Peter Cho Inspirations
One of my greatest inspriations for my final in this cours is Peter Cho's interactive treatment of letters found in 'letterscapes'. The author creatvely brings to life all twenty four letters of the alpahebt by embedding them into distinct interactive environments. Effectivey adding character to each letter genearets a fun expirience exploring the form and structuring of letters into new lenghts. My favourite ones personally are 'S' and 'A' where a great deal of manipulaton is indluenced by the movement of the mouse. The manipulaton achieved is unique and adds to the design of the font chosen. My final is somewhat simlar to that of Cho's compositoon in that they both attempt to augment and add character to letters in rather unique ways. I have included included phonetics and humour into my treatment of the letters. This is defnitely something I plan to continue in the near futurue and build upon. Peter Cho is certainly an inspriational figure in the digital type genre, and his legacy will live on and influence the means of interactive text for a long time.
THE NEXT TEXT
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
DB5: PROGRESS UPDATE!
I have done a significant amount of work over the past week for my final project, having completed most of the computation involved to convey the Frutiger characters. Now that most of my programmatic issues are resolved, over the next week, I plan to focus on the design and phonetics of the interactive experience. This should definitely be a fun activity, especially with the recording of the sounds where their are many sequences where audio can really enhance the simulation, essentially adding character to the letterforms. I have many more ideas that I wish to implement seeing that I have enough time to do so. I am of course at present focusing on the essential aspects of the piece which is proper functionality, good communication, and a smooth interactive experience. The polishing ideas I have I can always implement at a later time. All in all, I am very happy with the results I have thus far and am looking forward to completing it this week. Choosing a fun concept makes development truly an enjoyable experience, and of course I am learning a tremendous amount through the midst of it. Furthermore, I believe that this project is generating for myself a new perspective on digital typography, and is contributing to my growth as a new media artist. Looking forward to next week to present my work and as well learn from others and see what they have accomplished.
I have done a significant amount of work over the past week for my final project, having completed most of the computation involved to convey the Frutiger characters. Now that most of my programmatic issues are resolved, over the next week, I plan to focus on the design and phonetics of the interactive experience. This should definitely be a fun activity, especially with the recording of the sounds where their are many sequences where audio can really enhance the simulation, essentially adding character to the letterforms. I have many more ideas that I wish to implement seeing that I have enough time to do so. I am of course at present focusing on the essential aspects of the piece which is proper functionality, good communication, and a smooth interactive experience. The polishing ideas I have I can always implement at a later time. All in all, I am very happy with the results I have thus far and am looking forward to completing it this week. Choosing a fun concept makes development truly an enjoyable experience, and of course I am learning a tremendous amount through the midst of it. Furthermore, I believe that this project is generating for myself a new perspective on digital typography, and is contributing to my growth as a new media artist. Looking forward to next week to present my work and as well learn from others and see what they have accomplished.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
DB5: THE FRUTIGERS
Inspired by children and alphabet books and based on the Frutiger font family by Adrian Frutiger, The Frutigers present the letters of the alphabet in an interactive environment where each character adapts itself to varying conditions in an appropriate way set by the user. Being both playful and rambunctious, the thick weighted font reflects the personality in which they are conveyed. In the interactive piece, the characters are identified with their names beginning with their letter when clicked anywhere on the canvas. The phonetics associated with each letter generates a meaningful individualized persona for each character. The bouncy and excited manipulation involved when the user interacts with the characters, animates their presence and thereby brings out the hyperactive personalities out of the round shaped Frutiger family (font). Targeted for both children and adults, The Frutigers is a playful way to investigate the design, characteristics and structuring of the font family by simulating them into an interactive space where the user has the means to discover the meta-font intimately. Just like us, letters have personalities. Through an interactive environment, the composition will attempt to bring those characters to life through by activating a fun learning experience on letters and their forms implementing movement, interaction, art and drama directly to each depicted Frutiger character.
