Thursday 27 February 2014
Survey Results
How often do you drink tea?
Why haven't you tried different types of tea?
If you were given the chance to try free tea, would you take part?
Wednesday 26 February 2014
Survey
I designed a survey to see the different types of tea's that people have tried. For our viral project we wanted to promote the different varieties of tea, we created this survey to find out the different types of teas people have tried and if they would be willing to try new teas.
Tuesday 25 February 2014
Monday 24 February 2014
Design Principles Research
How does point size effect legibility and readability?
Books normally use a point size of 10.
What are the main arguments for the superior readability of sans serif vs
Arguments in favor of sans serif typefaces
· Sans serifs are better on the web
· Sans serif is better at small sizes. Sans serif fonts survive reproduction and smearing because of their simple forms
· Sans serif is better for children learning to read
Legibility is concerned with how easy it is to distinguish individual letters. The simpler a type design is, the more legible it is. So why do less-than-legible typefaces even exist? Because typeface designers love to create unique and distinctive designs, of course. While it is generally better to always choose a legible type, there are times when distinctiveness may be more important than legibility. For example, when selecting a font for a unique and distinctive company logo.
There are three design features that make a typeface legible:
1. Large X-Height:
A large x-height increases the negative space within each letter. This makes it’s shape much more discernable.
2. Large Counters:
The negative space within a letter is called a counter. When a typeface has large counters, it is easier to distinguish the shape of each individual letter.
3. Simple Letterforms:
The simpler a letterform, the more legible it is. Sans serif types are generally more legible than their serif counterparts because they do not have any serifs interfering with the shapes of the letters. However, this does not mean that sans serifs are necessarily easier to READ in text. Actually, serif types are generally considered MORE readable. The exception to this rule is on-screen. Because of on-screen distortion, sans serif is the best choice for readability.
Some common typefaces which meet these three criteria are: Helvetica, Novarese, New Century Schoolbook, Cheltenham, Times Roman, Gill Sans, and Baskerville.
Readability refers to the ease with which a reader can scan over paragraphs of type. In other words, how easy it is to read! While legibility is basically dependent on the typeface design, readability is dependent on the manipulation or handling of the type. A highly legible typeface can be made unreadable by poor typographic design. Factors which affect readability include: line lengths, point size, leading, typeface selection, spacing, type alignment, and background.
Avoid Capitals
Ninety-five percent of what we read is in lowercase letters. Not only are we much more used to reading them, but they also assist us because they create a recognizable shape (coastline). Words in capital letters have no distinctive shape (or coastline).
Use a size suitable for your audience. Ideal text type size ranges from 9-12 point depending on the x-height. Remember older people may need a larger point size
There are three design features that make a typeface legible:
1. Large X-Height:
A large x-height increases the negative space within each letter. This makes it’s shape much more discernable.
2. Large Counters:
The negative space within a letter is called a counter. When a typeface has large counters, it is easier to distinguish the shape of each individual letter.
3. Simple Letterforms:
The simpler a letterform, the more legible it is. Sans serif types are generally more legible than their serif counterparts because they do not have any serifs interfering with the shapes of the letters. However, this does not mean that sans serifs are necessarily easier to READ in text. Actually, serif types are generally considered MORE readable. The exception to this rule is on-screen. Because of on-screen distortion, sans serif is the best choice for readability.
Some common typefaces which meet these three criteria are: Helvetica, Novarese, New Century Schoolbook, Cheltenham, Times Roman, Gill Sans, and Baskerville.
Readability refers to the ease with which a reader can scan over paragraphs of type. In other words, how easy it is to read! While legibility is basically dependent on the typeface design, readability is dependent on the manipulation or handling of the type. A highly legible typeface can be made unreadable by poor typographic design. Factors which affect readability include: line lengths, point size, leading, typeface selection, spacing, type alignment, and background.
