Chapter 1 & 2

Chapter 1:

I found it really interesting that typography has existed since 3150 BCE. This chapter also changed how I view what typography is. I believed that the first typographic document in existence would have been the ancient Egyptians. However the earliest written documents were impressed into clay slabs and were kept for record keeping. I completely forgot about Cuneiform (3000 BCE). However it was a very early writing system. They used wedge shaped marks on clay tablets. I just wonder if many people were literate or only a certain group. Also if anyone from modern times has been able to translate what each shape means.

In 2500 BCE Egyptians made papyrus which offered a new material for writing. It still amazes me how advanced the ancient Egyptians were and how much we have derived from them.

A thousand years later in 1500 BCE, a 22 character Phoenician alphabet.

Overall typography has a rich history. We use it in many different ways; from documents to posters to magazines. To me, there seems to be a correlation between the progression of society and typography. Every time a new type is created or a new movement of type takes form, society itself follows. I also really loved looking at where fonts I use currently stemmed from. For example, the Jean Jannon style is what styled Garamond.

Chapter 2:

Chapter two did a great job of explaining not only how important typography is, but each element of typography. Everything is placed in a certain form for a reason. Typography is its own type of art in my opinion. The only difference is that characters are the subject.

The same message can be perceived differently simply based on how your typography is designed. Also spatial measure is extremely important! I think it happens to be the main cause of illegibility. If the individual letters are not spread out proportionally, then the entire piece falls into shambles. It is something to remember when you are considering your target audience too.

There are two types of fonts that I would say are my favorite to use. They are:

Modern

For me personally, there is something so attractive about modern fonts. They really catch my attention, especially when used on album covers. If I'm on Spotify and I see an album cover with not only great graphics, but modern fonts, I'm most likely going to listen for nothing other than its design. As cheesy as this sounds, it's very minimal. But modern is so versatile and can be used in many mediums which is probably another reason the style attracts my eye.

Transitional

Transitional fonts is what I would expect when reading a book. I pay more attention to the words or message that is being said than the design itself.

My least favorite font style is Italic.

I cannot begin to describe my dislike for italicized fonts. I use them when the design calls for it, but they are usually my last resort. I just do not enjoy looking at them. Maybe it is because my vision is terrible, but honestly whenever I come across an italicized font, my head begins to hurt.