IMPROVEMENTS AND UPDATES FROM PREVIOUS ATTEMPT
My final project in this course will expand on the ideas presented in the previous design brief. The Frutiger font-family will be investigated in depth in the interactive composition, but this time around giving more attention toward the individual characterstics of each letter. The interface will be similar to that of db4.1, where the user must first draw a random Frutiger on screen to interact with. More attention toward aesthetics and effective typography design will also be considered in the project. Like the design and style, attention to appropriate and humorous phonetics, conveying each character appropriately and humorously, is another essential aspect that will be developed.
SKETCHES
Inspired by children and alphabet books and based on the Frutiger font family by Adrian Frutiger, The Frutigers present the letters of the alphabet in an interactive environment where each character adapts itself to varying conditions in an appropriate way set by the user. Being both playful and rambunctious, the thick weighted font reflects the personality in which they are conveyed. In the interactive piece, the characters are identified with their names beginning with their letter when clicked anywhere on the canvas. The phonetics associated with each letter generates a meaningful individualized persona for each character. The bouncy and excited manipulation involved when the user interacts with the characters, animates their presence and thereby brings out the hyperactive personalities out of the round shaped Frutiger family (font). Targeted for both children and adults, The Frutigers is a playful way to investigate the design, characteristics and structuring of the font family by simulating them into an interactive space where the user has the means to discover the meta-font intimately. Just like us, letters have personalities. Through an interactive environment, the composition will attempt to bring those characters to life through by activating a fun learning experience on letters and their forms implementing movement, interaction, art and drama directly to each depicted Frutiger character.
IMPROVEMENTS AND UPDATES FROM PREVIOUS ATTEMPT
My final project in this course will expand on the ideas presented in the previous design brief. The Frutiger font-family will be investigated in depth in the interactive composition, but this time around giving more attention toward the individual characterstics of each letter. The interface will be similar to that of db4.1, where the user must first draw a random Frutiger on screen to interact with. More attention toward aesthetics and effective typography design will also be considered in the project. Like the design and style, attention to appropriate and humorous phonetics, conveying each character appropriately and humorously, is another essential aspect that will be developed.
SKETCHES
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
It's Alive!
Some abstract text-based compositions developed today in Jason Lewis's It's Alive! application.
Some abstract text-based compositions developed today in Jason Lewis's It's Alive! application.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
DAVID CARSON: THE END OF PRINT
David Carson’s innovative work was first communicated in 1990 in the very first issue of the ‘Beach Culture’ magazines. The astounding visual communication conveyed through these pages challenged the field of typography into innovative ground. Arguably one of the most influential graphic designers in postmodernism, Carson’s work was filled with life and character having consistently challenged the relationship between verbal and visual language throughout his vast oeuvre. My personal favorite from the text ‘The End of Print’ is ‘Secret Memoirs of a Renaissance Pope’ where Carson communicates the typeface between a block of text and a text-filled question mark, reading between each other. Though frustrating to read, the typeface enables the reader to absorb the text in a new light absorbing it in a more interactive fashion, essentially generating an intimate and colorful reading experience. Reflecting the typical Carson composition, the treatment of text is conveyed beyond words sparking a revolution in visual communication. David Carson’s avant-garde approach to text, inverted in mass-media advertisements and magazine, spun an intricate web of chaos in the design community. His innovative approach and style heightened the print medium to of an expressionist form, testing the boundaries of a mainstream niche audience.
“Print is reborn, resurrected, as something initially unrecognizable. It’s not really dead, it is simply mutated into something else.” (from Lewis Blackwell’s ‘The End of Print’)
David Carson’s innovative work was first communicated in 1990 in the very first issue of the ‘Beach Culture’ magazines. The astounding visual communication conveyed through these pages challenged the field of typography into innovative ground. Arguably one of the most influential graphic designers in postmodernism, Carson’s work was filled with life and character having consistently challenged the relationship between verbal and visual language throughout his vast oeuvre. My personal favorite from the text ‘The End of Print’ is ‘Secret Memoirs of a Renaissance Pope’ where Carson communicates the typeface between a block of text and a text-filled question mark, reading between each other. Though frustrating to read, the typeface enables the reader to absorb the text in a new light absorbing it in a more interactive fashion, essentially generating an intimate and colorful reading experience. Reflecting the typical Carson composition, the treatment of text is conveyed beyond words sparking a revolution in visual communication. David Carson’s avant-garde approach to text, inverted in mass-media advertisements and magazine, spun an intricate web of chaos in the design community. His innovative approach and style heightened the print medium to of an expressionist form, testing the boundaries of a mainstream niche audience.