Avoid Capitals
Ninety-five percent of what we read is in lowercase letters. Not only are we much more used to reading them, but they also assist us because they create a recognizable shape (coastline). Words in capital letters have no distinctive shape (or coastline).
Use a size suitable for your audience. Ideal text type size ranges from 9-12 point depending on the x-height. Remember older people may need a larger point size
to read.
Don't use a too long or too short line length.
Very short or long lines disrupt the reader’s rhythm, making it harder to read. Very short lines run the risk of creating rivers if justified alignments used. If long lines are unavoidable, extra leading can help offset the problem. Very long lines disrupt reading. When the eyes get tired, they are no longer able to find the beginning of the next line of type. An ideal line length can be estimated by doubling the point size. For instance, 12 point type should have a line length of 24 picas (or four inches). Generally, shorter lines should be used for typefaces with small x-heights and thick/thin designs, and also bold and italic fonts. Usually a serif typeface can tolerate a longer line than a sans serif.
Create equal word spacing.
If word spaces are too large, they break the lines up into separate elements and disrupt reading. This is especially true if justified type is used on a short line length. If the word spaces are too small, it becomes difficult to distinguish each separate word. A good trick to use to check word spacing is to turn the page upside down and squint at it. Excessively large word spaces will stand out. Be especially careful with condensed and expanded fonts, reversed type, and vertical, narrow typefaces (like Bodoni).
Create even letter spacing.
When letters are correctly spaced, a paragraph of type takes on an even color. From a distance it should look like a screened gray block. The shade of gray will depend on the heaviness of the typeface. Any interference with normal letter spacing is very hard to read. If the letter spacing is uneven, darker spots stand out in places against the gray color. Often, tight tracking will create uneven letter spacing.
Think about the background.
An important factor in the readability of type is the background on which it is placed. This includes not only any printed blocks of color, screens or black backgrounds, but also the kind of paper the type appears on. When selecting a typeface, think carefully about what kind of background it will be placed on. For instance, a fine, light typeface will not stand out well on black or screened background, or on textured/glossy paper. To avoid readability problems, never place text type on black or screened backgrounds. It’s too hard to read!
The minimum size would depend on the font, the weight, and the colours involved. Solid 100% K text on a white or light background is best. If you're using white text, it will likely fill in if the point size is too small, especially if the surrounding colour is using more than one ink. If you're using a coloured text that uses multiple inks, you run the risk of bad registration causing your text to look blurry.
There are actually two types of type.
Some fonts read better when small and others when large. Verdana for example is designed slightly larger than other fonts making it very readable at small sizes and explains why it’s so often used in online body copy.
The question you probably most want to know is what size should you use. There isn’t a simple answer. Compare the following two fonts.
Don't use a too long or too short line length.
Very short or long lines disrupt the reader’s rhythm, making it harder to read. Very short lines run the risk of creating rivers if justified alignments used. If long lines are unavoidable, extra leading can help offset the problem. Very long lines disrupt reading. When the eyes get tired, they are no longer able to find the beginning of the next line of type. An ideal line length can be estimated by doubling the point size. For instance, 12 point type should have a line length of 24 picas (or four inches). Generally, shorter lines should be used for typefaces with small x-heights and thick/thin designs, and also bold and italic fonts. Usually a serif typeface can tolerate a longer line than a sans serif.
Create equal word spacing.
If word spaces are too large, they break the lines up into separate elements and disrupt reading. This is especially true if justified type is used on a short line length. If the word spaces are too small, it becomes difficult to distinguish each separate word. A good trick to use to check word spacing is to turn the page upside down and squint at it. Excessively large word spaces will stand out. Be especially careful with condensed and expanded fonts, reversed type, and vertical, narrow typefaces (like Bodoni).
Create even letter spacing.
When letters are correctly spaced, a paragraph of type takes on an even color. From a distance it should look like a screened gray block. The shade of gray will depend on the heaviness of the typeface. Any interference with normal letter spacing is very hard to read. If the letter spacing is uneven, darker spots stand out in places against the gray color. Often, tight tracking will create uneven letter spacing.
