WRITTEN AND DESIGNED BY SHYSTA PANDEY
P U B L IC T Y P O G R A P H Y A S T H E INDU S T RY ’S F O U NDAT IO N
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
AT T ENT I ON! ¡ AT ENC IÓ N!
06
C H A P T ER 1 : W H Y IS T Y P O GRAP HY I M P O RTANT?
C AU T I ON! ¡ C U I D A DO S O !
16
C H A P T ER 2 : T Y P O G R A P H Y AS WARNI NG A ND INS T R U C T IO N
I D ENT I FI C AT I ON! ¡ IDENT IF IC A C IÓ N!
32
C H A P T ER 3: T Y P O G RA P HY AS I D ENTI F I C ATI O N A ND INV ENT O R Y
S T RENGT H ! ¡ FU ER T E! C H A P T ER 4: C H U NK Y T Y P O GRAP HY AS STABI LI T Y
42
C H A P T ER 1 : W H Y IS T Y P O G R A P H Y IMP O R TA NT ?
ATTENTION! ยกATENCIร N! 6
7
PAY AT T ENT IO N A ND U S E C AU T IO N!
T Y P O G RAP HY IS ES S ENT IAL .
INDIC AT ED W IT H RO AD S IG NS ;
C O NS T R U C T IO N AR EAS AR E C O MMO NLY
“Typography is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable and appealing when displayed. The arrangement of type involves selecting typefaces, point sizes, line lengths, line spacing, letter spacing as well as adjusting the space between pairs of letters.
8
EVERY MAN-MADE OBJECT HAS BEEN TOUCHED BY TYPOGRAPHY IN SOME WAY; TYPE AIDS IN CREATION OR COMPLIMENTS IT. The term typography is also applied to the style, arrangement and appearance of the letters, numbers and symbols created by the process.� (Bringhurst, Robert. The Elements of Typographic Style, version 3.1. Canada: Hartley & Marks, 2005. p. 32.) Typography is widely found all across the world, in all aspects of our lives; we find type in the bathrooms we use on knobs and pipes, to typography on buildings, roads and manhole covers.
9
“Construction is the process of constructing a building or infrastructure. As an industry, it is six to nine percent of America’s Gross Domestic Product.” (Chitkara, K. K. (1998), Construction Project Management, New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Education, p. 4) In the United States, the industry in 2014 has around $960 billion in annual revenue
10
according to statistics tracked by the Census Bureau, of which $680 billion is private and the remainder is government. In 2005, there were about 667,000 firms employing 1 million contractors. (Value of Construction Put in Place at a Glance. United States Census Bureau.)
11
12
T Y P O G RA P H Y F O RM S T H E B A C K B O NE O F T H E C O NS T R U C T IO N INDU S T R Y T H RO U G H IT S U S A G E A S A F O RM O F WA RN ING , INS T R U C T IO N A ND IDENT IF IC AT IO N. Typography plays an integral role in construction, forming its backbone through its widespread and often overlooked use across the industry and the process itself. Typography in construction serves as identification, warning, instruction, advertising and additional information.
13
“HOW OFTEN DO YOU THINK YOU INTERACT WITH TEXT ON THE JOB?”
“ M O R E O F T EN T H A N I R EA L IZ E. A LO T O F C O NS T R U C T IO N W O R K IS B A S E D O F F W R IT T EN WA R NING S A ND S IG NS , S O T EXT IS P R ET T Y IMP O R TA NT T O T H E J O B . ” -RON, EZELL MORGAN CONSTRUCTION
14
15
CAUTION!
ยกCUIDADOSO!
16
H A RD H AT A R EA O NLY !
C H A P TER 2 : T Y P O GRAP HY AS WA R NING AND INS TR UCTIO NS
17
18
ENT R A NC E T O T H E CO NST RU C T IO N S IT E.
One of the precautions construction workers take is their attire; hard shell hats, steel-toed boots and neon colored vests for visibility are considered a part of the standard construction uniform. However, another precaution taken in the construction industry lies in typography as the foundation for instruction in safety.