“Print is reborn, resurrected, as something initially unrecognizable. It’s not really dead, it is simply mutated into something else.” (from Lewis Blackwell’s ‘The End of Print’)
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
IN CLASS CRITIQUE
Overall, Dora did a good job finding appropriate film title sequences and explaining her selections. Her favorable film title sequence ‘Extreme Dating’ depicts an unusual typographic treatment using inconsistent commercial products to convey the credits of the film. Initially I felt this title sequence was merely aesthetic yet inappropriate as I had a difficult time distinguishing what ultimately this film was about. Her second selection was to be adverse. Their was barely any signs of the theme of extreme sports in the film ‘Extreme Ops’; I would have never guessed the premise of this production. Dora’s revamped version was far more effective and obvious. The small utilized century gothic font and their active materialized motion generated an excited active enthusiasm. My only issue with her version was the ‘scrolling blurreing’ animation effect she applied to introduce the sequences. This type of effect would have been more useful in a science fiction film. The logo she constructed for the film was her strongest point. The font, colors, and minimal distortion applied communicated an extreme sports image.
Overall, Dora did a good job finding appropriate film title sequences and explaining her selections. Her favorable film title sequence ‘Extreme Dating’ depicts an unusual typographic treatment using inconsistent commercial products to convey the credits of the film. Initially I felt this title sequence was merely aesthetic yet inappropriate as I had a difficult time distinguishing what ultimately this film was about. Her second selection was to be adverse. Their was barely any signs of the theme of extreme sports in the film ‘Extreme Ops’; I would have never guessed the premise of this production. Dora’s revamped version was far more effective and obvious. The small utilized century gothic font and their active materialized motion generated an excited active enthusiasm. My only issue with her version was the ‘scrolling blurreing’ animation effect she applied to introduce the sequences. This type of effect would have been more useful in a science fiction film. The logo she constructed for the film was her strongest point. The font, colors, and minimal distortion applied communicated an extreme sports image.
Monday, October 09, 2006
DAVID BOLTER: SEEING & WRITING
Letters have meaning, and the words they compose are absorbed by their visual elements (i.e. texture, weight, size and color). The electronic mediums treatment of stylizing letters has influenced our concept of reading and writing, returning to the roots of typography, from that of medieval times. In David Bolter’s paper ‘Seeing ad Writing’ the author looks to the history of typography to inform his understanding of writing on the computer. He discusses the computers treatment of type, in both reading and writing, by reflecting from the past into the present. Through the medium’s innovation in word processing and image authoring environments, reading has become a combined verbal and pictorial experience. Although mathematical and scientific imaging is considered as a gratifying technology in the modern world, their encouraging of complex space of words, pictures, and illustration were produced in medieval manuscripts thousands of years ago: “Hieroglyphs were themselves little pictures, and so both visually and conceptually Egyptian writing could blend smoothly with illustration.” (685) The iconographic representations of words and pictorial elements support and compliment one another within this structural form. The meaning of the Microsoft Word icon, a sleek blue framed ‘W’ character, rests within our memories. We associate its bold design to that of an advanced word processing solution. Just as in medieval illuminations, letters function simultaneously as texts and pictures in electronic writing spaces.