Think about the background.
An important factor in the readability of type is the background on which it is placed. This includes not only any printed blocks of color, screens or black backgrounds, but also the kind of paper the type appears on. When selecting a typeface, think carefully about what kind of background it will be placed on. For instance, a fine, light typeface will not stand out well on black or screened background, or on textured/glossy paper. To avoid readability problems, never place text type on black or screened backgrounds. It’s too hard to read!
The minimum size would depend on the font, the weight, and the colours involved. Solid 100% K text on a white or light background is best. If you're using white text, it will likely fill in if the point size is too small, especially if the surrounding colour is using more than one ink. If you're using a coloured text that uses multiple inks, you run the risk of bad registration causing your text to look blurry.
There are actually two types of type.
- Text Type is designed to be legible and readable across a variety of sizes
- Display Type is designed to attract attention and pull the reader into the text. It can be more elaborate, expressive, and have a stylish look.
Some fonts read better when small and others when large. Verdana for example is designed slightly larger than other fonts making it very readable at small sizes and explains why it’s so often used in online body copy.
The question you probably most want to know is what size should you use. There isn’t a simple answer. Compare the following two fonts.
This is 12px Verdana
This is 12px Arial
Same 12px, but a different size.
Somewhere around 10pt or 11pt is ideal for reading in print. Of course there’s no such thing as a point online even if css lets us set fonts in pt sizes. There isn’t an exact conversion between px and pt either, however using the conversion chart at Reed Design we see that 10 to 11pt corresponds to 13 to 15 px, probably a bit larger than what many sites use.
You also need to take your audience into account. I can tell you that the older I get, the larger I want to see a font-size set.
12px is a common setting for online body copy. If you go below this be prepared for people to comment how small your font is. At 14px you’ll probably start getting comments about your large font. 12px to 14 px though is probably a good range to choose for body copy, though again it will depend on other factors.
For things like captions you would usually go a little smaller and naturally for headings you would typically go bigger.
One last point about font sizes is the idea of scaling, which can be used to develop a hierarchy in your type. The basic idea is to choose font sizes that relate to one another for different elements in your design.
72.27 points make one inch. A point is 0.3515 milimeters. A point is neither metric
This is 12px Arial
Same 12px, but a different size.
Somewhere around 10pt or 11pt is ideal for reading in print. Of course there’s no such thing as a point online even if css lets us set fonts in pt sizes. There isn’t an exact conversion between px and pt either, however using the conversion chart at Reed Design we see that 10 to 11pt corresponds to 13 to 15 px, probably a bit larger than what many sites use.
You also need to take your audience into account. I can tell you that the older I get, the larger I want to see a font-size set.
12px is a common setting for online body copy. If you go below this be prepared for people to comment how small your font is. At 14px you’ll probably start getting comments about your large font. 12px to 14 px though is probably a good range to choose for body copy, though again it will depend on other factors.
For things like captions you would usually go a little smaller and naturally for headings you would typically go bigger.
One last point about font sizes is the idea of scaling, which can be used to develop a hierarchy in your type. The basic idea is to choose font sizes that relate to one another for different elements in your design.
72.27 points make one inch. A point is 0.3515 milimeters. A point is neither metric
or imperial.
Microsoft Word uses exactly 72 points to the inch. This is known as a "Postscript point" since it was the first computer design system to use the 72-per-inch convention. Postscript points aren’t technically typesetting points; i.e. two typesetters, one using PS points and the other using real points, will discover that one's fonts are slightly too big and the other's points slightly too small. Slightly means the round-off error is insignificant for all but the largest fonts.
Tex and METAFONT use 72.27 points to the inch. They support other units, like Didot point used in European typography. One Didot point is equal to 1238/1157 points.
A pica is twelve points, or about one-sixth of an inch, or about four millimeters. 12 Didot points are one cicero.
