w v , d, e - th or alit ro d w di les ba oos ere led igin verg roa ch in e ru hat d h h a r an e c f w nce h o or o the rea ak th ell. T d w o n e o co uc ut ve to re w go he ens n is ut m is c s lea ad: ns b and w s io b es n ro a , th er iff les bo ave ve a adit ere, veri mea f a l me tely d y t ip o l a r le o ph nd d ha he t ywh disc all use y a iber xist. , ye rinc a y B l e ly p r a n t r og ter re a us if eve rlier e, b the ure. , de hey tant The p n s y t s y id y t f t to e e the ied lity i o ea gu cisel par tifull ich con live. o t n e a r u a e e a de in ck as pr f d ea wh ge e a lso nc is rig ba k is s o b for an ar a e s s O ay oo at int em ds ch ey ave re w is b . Th po th en rms e th y h p es th ish en eak he fo us rit k he a T y w os br f t ter ca cla m t d h ch nd e o Let be ic i, f i an rap h , e e a on g s le p s en sens ypo r itt gra i l s f r y po s o al f t fo nd ve f ty ik nd visu de o ials ny a to m r o i o d s a e n s tw s s t re st ake ual ma re m s a cce t fro a o m t le t m vis d a rm a bu g s a ll. I he , an rm r- fo ith ks, e in . It ss k a . T ay f o t e w o h e a t m t e l l t se o e- tt e g m que ern ivin hy se a ens disp isua f le tho ld b o p i s t ild l v o o ra n s to ic e w the a al of og se cal on f its ory , to nd p n i h he o t y ny ri ys o ist oo a iv s a isto wa y h e t ns n. wn rap in t e t par urv iple t of gic s d l d s l o e o i h a tu Th ib ti de gr -g ks u in s, inc se ma ion is e s d. vis rip id re ypo al d g d le pr t a he ect th ea is nsc ly h fo f t g w el an cip he no f t dir n i fi , n o e pr age ts, rge er al o lon et ere pri y. T re ms all s. ofte s s h l k a m s e p t nu of c th al p to m or n ing id u ri la s w eir usc it is ha ma lot po nd gic t ap them cus fro d f bee be d ome th an rs ok rt a rt a fou olo ha d al ak ere s an an ec m the bo sho of pa re ec s t tan trib spe b , ha um en b te r ? o is a uit in t a he thic ers e s em ss h r m e to ri fo ons e r h w e h g t t i m : n f l e d t t ic e e in he re y is ct T a e rs ha n th th tte rs t o nd I un bu t vo unr rth ink t ot d f estl ex tru at e. nd n a si e e io , s ns n to ve -th a an n ity ins e os a l of ond itat ues y a tio ncie ve , ne ght r th nt, ho hor nd to b cho rn - red w ed niq aph ven a o on ll ri be ere one ut , a ht ey ce sha d m ch gr on ere s m sti a em iff n d a ns ug th on o ine y te po d c wh one ue en em e d ca an stio , o ils d c e n rm itar ty ea st, w e q Wh o r b ow on ge ers tra re ar ete sol d re ne On d. g t to , h as ug oth he sha re r d er t a he e h nd fo nd in in ee ill re , s m ggl e fr t st at nts like aze as re t aph ot a a y re my stru ar ren Wh me rs, bl es he ogr like ntr g fo in re en iffe k? nd phe r to riv ll w yp ve, ou sin be a om e d oo ma ra o y th t a A t o d c os ce w or leb om og low ph s a s. st m ite , cr len ot m ru e c typ fol ra th ion mu ab nd si is n a es ly to og pa ect s inh la the k d, th ure ty Typ no dir ute un the in oo ol of s sb e e S er e d ro h f ar an ew oug in o fare thi t th cor of lib ere res e n thr ra gh of , bu the ch d th esi rg rs, e g rou ect de at ea an d fo le t th ho ubj litu s at ot, to ave ins n t s so oad s th r n tr ga mo The ic r ath o a m n. aph led : p ow co aw gr ve on foll d po - tra iti to ty ell rad e w e t fre th s is u
he
T
Typography is the craft of endowing human language with a durable visual form, and thus with an e independent th n s e h le y existence. , w ip b r y nc d