The new degree of mathematic rigor in design has invited a greater appreciation and development in picture writing. Developed by humans, systems supply data that ultimately augments our sense of knowledge without or awareness. Computer-aided technology has made designing more practical for artists and designers, the context is left in the background for the micro computer to handle. As a new media artist, I commend the electronic mediums treatment of text and images though its bridging of disciplines in both formulating data and designing: “Scientific picture writing distances the writers from their writing (data) in such a way that the writing no longer seems to belong to them at all.” (688) The absolute and recurring data may not reflect those of the designers knowledge, however, its significance would not exist without their vision. Seeing that designer understands the information the computer is processing beneath their work, I believe they still opt to deserve the title as creator within the context they idealized. We should not forget that the computer was designed by man; it has been embedded into nature and not by it. Furthermore, to have the ability to segregate the design in such a process would result in a more stimulating image through the designer’s ability to maintain a concentrative isolation. As stated in Richard Stallman’s GNU manifesto, the fundamental act of friendship among developers is the sharing of knowledge. (Stallman) This constructive method is certainly how any student, such as myself, achieves their understanding of disciplines. On commercial writing spaces (such as magazines, and newspapers), bundles of writings and images compete for the viewer’s absorption. In hypertext documents (such as web sites and electronic spreadsheets), the user becomes a participant in motion by defining the sequencing of information through an animated journey. The issue at the forefront is not the determining of authorship, but in fact where the author is present in new media.
Letters have meaning, and the words they compose are absorbed by their visual elements (i.e. texture, weight, size and color). The electronic mediums treatment of stylizing letters has influenced our concept of reading and writing, returning to the roots of typography, from that of medieval times. In David Bolter’s paper ‘Seeing ad Writing’ the author looks to the history of typography to inform his understanding of writing on the computer. He discusses the computers treatment of type, in both reading and writing, by reflecting from the past into the present. Through the medium’s innovation in word processing and image authoring environments, reading has become a combined verbal and pictorial experience. Although mathematical and scientific imaging is considered as a gratifying technology in the modern world, their encouraging of complex space of words, pictures, and illustration were produced in medieval manuscripts thousands of years ago: “Hieroglyphs were themselves little pictures, and so both visually and conceptually Egyptian writing could blend smoothly with illustration.” (685) The iconographic representations of words and pictorial elements support and compliment one another within this structural form. The meaning of the Microsoft Word icon, a sleek blue framed ‘W’ character, rests within our memories. We associate its bold design to that of an advanced word processing solution. Just as in medieval illuminations, letters function simultaneously as texts and pictures in electronic writing spaces.
The new degree of mathematic rigor in design has invited a greater appreciation and development in picture writing. Developed by humans, systems supply data that ultimately augments our sense of knowledge without or awareness. Computer-aided technology has made designing more practical for artists and designers, the context is left in the background for the micro computer to handle. As a new media artist, I commend the electronic mediums treatment of text and images though its bridging of disciplines in both formulating data and designing: “Scientific picture writing distances the writers from their writing (data) in such a way that the writing no longer seems to belong to them at all.” (688) The absolute and recurring data may not reflect those of the designers knowledge, however, its significance would not exist without their vision. Seeing that designer understands the information the computer is processing beneath their work, I believe they still opt to deserve the title as creator within the context they idealized. We should not forget that the computer was designed by man; it has been embedded into nature and not by it. Furthermore, to have the ability to segregate the design in such a process would result in a more stimulating image through the designer’s ability to maintain a concentrative isolation. As stated in Richard Stallman’s GNU manifesto, the fundamental act of friendship among developers is the sharing of knowledge. (Stallman) This constructive method is certainly how any student, such as myself, achieves their understanding of disciplines. On commercial writing spaces (such as magazines, and newspapers), bundles of writings and images compete for the viewer’s absorption. In hypertext documents (such as web sites and electronic spreadsheets), the user becomes a participant in motion by defining the sequencing of information through an animated journey. The issue at the forefront is not the determining of authorship, but in fact where the author is present in new media.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
ETYMOLOGY: ECCENTRIC
What constitutes eccentricity? What ultimately makes an individual or an object eccentric? In the above example, the first and ‘proper’ representation of the term would be perceived as eccentric in accordance to the eccentric (as depicted on the very right). This etymological investigation is in itself eccentric.
What constitutes eccentricity? What ultimately makes an individual or an object eccentric? In the above example, the first and ‘proper’ representation of the term would be perceived as eccentric in accordance to the eccentric (as depicted on the very right). This etymological investigation is in itself eccentric.