Microsoft Word uses exactly 72 points to the inch. This is known as a "Postscript point" since it was the first computer design system to use the 72-per-inch convention. Postscript points aren’t technically typesetting points; i.e. two typesetters, one using PS points and the other using real points, will discover that one's fonts are slightly too big and the other's points slightly too small. Slightly means the round-off error is insignificant for all but the largest fonts.
Tex and METAFONT use 72.27 points to the inch. They support other units, like Didot point used in European typography. One Didot point is equal to 1238/1157 points.
A pica is twelve points, or about one-sixth of an inch, or about four millimeters. 12 Didot points are one cicero.
Books normally use a point size of 10.
What are the main arguments for the superior readability of sans serif vs
serif fonts?
Arguments in favor of serif typefaces
· Serifs are used to guide the horizontal “flow” of the eyes; The lack of serifs is said to contribute to a vertical stress in sans serifs, which is supposed to compete with the horizontal flow of reading
· Serifs are used to increase spacing between letters and words to aid legibility
· Serifs are used to increase contrast (and irregularity) between different letters to improve identification
Arguments in favor of serif typefaces
· Serifs are used to guide the horizontal “flow” of the eyes; The lack of serifs is said to contribute to a vertical stress in sans serifs, which is supposed to compete with the horizontal flow of reading
· Serifs are used to increase spacing between letters and words to aid legibility
· Serifs are used to increase contrast (and irregularity) between different letters to improve identification
Arguments in favor of sans serif typefaces
· Sans serifs are better on the web
· Sans serif is better at small sizes. Sans serif fonts survive reproduction and smearing because of their simple forms
· Sans serif is better for children learning to read
Drink More Tea
As a group our theme was to get people to drink more tea. Some of the ideas that we had were to host a tea party. Another idea was to look at how people make tea, there are so many different ways that spark up debate and arguments between people. By getting people to discus tea this should encourage them to drink more tea. Another idea include #selftea where we encourage people to take a photo or "selfie" with their tea, using social media sites like twitter and instagram to get it trending. Another strong idea was to get people to drink more types of tea by getting people to try the different varieties of tea eg. herbal, earl grey, black tea, chai.
Design Principles Research
How does point size effect legibility and readability?
Books normally use a point size of 10.
What are the main arguments for the superior readability of sans serif vs
Arguments in favor of sans serif typefaces
· Sans serifs are better on the web
· Sans serif is better at small sizes. Sans serif fonts survive reproduction and smearing because of their simple forms
· Sans serif is better for children learning to read
Legibility is concerned with how easy it is to distinguish individual letters. The simpler a type design is, the more legible it is. So why do less-than-legible typefaces even exist? Because typeface designers love to create unique and distinctive designs, of course. While it is generally better to always choose a legible type, there are times when distinctiveness may be more important than legibility. For example, when selecting a font for a unique and distinctive company logo.
There are three design features that make a typeface legible:
1. Large X-Height:
A large x-height increases the negative space within each letter. This makes it’s shape much more discernable.
2. Large Counters:
The negative space within a letter is called a counter. When a typeface has large counters, it is easier to distinguish the shape of each individual letter.
3. Simple Letterforms:
The simpler a letterform, the more legible it is. Sans serif types are generally more legible than their serif counterparts because they do not have any serifs interfering with the shapes of the letters. However, this does not mean that sans serifs are necessarily easier to READ in text. Actually, serif types are generally considered MORE readable. The exception to this rule is on-screen. Because of on-screen distortion, sans serif is the best choice for readability.
Some common typefaces which meet these three criteria are: Helvetica, Novarese, New Century Schoolbook, Cheltenham, Times Roman, Gill Sans, and Baskerville.
Readability refers to the ease with which a reader can scan over paragraphs of type. In other words, how easy it is to read! While legibility is basically dependent on the typeface design, readability is dependent on the manipulation or handling of the type. A highly legible typeface can be made unreadable by poor typographic design. Factors which affect readability include: line lengths, point size, leading, typeface selection, spacing, type alignment, and background.
