Abstract
How to Use Type by Lindsey Marshall and Lester Meachem is an excellent and lucid new book that offers a creative and informative overview of the most important components of design. It is their second collaboration with Laurence King Publishers, the first being How to Use Images (2010). Primarily oriented towards type, we learn about the multiple considerations in the design process, which involve selection at every level. The authors explain their motivations by acknowledging the ubiquity of type in the world around us and how often, for the majority of people, it is overlooked at the expense of the message imparted and the visuals (if any) accompanying it. Ironically then, in spite of the widespread use of type, we find ourselves thinking less and less about it because of its prevalence and because of the fast pace of communication which is geared towards receiving messages and not unduly concerning itself with the mode of delivery. By taking a long hard look at type – its evolution, styles and uses – this pioneering book refocuses attention on a subject that is not only of integral importance to designers but also to human communication in general. Type is not solely conceived of as a vehicle but as an end in itself. By the end of the book, we are well on track to appreciating how strongly developed type is in our environment and how it influences how we make meaning.
The book’s remit is ambitious: it traces the development of type from early manual letterforms in woodcuts and movable letters to digitally simulated typefaces and conveys the trajectory from early to later forms, while also discussing instances of non-transferability when the material cannot neatly be translated into the digital, and vice versa (when thinking about size and scale, for example). While making the reader aware of the philosophical and technical shifts from the age of printing to digitalization, the authors discuss various ways of thinking about the shift in technology and the impact this has had on production and reception. By tackling both print-based and screen-based type, the authors convey the importance of age-old practices, the historical legacy in the development of visual communication, and current concerns about how to formulate type in three- or four-dimensional digital mode.
Discussion is prompted by a host of pressing questions, all of which seek to expand our understanding about type. Simple ones, such as ‘What is type?’ and ‘Where is it found?’ make the reader realize the enormity of the subject, especially when we are reminded of the blurred boundaries between type and image, where type functions as image (or the other way round) in concrete poetry, emoticons and calligrams, to name but a few examples. We then learn how the minutiae of design decisions – such as size, form, spacing, use of colour, scale, hierarchy, contrast – can radically affect how something appears. The issues involved in combining typefaces and how to evaluate judgements is also considered. Although the variety of typefaces and their histories is outlined in part, the visual effects of typefaces is explored without strangling their creative possibilities, which is yet another strength of the approach taken. The authors draw on their expertise as practitioners and researchers in visual communication to support their insights, but they also appeal to the intriguing psychology of perception to explain how different effects generate different perceptions.
Various devices are used throughout the book that contribute to its student-friendly approach. These include regular activities where it is intended that what has been learnt in that particular section be applied to a task-focused exercise. Encouragement to devise and use one’s own examples means that students can apply their growing knowledge to their own interests. Less frequent but just as effective are the case studies that develop examples in greater detail and present cutting-edge contemporary work, such as the activities of a design studio in Buenos Aires. Another subtle but useful aspect is the presence of ‘hits’ and ‘pitfalls’ that help to consolidate learning as well as identifying good and bad practice. Many design ‘primers’ that use pedagogic tools end up being formulaic and rigidly structured but this book employs varied layouts throughout, making it visually exciting, spontaneous and in keeping with one of its objectives-to inculcate visual articulacy. The text of the book is accompanied by a helpful glossary and useful bibliographical material including further reading and pertinent websites.
One of the strongest aspects of the book, which makes it distinct from its competitors, is the plethora of visual images (replete with detailed captions) that help to substantiate, or indeed articulate textual points, and are sometimes used to provide examples of the method in question. The images used are from a host of different cross-cultural and trans-historical environments and include a vast array of artefacts. The image selection contributes to the wide appeal and richness of the book, and also makes the reader more aware that we do not have to fall back on familiar examples but can think about possibilities that fall outside our conventional understanding.
The overriding ethos and tone of the book is experimentalism. The acquisition of skills entails being able to exercise judgement about specific design choices and, while this is the modus operandi of the book, the guiding principle was to cultivate skills through experimentalism by keeping boundaries open and enhancing creativity. This is innovative and refreshing, and makes a welcome change from the number of product or client-centred books that are merely about going from point ‘a’ to point ‘b’ without thinking about any alternatives.
Principally aimed at the student market, it is indispensable reading for undergraduates and postgraduates in visual communication, which is explicitly identified in terms of designers, illustrators and web developers and other related subfields such as games designers, video and film makers, and product designers. It is also suitable for creative arts programmes. Furthermore, there is much to recommend this book for wider audiences, including general readers who are interested in visual semiotics and in understanding how to interpret design, construed in an inclusive sense.