u pri use in nt n ce the and rus do s n ie h of n y t o p en st ow pa , L tur te o fif , mo kn on air cen to he ed ere ens in C irty n n t r f e a a h w p s t o d le ypti ble lf . In ok ed um le o a f t b o g e e h pe b r s gi E uta o d nd ty this ith mu y le ar The e m ools he h o w in tl c an in t , th h - t c se pt no ina ith t sc dy le e y e rom red scri now erfe s i h h w n o ib th he t e d in plo tic sit d p ge sty C an dista an b vis of se t c a k a h in y u t r an p sin te ex r d yna ves ese hum the tom ca read d prin ign hie r wo tle, o e f e r go ng D sel te th the on ana s, b le, s o r of te e es ing ei b l e a i m p f l al wer d d rit f th y, su s n o nd u a m p be t Ta e w y bu m r th at u ale - a suo vers xa inci um el oks an es es o ivel , c n r y fro fo th sc ar n ni r e pr ar o ity ib pl l l th sc st b ibil scr am stil de. va es set les nd icul ss se es u , fo ng any i s t wi Its s , r g l p a s n m S a r t r i e y r k fi le tia . l p l m o e e c n m e a i r . e r e c ag ce of yp B.C Yo ere syst r it aph prin ctur in p , no rinc d a nde eath ny gu sten Eg 00 ew y w ng the ogr he stru rm ing e p s an e u w fa n i o a o l x rs h e 10 d N the riti he typ ly. T he rea and thes og t th h t an nt e of wit us ade ers, W e, w m Ita n t fo em all s. D Bu ug an ter m , e e t e o . e o o e hu end age ing n th st r pu r af niz ngd nce ed d th ss d to c eci ans e en g g t i m g p o n s n s l i co Ki ssa a an le ke sp me bl e y a a m co s, o ow ind tin ch anu at ing ter he g, s re ew nai re b d, , no ’t li our cal sta d y h N Re n a han eal don to mi te, en an n a ntl m e t us pu . T ivin che of ith , o ese ot a pos rm, com use he l ran ves, or sig the ss r . I ue che y ra . t f w e r i de e, o le ind uniq ore t an ds cra us anc e p is n sup l fo s of ay ls t its b ot l e m , a d fa the d th e d s ar this . I igita nd ey m goa gh ro tru ey t n n m ly bu ma rge e by are an is an - th ool ut dium n d bra , th the ou the ge, hu e la rit hy ons phy rm, hy ’s t d, b me e i ich are ith il, th as led ar d w rap shi gra l fo rap her ee or typ t wh ftw o w so ong ow an pog n fa po isua llig rap d sp em heir ou so o d ing o l kn ty ma Ty e v is ca pog an syst of t ab tar y re t o liv s. S true s e e , l t e t hu ab d t ty rc ng s on ri mo in in ht dur woo tha e fo etti t mo epti rop ve ch ach elig a art ue abl pes l se onc h p ha rea w m e d he is tr der r ty wil rec hic tyle ots ne tru It nsi ula ok o p of w of s ts ro ith of co rtic s bo e n ns nts d i ar w urce pa thi hav rsio me - an ye so of t I ve ele nd ach s a bu hich tial ha g e ain w sen ing un rem es eak be h hy sp ay rap m pog ise. ty rpr su
30 T ypographical Port folio Paulina Vazquez
logo designs
aulina
azquez G R A P H I C
D E S I G N
paulina vazquez 7810 sunset blvd. los angeles ca 90028
Paulina Vazquez 7810 sunset blvd. los angeles ca 90028
paulinavazquezdesign@gmail.com
7810 sunset blvd. los angeles ca 90028
front
paulinavazquezdesign@gmail.com
7810 sunset blvd. los angeles ca 90028
back
about
contact
portfolio
blog
42 T ypographical Port folio Paulina Vazquez
redesign
April 23 May 4
We’re celebrating Earth Month! Add more greenery to your apartment by decorating your own plant pottery to take home with you. Supplies will be provided.
Tuesday, April 24 11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Student Lounge Patio
Tuesday, April 24 2:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Room 425
DENIM DAY
FIDM MODETM Magazine Hosts:
Wear denim with a purpose, support survivors, and educate yourself and others about sexual assualt and rape! Sign our pledge to support survivors. #endrapeculture
A Look Behind the Magazine
Wednesday, April 25 All Day
Interested in learning what it takes to put a magazine together? Join FIDM MODETM Magazine for our first photoshoot of the quarter, a make-over!