Avoid Capitals
Ninety-five percent of what we read is in lowercase letters. Not only are we much more used to reading them, but they also assist us because they create a recognizable shape (coastline). Words in capital letters have no distinctive shape (or coastline).
Use a size suitable for your audience. Ideal text type size ranges from 9-12 point depending on the x-height. Remember older people may need a larger point size
There are three design features that make a typeface legible:
1. Large X-Height:
A large x-height increases the negative space within each letter. This makes it’s shape much more discernable.
2. Large Counters:
The negative space within a letter is called a counter. When a typeface has large counters, it is easier to distinguish the shape of each individual letter.
3. Simple Letterforms:
The simpler a letterform, the more legible it is. Sans serif types are generally more legible than their serif counterparts because they do not have any serifs interfering with the shapes of the letters. However, this does not mean that sans serifs are necessarily easier to READ in text. Actually, serif types are generally considered MORE readable. The exception to this rule is on-screen. Because of on-screen distortion, sans serif is the best choice for readability.
Some common typefaces which meet these three criteria are: Helvetica, Novarese, New Century Schoolbook, Cheltenham, Times Roman, Gill Sans, and Baskerville.
Readability refers to the ease with which a reader can scan over paragraphs of type. In other words, how easy it is to read! While legibility is basically dependent on the typeface design, readability is dependent on the manipulation or handling of the type. A highly legible typeface can be made unreadable by poor typographic design. Factors which affect readability include: line lengths, point size, leading, typeface selection, spacing, type alignment, and background.
Avoid Capitals
Ninety-five percent of what we read is in lowercase letters. Not only are we much more used to reading them, but they also assist us because they create a recognizable shape (coastline). Words in capital letters have no distinctive shape (or coastline).
Use a size suitable for your audience. Ideal text type size ranges from 9-12 point depending on the x-height. Remember older people may need a larger point size
to read.
Don't use a too long or too short line length.
Very short or long lines disrupt the reader’s rhythm, making it harder to read. Very short lines run the risk of creating rivers if justified alignments used. If long lines are unavoidable, extra leading can help offset the problem. Very long lines disrupt reading. When the eyes get tired, they are no longer able to find the beginning of the next line of type. An ideal line length can be estimated by doubling the point size. For instance, 12 point type should have a line length of 24 picas (or four inches). Generally, shorter lines should be used for typefaces with small x-heights and thick/thin designs, and also bold and italic fonts. Usually a serif typeface can tolerate a longer line than a sans serif.
Create equal word spacing.
If word spaces are too large, they break the lines up into separate elements and disrupt reading. This is especially true if justified type is used on a short line length. If the word spaces are too small, it becomes difficult to distinguish each separate word. A good trick to use to check word spacing is to turn the page upside down and squint at it. Excessively large word spaces will stand out. Be especially careful with condensed and expanded fonts, reversed type, and vertical, narrow typefaces (like Bodoni).
Create even letter spacing.
When letters are correctly spaced, a paragraph of type takes on an even color. From a distance it should look like a screened gray block. The shade of gray will depend on the heaviness of the typeface. Any interference with normal letter spacing is very hard to read. If the letter spacing is uneven, darker spots stand out in places against the gray color. Often, tight tracking will create uneven letter spacing.
Think about the background.
An important factor in the readability of type is the background on which it is placed. This includes not only any printed blocks of color, screens or black backgrounds, but also the kind of paper the type appears on. When selecting a typeface, think carefully about what kind of background it will be placed on. For instance, a fine, light typeface will not stand out well on black or screened background, or on textured/glossy paper. To avoid readability problems, never place text type on black or screened backgrounds. It’s too hard to read!
