The Assignment
We were tasked to create two designs that highlighted the uniqueness of the two fonts above (Stemple vs Neue Haas). We were to use at least 5 unique glyphs and showcase 5 type anatomical elements in each design. We were to do that by using design principles such as:
- Negative Space
- Contrast
- Emphasis
- Structure Elements (repetition, alignment, theme)
- Variety
Sans Serif
Sans Serif in simplicity means "without serif". Serifs are a piece of typography anatomy. They are the pieces that strut off from the end of letters. So in other words Sans Serif fonts are those fonts that are very plain and simple. They can appear blocky or slim but they will always appear straightforward and simple. Down below I'm going to talk about how to determine these fonts by looking at a Sans Serif typeface design.
In this design the elements I wanted to highlight was the repetitive "blockiness" of this sans serif font. Hence there are a lot of glyphs that are straight and rectangular (L, I, K). I tried to show some variety by adding some curves and make one of the curved glyphs the focal point (j, 8). Balance, variety in size, and the natural leading lines from the letters K were used to draw the viewers eye to the center emphasis. Each glyph in the composition whether it is straight or curved is simple and plain highlighting the sans serif nature of the font.
Serif
Serif fonts are the exact opposite of sans serif fonts as the name suggests. They are not simple and plain. They have a special anatomical element to their fonts. Serifs, per google, are "a slight projection finishing off a stroke of a letter in certain typefaces". The best way to explain this is to jump right in to the design.
In this design the focus was on showcasing two elements of this typeface, the uniqueness of the curved strokes and the serifs. There are 5 unique glyphs and 7 glyphs in total, two Cs that create the overarching background, a 6 and a 9 that play with one another to create balance, two L's to highlight the straight characters in this font and give variety, and a 8 that is used to make the image pleasant and help the image have a focal point. This design also uses symmetry to lead the eye into the middle of the design. The lines from the L's almost act as fingers do if someone were to try and draw a focus, the focus being the center. Notice how at the top and bottom of the L that there are extra elements that the Ls didn't have in the design above, those are the serifs. There are also serifs that jut out from the top and bottom of the C glyphs. The 8 is the focal point of this piece to draw attention to the uniqueness of the strokes for this font. Notice how the font width changes at the top, bottom, and on one of the middle lines. Compare this to the last 8 which kept the same text-weight/width throughout the whole character.
Each font is made with small variations to their different anatomical elements whether that be their weight, serifs, or uniqueness in stroke. These differences give each font a personality that can help communicate the message that you are trying to show through your design/designs. This can have massive importance when design decisions can reflect the values of yourself or business' that you are building the design for.
