Type Announcement

Project Brief

Design a typographic "Announcement" that utilizes your assigned typeface in combination with another one. This Announcement can be on any topic you choose but it should have some connection to the typeface itself, its history, the time period when it was designed, the country of origin, purpose etc. Your research should be the driving force in determining what your Announcement is about. (A birthday for the type designer, announcing an invention or major event from the year the typeface was created etc...)

Research the origins, history, purpose, properties and usage of your assigned typeface. There is a list of questions below you should be able to answer. Find examples of this typeface in use and build a mood board to share with the class. Find at least two other typefaces that can be paired with it — one that's similar to it, and one that contrasts it. 

What does it mean to pair similar typefaces?
There is harmony in their physical properties (ex: both written with a pen, similar stroke weight), proportions (ex: similar widths), cultural references (ex: both Latin typefaces), classification (ex: both serif). They might also have stylistic consistency (both modern serifs). Sometimes type pairings that are similar are done because a particular typeface might not have lining numbers or special characters. 

What does it mean to pair contrasting typefaces?
There is contrast in their physical characteristics through case, width, style, posture and weight. The historical references contrast (different designers, different countries, designed in different time periods) or their purposes are different (one is display, one is primarily for text, one is meant for large sizes, one is meant for captions).

Learning Objectives

This project will increase your sensitivity to the characteristics of individual typefaces, type pairings, type history, and visual design for a large format document. You will also be doing some writing as you define the subject/content for this project. 

Deliverables

—Final poster size is 12x18 inches, portrait orientation. 
—You must use your assigned typeface in combination with at least one other typeface.
—Image use (if any) should be carefully considered as it relates to the content and context of the project.
—Color + graphics are up to you. Again, choices should be relevant to your Announcement. 
—Employ the 30–10–3 foot rule when designing anything meant to be seen in a public venue.
—Consider the four ways to combine type and image, as outlined in Type, Image, Message. 

Readings/Resources

The Visual History of Type by Paul McNeil
Type, Image, Message by Tom Wedell and Nancy Skolos
The Letterform Archive
Fonts in Use (Similar typefaces)
Fonts in Use (Contrasting typefaces)
People's Graphic Design Archive
FontPair.co
TypeWolf.com
Type Deconstructed

Reflections

Fun project. It forced the students to work with typefaces they wouldn't ordinarily choose (Fraktur, Baby Teeth, Template Gothic, Peignot etc). I gave a selection of typefaces that were designed for a specific purpose or of a specific time period. The Visual History of Type book is a great resource for selecting typefaces — one page overview on each one. I can't say enough good things about Fonts in Use's Similar and Contrasting typeface pairings. Students often don't know what to pair together and this website is really great for giving them options beyond a neutral typeface like Helvetica or Roboto. In their research presentations they had to explain why the typefaces work together. This helped them continue to build their type vocabulary.