The minimum size would depend on the font, the weight, and the colours involved. Solid 100% K text on a white or light background is best. If you're using white text, it will likely fill in if the point size is too small, especially if the surrounding colour is using more than one ink. If you're using a coloured text that uses multiple inks, you run the risk of bad registration causing your text to look blurry.
There are actually two types of type.
Some fonts read better when small and others when large. Verdana for example is designed slightly larger than other fonts making it very readable at small sizes and explains why it’s so often used in online body copy.
The question you probably most want to know is what size should you use. There isn’t a simple answer. Compare the following two fonts.
Don't use a too long or too short line length.
Very short or long lines disrupt the reader’s rhythm, making it harder to read. Very short lines run the risk of creating rivers if justified alignments used. If long lines are unavoidable, extra leading can help offset the problem. Very long lines disrupt reading. When the eyes get tired, they are no longer able to find the beginning of the next line of type. An ideal line length can be estimated by doubling the point size. For instance, 12 point type should have a line length of 24 picas (or four inches). Generally, shorter lines should be used for typefaces with small x-heights and thick/thin designs, and also bold and italic fonts. Usually a serif typeface can tolerate a longer line than a sans serif.
Create equal word spacing.
If word spaces are too large, they break the lines up into separate elements and disrupt reading. This is especially true if justified type is used on a short line length. If the word spaces are too small, it becomes difficult to distinguish each separate word. A good trick to use to check word spacing is to turn the page upside down and squint at it. Excessively large word spaces will stand out. Be especially careful with condensed and expanded fonts, reversed type, and vertical, narrow typefaces (like Bodoni).
Create even letter spacing.
When letters are correctly spaced, a paragraph of type takes on an even color. From a distance it should look like a screened gray block. The shade of gray will depend on the heaviness of the typeface. Any interference with normal letter spacing is very hard to read. If the letter spacing is uneven, darker spots stand out in places against the gray color. Often, tight tracking will create uneven letter spacing.
Think about the background.
An important factor in the readability of type is the background on which it is placed. This includes not only any printed blocks of color, screens or black backgrounds, but also the kind of paper the type appears on. When selecting a typeface, think carefully about what kind of background it will be placed on. For instance, a fine, light typeface will not stand out well on black or screened background, or on textured/glossy paper. To avoid readability problems, never place text type on black or screened backgrounds. It’s too hard to read!
The minimum size would depend on the font, the weight, and the colours involved. Solid 100% K text on a white or light background is best. If you're using white text, it will likely fill in if the point size is too small, especially if the surrounding colour is using more than one ink. If you're using a coloured text that uses multiple inks, you run the risk of bad registration causing your text to look blurry.
There are actually two types of type.
- Text Type is designed to be legible and readable across a variety of sizes
- Display Type is designed to attract attention and pull the reader into the text. It can be more elaborate, expressive, and have a stylish look.
Some fonts read better when small and others when large. Verdana for example is designed slightly larger than other fonts making it very readable at small sizes and explains why it’s so often used in online body copy.
The question you probably most want to know is what size should you use. There isn’t a simple answer. Compare the following two fonts.
This is 12px Verdana
This is 12px Arial
Same 12px, but a different size.
Somewhere around 10pt or 11pt is ideal for reading in print. Of course there’s no such thing as a point online even if css lets us set fonts in pt sizes. There isn’t an exact conversion between px and pt either, however using the conversion chart at Reed Design we see that 10 to 11pt corresponds to 13 to 15 px, probably a bit larger than what many sites use.
You also need to take your audience into account. I can tell you that the older I get, the larger I want to see a font-size set.
12px is a common setting for online body copy. If you go below this be prepared for people to comment how small your font is. At 14px you’ll probably start getting comments about your large font. 12px to 14 px though is probably a good range to choose for body copy, though again it will depend on other factors.
For things like captions you would usually go a little smaller and naturally for headings you would typically go bigger.
One last point about font sizes is the idea of scaling, which can be used to develop a hierarchy in your type. The basic idea is to choose font sizes that relate to one another for different elements in your design.