Student Council Hosts:
Confidence Workshop You got what it takes, you just haven’t realized it yet. Learn impactful ways to let your confidence speak for you. Whether your’e asking someone out on a date, going to an interview, networking or asking for a raise, confidence is key.
Phi Theta Kappa Social:
Self Defense Class Join PTK for this safety workshop led by Peace Over Violence. Empowerment selfdefense is a set of awareness, assertiveness, verbal confrontation skills, safety strategies, and physical techniques. These enable one to successfully prevent, escape, resist, and survive violent assaults. Sign up in Room 425.
Friday, April 27 11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Room 500
Wednesday, May 2 11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Room 425
Girl Power Day
Tuesday, May 1 11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Room 425
Ladies! Let’s have a serious (and fun) chat about our bodies. Remove the stigma that comes with being a woman. Embrace your femininity and feel empowered with PTK. Who runs the world?!
FIDM Tote Bag Challenge!
Lost for words when you have to send a professional email? No worries, we got you! Join us for tea time and learn the unwritten rules of email etiquette to make the best impressions.
Tuesday, May 1 2:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Room 425
An email ettiquette workshop
Intrested in being a fashion designer and entreprenuer? Hear from celebrity designer, Walter Mendez, whose creations have been featured on celebrities like Beyonce, Britney Spears, Selena Gomez, Mel B, Jennifer Lopez, Camila Cabello and more.
Phi Theta Kappa Hosts: The Industry Club Hosts:
Pinkies Up:
The Industry Club Welcomes:
FIDM MODE™ Magazine: Looking for a way to get involved in MODE™ Magazine? Here’s your chance to showcase your talent. MODE is looking for fun and creative designed FIDM Tote Bags to feature in their upcoming issue. Take the classic FIDM Tote and transform it with fabric, paint, patches, beads, rhinestones or anything that inspires you. 10 lucky winning designs will get chosen! Stop by Student Activities, Room 425 for more details to apply.
Sketches are due May 3. Contest ends May 25.
DIY AIR PLANTS
Celebrity Fashion Designer
Thursday. April 26 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Room 425
Phi Theta Kappa Hosts:
Career Center
Student Activities Presents:
Industry Partnership
on Wednesday, April 25 from 11:00 .am. - 2:30 p.m. in the Student Lounge Companies will be on campus to recruit for part time and interships positions in the Student Lounge. Come prepared to network and interview.
The FIDM Store
Earth Day Sale In support of Earth Day, our reusable drinkware is 20% from April 23 - 27! Celebrate a clean Earth and purchase a reuseable water bottle or tumbler at the FIDM Store.
NEED MONEY TO HELP PAY TUITION? If you are a student starting your 2nd, 3rd or 4th year, in the Summer Quarter of 2017 you may be eligible to receive a Scholarship from the FIDM Scholarship Foundation
♦ ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: • Cumulative GPA 3.0 • U. S. citizen or permanent resident. • Currently employed or interning
“May The Fourth Be With You” Mixer Attention Star Wars lovers! Join us for this awesome mixer. Watch one of the classics while enjoying refreshments and snacks. The best Star Wars inspired outfit will win a prize!
Friday, May 4 11:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Room 425
Now Accepting Applications for Summer 2018 and Fall 2018! Look beyond your current AA degree and consider your options to earn your Bachelor degree in: Business Management Apparel Technical Design Design Interior Design Graphics Digital Cinema Social Media
Financial Services Effective as of July 1, 2017, failed units will be subject to a $500 per unit charge (Example: 3 units =$1,500.00). Please see Financial Services for further information.
Are You Wired? Do you have access to your email, WiFi, Adobe, eLearning, FIDM Portal, and FIDMPrints? Make sure to check the FIDM Portal or visit either eLearning (Room 403) or the Annex Copy Center to make sure you are wired for FIDM Technology this quarter!
STUDENT ADVISEMENT CURRENT INFORMATION
Does FIDM have your most current address, phone number, and email address? If not, please go to the Student Advisement office, Rm. 401 to update your information. Thank you.
