Exercise: If the face fits 2

Exercise: If the face fits 2 (Graphic Design 1 pg.94)

Identify which fonts you might use in each of the following commissions:

• A short story in a woman’s magazine entitled ‘I thought I loved him; now I’m not so sure.”
• An advertisement in a Parish magazine asking for more helpers on the flower rota
• A poster to advertise an after-school club for boys aged 13 – 14
• Your friends’ engagement party

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I started the process in a way that has now become familiar, a few sketches and some online searches. This helped me identify the kinds of messages and tone I wanted to deliver for each commission. It was particularly useful for the Parish magazine and the After-school club because these are not things that are very familiar to me.

I thought I loved him:

Having looked at a number of womens’ magazines in an earlier exercise I decided this article was likely to have at least one image included and would be two or three columns in format. The heading sounded like quite a personal story and it made me think of love letters, or scribbled notes left for a partner. I then worked up four versions with the following combinations:

1. Header – Brush Script 40pt; Body – Lato 12pt
2. Header – Segoe Script 56pt; Body – Lato 12pt
3. Header – Montserrat 60pt; Body – Mr.Eaves XL Mod OT 12pt
4. Header – Segoe Script and Montserrat 56pt; Body – Lato 12pt

I decided to use a script header that looked like it had been written across the page, possibly something like a quick journal entry.  In version one this was paired with a san-serif Lato as I thought it was quite readable and contemporary. I don’t think the  Brush script worked especially well as it is possibly a bit clichéd and not that easy to read.

In version 2 I moved onto to Segoe Script because it looked like a more believable handwritten script. I dropped the opacity in the image and went to a black typeface that stands out more. I stayed with Lato for the body because I thought it had some echoes in the ‘t’ and ‘u’ shapes.

Rather than just stick with script I did try a san-serif header in version 3 which I paired with another san-serif typeface that looks slightly more formal that Lato but to me shared some of the shapes of the Montserrat. My view on this version was that is does not look very appealing and is unlikely to encourage someone to read it.

Version four shows a mixed header combining script and a san-serif typeface. I wondered if it might help convey the change of tone from the ‘I was in love’ to ‘maybe I’m not’. I don’t think this works as I had hoped because the san-serif has become too dominant. I went back to Lato for the body as I thought it worked with both header typefaces.

For me it is the second version with the Segoe Script that is most effective, I think the header text draws attention and  suggests a personal story.

Parish Magazine:

I tried three approaches to this poster – all of which I realised on rereading the brief to post the work are wrong because I did them portrait rather than landscape! Anyway, I decided that the emphasis for this commission should be something eye catching, a clear ‘call to action,’ with an emphasis on the ‘artistic’ element of the volunteer role.

1. Header – Myriad Pro 107pt; Body – Century Schoolbook 60pt/21pt
2. Header – Perpetua Titling MT Light 80pt; Body – Palatino Linotype Regular 60pt/21pt
3. Header – Perpetua Titling MT Light 80pt; Body – MS Ref San Serif 56pt, Palatino Linotype Bold 24pt

I decided to start with a clear san-serif header and a serif body text that lends itself to a ‘church’ type identity. Artistic is italicised for emphasis, and coloured to match the church interior. The more detailed information is combined in a box at the bottom, working on the basis that the earlier layout will have attracted enough attention to encourage the reader to read down.

Having originally just put the header in place on its own I added the cross to underline the ‘can you’ – reinforcing the ‘we need you’ message. I wasn’t sure if it was a bit clichéd but it seemed to add some balance.

In version two I added a serif header and made ‘artistic’ regular. Version three uses a san-serif body and a larger point size for the footer text, which is also reversed out in a different colour box. I think the second version has a more ecclesiastical feel but in terms of an advertising poster I think the third version would probably be clearest to read at a distance.

After School Club:

I used three approaches to the typography:

1. Header – Eras Bold ITC regular 98pt; body – Century Gothic regular 36/27.5pt
2. Header – Eras Bold ITC 110pt; body – Century Gothic regular 46/30pt
3. Header – Most Wazted regular 136/67/62pt; Proxima Nova regular 48/34; body – Amsterdam Graffiti 96/102/129pt

I was a bit stumped with how to approach this one other than having the Manga character so my first version is very legible but a bit boring, the figure tends to dominate.

The second version I decided to play a bit more with the typography and used the ‘bored?’ in a vertical format as if it was weighing down on the figure. I used some colour accents to bring out the activities and the fact that they are free.

In the third version I went for graffiti types and created a more informal format, the text is run slightly behind the figure as if he is leaning up against the poster. I feel is the most successful of the three. This one also got the vote of my family!

Mandy & Josh:

I used three typeface combinations paying particular attention to the ‘club night’ part of the brief:

1. Header – Techno Hideo regular 60/36pt; Body – Myriad Pro Condensed 18pt
2. Header – Snap ITC 60/36pt; Body – Showcard Gothic 14pt
3. Header – Fresno Black 60pt, Fresno Inline 45/36pt; Body – Agency FB Bold 17pt

This was the last design I worked on and I think it was the one I enjoyed the most. I wanted to create something that had a very strong club night feel and started by looking at a range of techno typefaces. Of all the designs this was the one where I experimented more with different typefaces, using colour and shape for emphasis. I think this was also the first time I started to see the typefaces as design shape as well as ‘words’ with particular meaning. I wanted the message to be clear but also wanted the typeface to create a particular tone and composition. I think the third design was the most successful in achieving this.