S IG NS C OV ER T H E C H A IN L INK F ENC ES AT T HE
Construction sites are widely considered to be areas associated with danger, causing construction workers to take extreme precaution when in their work environments due to the multiple possibilities for accidents to occur. Construction sites mean the potential for falling debris, accidents while operating tools and heavy machinery, as well as the potential for electrical accidents.
19
20
T Y P O G RA P H Y IN T H E C O NS T RU C T IO N INDU S T R Y MO S T LY S ERV ES A S A WA RN ING ; THE WORDS “CAUTION” AND “CUIDADOSO” ARE PL ASTERED ACROSS MOST CONSTRUCTION TOOLS AND MACHINERY, FROM TOOLS AS SIMPLE AS L ADDERS TO L ARGE SCALE MACHINERY INCLUDING POWER SAWS AND BULLDOZERS.
21
PHRASES I ND I C AT I NG WARNING S A R E INC L U DE D IN BOT H ENGL I SH AND S PANI SH, DUE TO THE L ARGE HISPANIC POPUL ATION THAT WORKS IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY.
22
Many warning labels on construction equipment include disclaimers and notes informing readers of the severity of consequences that would arise if written instructions are disregarded or not read through fully and completely understood.
This inclusivity in language ensures that no matter what the ethnic origins of the workers, instructions for safety are always clear. Instructions regarding safety procedures in operating tools and machinery are boldly displayed in colors that catch attention easily, ensuring that no matter who operates the machinery, safety and operating instructions are always noticeable and will always be followed.
P R EC A U C IĂ“ N P E L IG RO AT ENC IĂ“ N C U IDA DO S O
23
SLIPPERY
WET PA INT
FORK LIFT
MIND YOU R H EA D
Warnings often include graphics or diagrams illustrating the written text, making information easier to understand and comprehendable in a shorter period of time.
24
O VER H EAD LOA D
M AC H I N ERY
FR AG I LE R O OF
FL AMMABLE
LOW T EMP
BIOH A Z A RD
EX PLO SI VE M ATERIAL
HIGH VOLTAGE
HARD HAT
R A D IOA CTIV E
25
26
“HOW OFTEN DO YOU READ INSTRUCTIONS AND SAFETY WARNINGS ON CONSTRUCTION EQUPMENT AND MATERIALS?” “ M O S T O F U S L EA RN A B O U T S A F ET Y R EG UL ATIO NS AND H O W T O U S E EQ U IP M ENT A ND MAT ER IA LS D URING O U R U NIO N T R A IN ING , S O LO O K ING AT I NSTR UCTIO NS A ND S A F ET Y WA R NING S R EA L LY DEP END S O N THE P ERS O N. S O ME P EO P L E LO O K AT IT A ND SO ME P EO P LE IG NO R E IT. B U T IT ’S A LWAY S NIC E T O K NO W THAT THE INF O R MAT IO N IS T H ER E IF Y O U NEED IT. ” - JESSE TORNEDEN, FIRST CONSTRUCTION LLC.
27
Text on warning labels and road signs is most often of the sans-serif variety, with heavy weight and a large point size to facilitate easy reading. This text is placed in a situation of high contrast, often being black on a light color such as white, yellow or neon orange, or else white on a black background. The main goal of text within construction is to be noticeable and to be read easily and quickly.
28
T HE GOAL OF T Y P O G R A P H Y W IT H IN C ONS T RU C T I ON IS T O B E U S ER FRI END LY AND T O S ER V E A P U R P O S E. TEXT DOES NOT RESIDE FOR AESTHETIC OR DECORATIVE PURPOSES BUT TO COMMUNICATE QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY.
29
The thoughtful application and use of typography forms the backbone of instruction and safety in the construction industry, allowing workers to maintain safety standards. Typography increases productivity by having instructions placed on the equipment itself, instead of in user manuals in the way consumer goods do.
30
TEXT PLAYS A PRIMARY ROLE IN HOW A WORKER INTERACTS WITH EQUIPMENT ON-SITE.
31
C HAPT ER 3 : T Y POGRAP H Y A S I D ENT I FI CAT IO N AND I NVENT O R Y
32
IDENTIFICATION!