- Now Available-
Come to Suite 401 to make an appointment today! Now Accepting Applications For MBA For Summer 2018 (You need to have a Business Bachelor Degree) Contact Sang Pak in Student Advisement, Suite 401A, spak@fidm.edu, for more informations
Don’t delay, schedule your appointment today!
Graduates
Have you met with your Student Advisor? If not, you need to schedule your appointment in room 401 as soon as possible to start planning for your 2nd yr.
June 2018 GRADS who benefited from the FEDERAL PERKINS LOAN, must complete an E-EXIT COUNSELING by the deadline: May 15, 2018
Save the Date!
♦ INSTRUCTIONS & APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS • Meet with Student Advisor to obtain application in suite 401
Submit completed FIDM Scholarship Foundation Application to your Student Advisor including references and resume
GET YOUR MONEY’S WORTH!
UTILIZE THE FIDM LIBRARY RESOURCES
Stop by the Media Room to check out DVD feature films, documentaries, runway shows, and biographies! Also discover innovative textiles, review Vogue Magazines from 17 different countries, and MUCH MORE!
E-Exits are available online at WWW.MYLOANCOUNSELING.COM
COMPLETION IS MANDATORY
Failure to complete, will result in your DIPLOMA being held. If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Garcia at (213) 624-1200 ext 4292 egarcia@fidm,edu or stop by room 401-N.
Attention All First Year 2nd Quarter Students!
Cap & Gown Distribution! Wednesday, May 16 12:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Grad Carnival 1:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
*RSVP REQUIRED at FIDMGRADCARNIVAL.RSVPIFY.COM
46 T ypographical Port folio Paulina Vazquez
historical typography
wiss
tyle
created in 1940-1950
designers Max Miedinger
Josef Muller-Brockmann Le Corbusier
why? swiss
co
reative
The Swiss Style movement was designed in the late 1950’s. It was forward thinking with the use of clean lines, geometry, and creativity. Swiss Style artists created some of the most clever posters with the use of image and type. Its eye catching structure is designed using a grid having everything sit perfectly aligned. It is visually pleasing to see these posters seamlessy organized, yet there is a bit of a creative twist to the linear structure. The Swiss Style took composition out of the box and into new ways of aligning, setting, and sizing text. Text was not just words it was a design, a shape used to create interest on the page. From the fonts, to the images, to the layout there is a simplicity to it all. The Swiss Style edited to what was only needed to make an impact no serifs, no illustrations, and use of white space. I am drawn to this style because I love the way heirachy is created in the certain way of aligning text or even making the text oversized and off the page. The colors are vibrant and lively. The photos contain some humor, some seriousness, and some cleverness. Once it is all combined together it is hard to not stare at the pieces. The way it all fits so clean and organized makes it so easy to read and understand. Once I have understood it I discover extra little quirks that I would not have noticed at first glance. I wanted to learn more in depth of this style in order to better understand why I am so drawn to it. I have learned that I share similar qualities to this style both organized, creative, loud, and quiet at times.
ener s
niform
ol rful
dramat c
organize
rg tic s mplistic
ha mony
The Principles of
Swiss Style Cleanliness. Readability. Objectivity.
JJ
ust a few key words that describe the driving force behind Swiss Style. The 19th century marked the separation of design from fine art, and with it, the birth of grid-based design. P.B. Meggs’ History of Graphic Design explains that International Typographic Design begins with a mathematical grid. These grids are considered to be the “most legible
most legible and
harmonious means for
structuring information and harmonious means for structuring information.” Using a grid for design makes creating a hierarchy for the content much easier—think web design. Why are so many websites broken into grids? Grids are flexible, consistent and easy to follow. They are clear-cut and work well with ratios (Rule of Thirds, Golden Ratio, etc.). In addition to the grid, Swiss Style usually involves an asymmetrical layout, sans serif typefaces and the favoring of photography over illustrations.
The movement’s innovators combined elements of other artistic trends to create the beauty and simplicity of the Swiss Style that we know today. Elements from Bauhaus, De Stijl and The New Typography are sprinkled throughout the works of Ersnt Keller, Max Bill, Josef-Müller Brakmann and Armin Hofmann—i.e., the pioneers of Swiss Style.