Friday, September 22, 2006
PROFILE EXPRESSION
Click here to view an enlarged slide show of the series.
The serif and modern ‘soft hits’ font has an animated and fun representation. The ‘y’ character appears optimistic and full of joy with its smiling curl, while the two letters ‘p’ appear in a close-bonding relationship with one another.
I am not sure if many would agree with this selection of ‘Spumoni LP Std’. Each character appears out of sync through the various degrees of rotation. Arrays of different serifs are additionally utilized to promote each unique character. This is ‘surprised’ to me.
The tired and dull feeling of this font in juxtaposition to my bad hair day generates a ‘hung-over’ feel. A slight rotation to the word further establishes this sentiment.
The materiality of each character appears doubtful with one another through the eerie and uncertainty tones of ‘Strayhorn MT Std’ letterings.
Any horror theme font such as the above induces feeling of anger and rage.
Click here to view an enlarged slide show of the series.
The serif and modern ‘soft hits’ font has an animated and fun representation. The ‘y’ character appears optimistic and full of joy with its smiling curl, while the two letters ‘p’ appear in a close-bonding relationship with one another.
I am not sure if many would agree with this selection of ‘Spumoni LP Std’. Each character appears out of sync through the various degrees of rotation. Arrays of different serifs are additionally utilized to promote each unique character. This is ‘surprised’ to me.
The tired and dull feeling of this font in juxtaposition to my bad hair day generates a ‘hung-over’ feel. A slight rotation to the word further establishes this sentiment.
The materiality of each character appears doubtful with one another through the eerie and uncertainty tones of ‘Strayhorn MT Std’ letterings.
Any horror theme font such as the above induces feeling of anger and rage.
WEEK 3: TYPE AND EMOTION
Is the application of effective typography less considered in the development of web sites than of alternative mediums? Intensively working in the field of interactivity, I find that texts on many web sites are rarely applicable toward the essential meaning that they are conveying. Their illegibility further establishes an unpleasant reading experience. After absorbing through both chapters in Bringhurst’s readings this week, I feel that many web designers (including myself) ignore the importance of effective typography; pushing its craft into the background and paying more attention to aesthetics and contemporary imagery. I introduce the use of typography on web sites into the fold as fonts, color and size rarely reflect the contents meaning: “Well-chosen words deserve well-chosen letters; these in their turn deserve to be set with affection, intelligence, knowedge and skill.” (18) In chapter one of his book ‘The Elements of Typographic Style’ Bringhurst suggests that the ultimate job of the typographer is to respond to content in visual terms. I think web developers need to become more familiarized with this assumptions. Why should the use of typography on a web pages and digital mediums differ and be less considered than of that in print? Text acquires emotions in all forms, and an interactive environment is no different. Structure, size, consistency, and color are important elements to consider when representing a body of text. I agree with the author in that words should express the sentiments that they are associated with. Typography should be treated as a composition in itself. To apply this given knowledge, through this weeks class exercise I have experimented with various fonts and materials to accommodate with various facial expressions including happy, angry, doubtful, surprised and hung-over in the previous entry of this blog.