72.27 points make one inch. A point is 0.3515 milimeters. A point is neither metric
This is 12px Arial
Same 12px, but a different size.
Somewhere around 10pt or 11pt is ideal for reading in print. Of course there’s no such thing as a point online even if css lets us set fonts in pt sizes. There isn’t an exact conversion between px and pt either, however using the conversion chart at Reed Design we see that 10 to 11pt corresponds to 13 to 15 px, probably a bit larger than what many sites use.
You also need to take your audience into account. I can tell you that the older I get, the larger I want to see a font-size set.
12px is a common setting for online body copy. If you go below this be prepared for people to comment how small your font is. At 14px you’ll probably start getting comments about your large font. 12px to 14 px though is probably a good range to choose for body copy, though again it will depend on other factors.
For things like captions you would usually go a little smaller and naturally for headings you would typically go bigger.
One last point about font sizes is the idea of scaling, which can be used to develop a hierarchy in your type. The basic idea is to choose font sizes that relate to one another for different elements in your design.
72.27 points make one inch. A point is 0.3515 milimeters. A point is neither metric
or imperial.
Microsoft Word uses exactly 72 points to the inch. This is known as a "Postscript point" since it was the first computer design system to use the 72-per-inch convention. Postscript points aren’t technically typesetting points; i.e. two typesetters, one using PS points and the other using real points, will discover that one's fonts are slightly too big and the other's points slightly too small. Slightly means the round-off error is insignificant for all but the largest fonts.
Tex and METAFONT use 72.27 points to the inch. They support other units, like Didot point used in European typography. One Didot point is equal to 1238/1157 points.
A pica is twelve points, or about one-sixth of an inch, or about four millimeters. 12 Didot points are one cicero.
Microsoft Word uses exactly 72 points to the inch. This is known as a "Postscript point" since it was the first computer design system to use the 72-per-inch convention. Postscript points aren’t technically typesetting points; i.e. two typesetters, one using PS points and the other using real points, will discover that one's fonts are slightly too big and the other's points slightly too small. Slightly means the round-off error is insignificant for all but the largest fonts.
Tex and METAFONT use 72.27 points to the inch. They support other units, like Didot point used in European typography. One Didot point is equal to 1238/1157 points.
A pica is twelve points, or about one-sixth of an inch, or about four millimeters. 12 Didot points are one cicero.
Books normally use a point size of 10.
What are the main arguments for the superior readability of sans serif vs
serif fonts?
Arguments in favor of serif typefaces
· Serifs are used to guide the horizontal “flow” of the eyes; The lack of serifs is said to contribute to a vertical stress in sans serifs, which is supposed to compete with the horizontal flow of reading
· Serifs are used to increase spacing between letters and words to aid legibility
· Serifs are used to increase contrast (and irregularity) between different letters to improve identification
Arguments in favor of serif typefaces
· Serifs are used to guide the horizontal “flow” of the eyes; The lack of serifs is said to contribute to a vertical stress in sans serifs, which is supposed to compete with the horizontal flow of reading
· Serifs are used to increase spacing between letters and words to aid legibility
· Serifs are used to increase contrast (and irregularity) between different letters to improve identification
Arguments in favor of sans serif typefaces
· Sans serifs are better on the web
· Sans serif is better at small sizes. Sans serif fonts survive reproduction and smearing because of their simple forms
· Sans serif is better for children learning to read
Friday 14 February 2014
Final Sleeve
When I printed out my original design the colours came out dull, so I had to make the design more vibrant in order for it to print well. In future I will take printing into account when I am still in the design stage.
Tuesday 11 February 2014
Experimentation
I experimented with distorting the octopus to make it look strange and unrecognizable at first. It also creates movement. However I will ditch the black and white and the bright background and experiment with just a close up of the octopus' tentacles.