The Typefaces
Appreciating Swiss Style means appreciating the typefaces that started it all. Those grid systems wouldn’t be anything without the classic sans serif typeface that so seamlessly folds into Swiss Style. By stripping away the embellishments, Swiss Style eliminates distractions for the viewer and allows the information-heavy design to be read and studied rather than merely seen and admired. Because of this, the typefaces chosen to represent Swiss Style are those that really hone in one the movement’s key principles. Probably the most influential typeface for this movement, Akzidenz-Grotesk was released by the Berthold Type Foundry in 1896 and was arguably the first of its kind. It soon became one of the most widely used typefaces and was even sold in the U.S. under the names “Standard” or “Basic Commercial.
design should adapt to content If that doesn’t shout “FIRST!” I don’t know what does. Adrian Frutiger, one of the most influential typeface designers of the 20th century, created Univers in 1954. Pulling elements from Akzidenz-Grotesk, Frutiger created one of the first typefaces that formed a font family, allowing documents to use one typeface (instead of several) in various sizes and weights, creating a beautifully simple uniform via text alone. Originally released by Danberry & Peignot in 1957, the family passed through the hands of the Haas Type Foundry
before being purchased in 2007 (along with all of Linotype) by Monotype. When Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann created Helvetica in 1957, did they know their work would result in what is arguably the most ubiquitous sans serif typeface in the world? Probably not. Did they think, for just a moment, their typeface would inspire a film? Again, probably not. But here we are, nearly 60 years later, with an 88% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and Simon Garfield regarding Helvetica as “ubiquitous because it fulfills so many demands for modern type.”
The Designers
Ernst Keller, lovingly known as the “father of Swiss design.” The year is 1918 and Keller just received a teaching position at the Kunstgewerbeschule (literally translated “arts and crafts school”) in Switzerland. His teachings mark the beginning of the grid systems for which Swiss Style is known, and his belief that design should adapt to content placed focus on the importance of typefaces. Little did Keller know, some of his students would become the forefront runners in the creation of the International Typographic Style movement. Shall we call them the sons of Swiss Style? Armin Hofmann, along with Emil Ruder, founded the Schule für Gestaltung (School of Design) in 1947. Hofmann began teaching and was often regarded as unorthodox in his ways. Much of his work focused on elements of graphic form while remaining simple and objective. His compositions, having been influenced by Ernst Keller’s teachings, often made use of typography over illustration. Hofmann’s curriculum has been somewhat adapted, yet is still taught today at the School of Design in Basel, Switzerland. Josef MüllerBrockmann, another student of Keller’s, heavily focused his work around the grid system and Akzidenz-Grotesk typeface. After taking over Keller’s teaching position at the Kunstgewerbeschule and later opening his own design firm, Müller-Brockmann helped spread the Swiss aesthetic far beyond the borders of Europe by establishing the Neue Grafik (New Graphic Design) journal—a trilingual magazine he co-edited with Franco Vivarelli, Hans Neuberg and Richard Paul Lohse. About 125 miles northeast of Hofmann and Ruder’s School of Design, Max Bill and Otl Aicher opened their own school in Ulm, Germany. Bill, who is known not only for his work as a
designer, but also for his theoretical writings and connection to the Modern Movement, is often thought of as the most “decisive influence on Swiss graphic design.” His school in Ulm included courses in semiotics, or the study of signs and symbols. These teachings fell into step with the objectivity and readability of the International Typographic Style, which aims to create content that is easily recognized and understood by anyone who views it.
swiss style used after the swiss style movement
58 T ypographical Port folio Paulina Vazquez
pop! project
Week 1
pop! literary journal issue one volume seven in this issue: picasso frank ocean
ayn rand
lil peep
frida kahlo
Week 3
ayn rand frida kahlo
lil peep
picasso frank ocean in this issue:
literary journal
pop!
issue one
volume seven
Week 4
in this issue:
p
f k
icasso
rida
ar yn
issue one
and
ahlo
lp il
eep
f o rank
literary journal
pop!
cean
volume seven
Week 7
literary journal
issue one
volume seven
in this issue:
f a l f p pop! rida kahlo
il peep
yn rand
rank ocean
icasso
Week 9
frida kahlo
picasso
lil peep
ayn rand
literary journal
frank ocean
issue one
volume seven
in this issue:
70 T ypographical Port folio Paulina Vazquez
fonts used