Is the application of effective typography less considered in the development of web sites than of alternative mediums? Intensively working in the field of interactivity, I find that texts on many web sites are rarely applicable toward the essential meaning that they are conveying. Their illegibility further establishes an unpleasant reading experience. After absorbing through both chapters in Bringhurst’s readings this week, I feel that many web designers (including myself) ignore the importance of effective typography; pushing its craft into the background and paying more attention to aesthetics and contemporary imagery. I introduce the use of typography on web sites into the fold as fonts, color and size rarely reflect the contents meaning: “Well-chosen words deserve well-chosen letters; these in their turn deserve to be set with affection, intelligence, knowedge and skill.” (18) In chapter one of his book ‘The Elements of Typographic Style’ Bringhurst suggests that the ultimate job of the typographer is to respond to content in visual terms. I think web developers need to become more familiarized with this assumptions. Why should the use of typography on a web pages and digital mediums differ and be less considered than of that in print? Text acquires emotions in all forms, and an interactive environment is no different. Structure, size, consistency, and color are important elements to consider when representing a body of text. I agree with the author in that words should express the sentiments that they are associated with. Typography should be treated as a composition in itself. To apply this given knowledge, through this weeks class exercise I have experimented with various fonts and materials to accommodate with various facial expressions including happy, angry, doubtful, surprised and hung-over in the previous entry of this blog.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Monday, September 11, 2006
IN REPAIR
This is the first time I will be studying and practicing typography in depth. My lack of knowledge in such an important element in the development of digital and physical interactivity (a field in which I am interested in pursuing), is what has motivated myself to enroll in this practical and studio course. I was really inspired by this weeks readings which introduces a technical perspective on the art of typography. I will admit that I now realize that I have in the past made the very mistakes the readings points out, especially with negative tracking and not using well aligned baselines. I have even stacked letters in the past, an unfavorably used technique that which the first reading ‘Letter | Text | Grid’ harshly criticizes. It is interesting that Adobe Photoshop has included an option, in the character panel, to automatically apply vertical text in this way. Aside from the content, I also appreciated the visual communication of the site as well. By juxtaposing different methods of conveying text and grid styles, I found that it was intriguing to contrast between practiced methods. When each text style is previewed independently, what may have not seemed like an issue is suddenly vividly projected as one. Most particularly for myself is the realization of the abstracted aesthetics of ‘puny’ text. Black and white spaces and ‘hierarchy’ are two other important aspects in typography as well that I had never paid much attention to. Although my skills in typography are at present rather poor, I am motivated to progress immensely in this subject within the next twelve weeks. I am looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead in my first course in typography. See you guys in class.
This is the first time I will be studying and practicing typography in depth. My lack of knowledge in such an important element in the development of digital and physical interactivity (a field in which I am interested in pursuing), is what has motivated myself to enroll in this practical and studio course. I was really inspired by this weeks readings which introduces a technical perspective on the art of typography. I will admit that I now realize that I have in the past made the very mistakes the readings points out, especially with negative tracking and not using well aligned baselines. I have even stacked letters in the past, an unfavorably used technique that which the first reading ‘Letter | Text | Grid’ harshly criticizes. It is interesting that Adobe Photoshop has included an option, in the character panel, to automatically apply vertical text in this way. Aside from the content, I also appreciated the visual communication of the site as well. By juxtaposing different methods of conveying text and grid styles, I found that it was intriguing to contrast between practiced methods. When each text style is previewed independently, what may have not seemed like an issue is suddenly vividly projected as one. Most particularly for myself is the realization of the abstracted aesthetics of ‘puny’ text. Black and white spaces and ‘hierarchy’ are two other important aspects in typography as well that I had never paid much attention to. Although my skills in typography are at present rather poor, I am motivated to progress immensely in this subject within the next twelve weeks. I am looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead in my first course in typography. See you guys in class.
About Me
-
- Name:Jason Safir
- Location:Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Jason Safir is a new media artist whose work explores the origin of ideas that shape cultural identity. Investigations into the formation of ideologies in accordance to the interest of a ruling class in society are conveyed in a wide array of media’s such as interactive environments, video art, photography and tangible media. Concepts of memory, subjectivity, identity, euphoria and nostalgia are used to create experiences that encourage us to reconsider what we think we know about the world around us and ourselves.
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Previous Posts
- Peter Cho Inspirations One of my greatest inspria...
- DB5: PROGRESS UPDATE! I have done a significant a...
- DB5: THE FRUTIGERS Inspired by children and alpha...
- It's Alive! Some abstract text-based compositions...
- DAVID CARSON: THE END OF PRINT David Carson’s inn...
- IN CLASS CRITIQUE Overall, Dora did a good job fi...
- DAVID BOLTER: SEEING it has been embedded into na...
- ETYMOLOGY: ECCENTRIC What constitutes eccentric...
- PROFILE EXPRESSION Click here to view an enlarged ...
- WEEK 3: TYPE AND EMOTION Is the application of ef...
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