Saturday 8 February 2014
Octopus
Over the weekend I bought an octopus to photography for the album sleeve. I decided to use a octopus because it is a creature that creeps people out and makes them feel uncomfortable. Also the ocean is a mysterious and unknown place, about 95% of the ocean us undiscovered meaning that most of the ocean is a mystery. This is why I chose to use a sea creature.
Friday 7 February 2014
Crit Feedback
Some of the feedback from the crit.
- Have the octopus in colour rather than black and white. - I will experiment with using more colour, personally I thought that the black and white looked better and this is why I chose to use it, also the black and white made the octopus look stanger.
- Go with the circles and squares rather than the close ups. - I agree with this, I think that the circles look more effective and weird, they work better with my concept. The close ups are very boring so I will not be developing them any further.
- Try different colours and patterns. - I did experiment with different colours, such as greens, blues and reds. However I didn't think that any of them worked very well. I used the pink because it stood out more and pink is also the colour of the octopus.
- Use a plain background. - I agree with this, I struggled to find colour that would work for the background. So having a plain background would be a good choice and will keep the attention on the subject.
- Try different angles of the octopus. - The octopus photo I used was from one of my old Foundation projects. I am planning to get a new octopus to photograph for the final design. I just used an old photograph for the experimentation to save time.
Thursday 6 February 2014
Tuesday 4 February 2014
Studio Brief 2 - 10 Questions
In groups we came up with 10 questions to do with type, readability and legibility and colour, based on the original 10 questions that we individually found. These would be the starting point for our research. The questions I will be researching are:
How does point size effect legibility and readability?
What are the main arguments for the superior readability of san serif/serif?
Monday 3 February 2014
Font Family
Regular, light and bold.
I then went on to try and push the bold and light to the extremes of legibility.
I found trying to make my font italic difficult. I couldn't draw it without the Y looking very wide and as if it was falling over.
Block, Gothic and Script. I found doing the script very hard, I was unable to give an good handwritten feel to them.
Secret 7
I chose the song strange creatures by Jake Bugg. This is because initially I had a lot of idea as soon as I heard the song title. Some of the particular theme I am going to look into further are:
- Insects/bugs. Insects are things that seen to freak people out. The way they look and how things like there legs are different makes them strange creates. One of the first images that came to my mind when hearing the title was a beetle. Bugs also link with jake Buggs last name but his is not why I wanted to look at bugs.
- Sea creatures. Octopus' sprung to my mind I think that this is because of there strange texture and tentacles. Another approach would be to look at the strange creatures you find deep in the ocean. A lot of the ocean is undiscovered and there are many unknown creatures. I think sea creatures would be a good way to go because we don't get to see them in their proper environment, they are seen are weird and strange.
-Mythical Creatures. Things like unicorns and centaurs. I think this would be an interesting take on the strange creatures theme because it's not going down the fear and dislike route.
Other ideas that I have had include morphing people's faces together to create a strange blur. Turing something normal into something odd. Another idea was to make a new animal out of different park of other animal. Again making something normal and altering it to make it weird and uncomfortable.
Sunday 2 February 2014
Questions
Type Design
- What is the smallest point size you can get away with for body text? - I would be interested to know when it is that a word suddenly become unreadable.
- How do you draw a glif in italics? - Doing the font family task I struggled with this, is there a method to make it easier?
Readability and Legibility
- Which is more important? - does it matter if the glyphs are clear and legible, but when used in body text is unreadable? The two obviously need to be balanced.
- If columns make type more readable, then why aren't books laid out in this format? - I had heard that using columns; like in articles and newspapers improve the readability of the text and the readers are able to focus for longer. If this is the case then why aren't book set out like this?
- Which is more readable; serifs or san serifs?
- What is a good letter spacing to make glyphs more legible?
Colour
- Is colour always necessary? Is black and white sufficient.
- Should there be a concept and meaning behind a colour pallet? or is the visual aspect more important.
- Can a lot of colours be used together? Does it work? or is it better to keep to as minimal amount of colours as possible.
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