A comprehensive documentation of Frutiger’s typographical work based on his own words, complete with history and detailed analysis from the editors, Heidrun Osterer and Philipp Stamm, and extraordinary visual comparisons of the typefaces. The amount of knowledge, information and technicalities are overwhelming for one read. I intend to reread it.
Rereading William Zinsser’s On Writing Well reminds me why I have been blogging for ten years. He advises: “You are writing primarily to please yourself, and if you go about it with enjoyment you will also entertain the readers who are worth writing for.” (p. 25)
I am not a writer and my grammar still sucks, but I love writing for myself. When I started to blog, my main goal was to improve my English. Over the years, writing has become my passion. Writing sets me free. When I write I have no obligation to anyone else but myself.
Whether reviewing an album, recommending a book or ranting about life, I have the complete freedom to write what on my mind. Sometimes the unfiltered opinion could get me into trouble. In retrospect, I have toned down my language in recent years. Being a husband and a father plays a role in it, but the main reason is that I am much more mellow than I used to be.
With the rise of social media, blogging has become less popular, but that is also why I still enjoy writing on my own site. The blog is still a quiet place, especially without comments, for me to just write. In 2014, I will continue to write as much as time would allow me to.
Over Thanksgiving break, I had a chance to go through two books on grid. Both Grids and Page Layouts by Amy Graver & Ben Jura and 100 Design Principles for Using Grids by Beth Tondreau are filled with great case studies and informative tips, but they don’t delve into the technical details of designing with grid. If you want to dig deep into the technique, start with Khoi Vinh’s excellent Ordering Disorder first before reading these two books for inspiration. The only thing that sticks out like a sore thumb is in Grids and Page Layouts where the quotes aren’t hanging. I don’t mind serif all-cap typeface, but the unhung quotes are unforgiven.
By turning topics that only type nerds appreciate into accessible storytelling, Simon Garfield has written one of the most engaging books about fonts I have read. From “We Don’t Serve Your Type” (the first chapter on Comic Sans) to “The Worse Fonts in the World,” Just My Type is quite entertaining even for folks outside of the typographic geeks.
This well-written book, a collaboration between Nancy Skolos and Tom Wedell, examines the creative process designers had taken when they approach a project. Even though each case study is unique to the designer and the individual work, one can learn something from all of them. I find Graphic Design Process quite valuable for my own process.
Ari Rafaeli’s criticism on Book Typography is bold, meticulous and constructive. He took Robert Bringhurst to task on small caps and Richard Hendel on a wrong comma (Galliard comma was used in Garamond font). It’s quite an intriguing, sometimes intimidating, read.
My latest interest has been on branding as I am taking a graduate course on it; therefore, I am very excited to see a book titled Branding Typography. It turns out to be a coffee table book. Still worth flipping through when in need of inspiration on branding.
Victoria Squire’s Getting it Right with Type is a great reference for simple dos and don’ts of typography. It’s good to have on hand even though the light khaki texts are a bit hard to read at times.
To fully comprehend type today, you need to know the history. If you’re looking for a quick yet insightful read on the history of type, Alan Bartram’s Typeforms: A History is for you. In a concise approach, Bartram presents a history of type dating back to 1470. With large illustrations and brief descriptions, Bartram shows how type has transformed over the years from Venetian to Twentieth-century Roman. One of the fascinating parts of the book is the beautiful examples of the architectural use of letterings in the early days.
Jan Middendorp’s Shaping Text covers the basics of typesetting and the nuances of typography. Rich visual examples combined with engaging writing make this book a pleasure to read.