CA U T IO N REQ U IR ED!
ยกIDENTIFICACIร N!
33
34
“ EQ U IP MENT IS MA RK E D W IT H S E RIA L NUMBER S THAT A R E U S E D T O K EEP INV ENT O RY O F EQ U IP MENT AS WELL A S T O S T O P IT F R O M P O S S IB LY B EING ACCID ENTALLY P IC K E D U P B Y A NO T H ER C O MPA NY. ”
- JESSE TORNEDEN, FIRST CONSTRUCTION LLC.
Construction equipment is varied; keeping track of it requires a form of systematic identification that primarily uses numbers. According to Jesse Torneden, the Assistant Project Manager at First Construction LLC, equipment is marked with serial numbers to keep inventory and keep track of the ownership of equipment.
35
T H E G REE N H A ND -WR ITTEN IDENT IF IC AT IO N NUMBER IS B O T H A S Y S T EM O F MARKING In addition to specific typography that corresponds to inventory, construction sub-contractors also use color or specific markings to designate materials and equipment as belonging to them.
INV ENT O R Y, A S WELL AS MEANT T O ES TA B L IS H THE O WNER O F T H E L A DDER , DIF F ER ENTIATING IT F R O M T H E P ROP ER T Y O F O THER S U B - C O NT R A CTO R S O N THE C O NS T R U C T ION SITE.
36
37
APART FRO M INV ENT O R Y, T Y POGRAP H Y A LS O S ER V ES A S A FORM OF IDENT IF IC AT IO N B Y PROVI D I NG MA NU FA C T U R ER D ETAI LS T H R O U G H INDIV IDU A L S ERI AL NU M B ER S A ND L ET T ER S ; THESE LETTERS AND NUMBERS CORRESPOND TO WHERE THE MATERIALS WERE MADE, WHEN THEY WERE MADE AND THE PARTICUL AR BATCH IN WHICH THEY WERE MADE.
38
39
40
T Y P O G RA P H Y O N H EAV Y MACHINER Y T E NDS T O B E M U C H L AR GER AND B O L DER T H A N T Y P O GR AP HY O N C O NS T R U C T IO N M ATERIALS. Typography as identification peppers construction zones, from lengthy identification serial numbers that run the length of rubber pipe covers, to more obvious identification like model numbers or manufacturer information on heavy machinery. This information is displayed prominently, most often in black on construction machinery.
41
42
MIND Y O U R HEAD!
STRENGTH! C HAPT ER 4: C HU N K Y T Y POGR A P H Y AS STAB I L I T Y
ยกFUERTE! 43
HEAVY AND CHUNKY TYPOGRAPHY IS TIED TO STRENGTH AND STABILITY. The general theme with branding and construction typography is stability and power. Typography is most often heavy and blocky with sharp, chunky corners on the letterforms they use. This usage of heavy and chunky typography appears to be tied with strength and stability, both qualities that form
44
the basis of a good construction company and are values the businesses in the industry aim to align themselves with. Small-scale businesses in the industry all aim to promote themselves as being dependable and stable, and most often end up with similar looking results in terms of branding.
45
In addition, most construction businesses do not give much consideration to typography or visuals in terms of branding, or else do not have the understanding of what constitutes good typography or what would set them apart from other businesses in a positive way.
46
IN T RU T H , NO B O DY REA L LY C A RE S A B O U T T Y P O G R A P H Y, B R A NDING A ND DES IG N B ES IDES DES IG NER S , AND THIS IS A MINDSET THAT MOST INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY REFLECT.
47
T Y P O G RA P H Y IS IM P O RTA NT. J U S T NO T T O EV ER Y O NE. Typography shapes the way workers interact with equipment and materials. However, for something that is integral to communication and work ethic in the industry, typography seems to be ignored quite often, with construction workers often being reluctant to admit their connection to something they perceive as being “artsy�. It is important to realize that typography and the way it appears is only truly important to designers; expecting people outside of the design industry to care about type might just be asking for too much.
48
49