What even is Typography?
In a nutshell, typography is the art of making text easy to read and look nice. Historical, cultural, and technological changes have all affected the evolution of typography over time. Knowing how typography has changed can help us use it better today.
Some people might look at typography as something old-school and not as important in the modern age, but that’s not true. Sure, typewriters are thing of the past, but don’t forget about graphic design, video production and all other forms of media that we all consume on daily basis. Learning about typography can put you in front of 90% other designers and creators that are not typography-savvy.
When used correctly, right fonts can surely make people happy – and make them trust you! That’s important when you actually start making designs for businesses.
Ever-evolving World of Fonts
It all started when people used hieroglyphics to write down information and tell stories. Also, calligraphy, the art of writing beautifully, played a big role in how typography changed. The printing press in the 15th century made it easy for people to get their hands on typography, and with that, valuable information.
In the late 15th century, technology called moveable type, allowed people make different typefaces or fonts. Digital typography and design software, opened up even more possibilities. Today, there are a lot of typefaces to choose from, from classic serif and sans-serif fonts to more unique designs.
Technology is still changing typography today. New typefaces and digital tools let us make typography that moves and interacts. On top of that, responsive design makes it important for typography to look good on different screen sizes. Virtual and augmented reality, machine learning, and voice-controlled devices might also change typography in the future.
Typography is always changing and affected by historical, cultural, and technological changes. Knowing how it has changed can help us use it better today and inspire us to make it better in the future. As designers, it’s important to know how to use typography in our advantage to get the feel, aesthetics, and message across in a way we want.
Impact of Technology on Typography
Technology has changed typography a lot. Computers and digital tools make typography more fun, interactive, and most importantly, accessible.
With thousands of typefaces to choose from, it’s often quite a workout to find the right font we need.
Machine learning and AI are also helping to shape the future of typography. They can make new typefaces and make the design process easier. It’s important to remember that such tools are just that – tools. Use it in your advantage, but don’t think that they will do 100% of work for you.
Overall, technology has changed typography a lot and it offers new possibilities for designers. The future looks even more exciting with technologies like virtual and augmented reality coming into play, which will allow typography and other elements to be used in new ways.
The Future of Typography
When trying to predict the future of typography, we might want to take a look at innovations as a whole. Voice-controlled devices like Amazon Echo or Google Home are something we all know by now. Next step in that direction might look like a home robot that could read you a book or warn you about a yoghurt in the fridge that expired a week ago. To read that, the robot will need to read the text, making it important for typography to be clear and easy to read. Technology is changing, and typography follows the needs.
Make People Happy with Typography
Does Comic Sans ring a bell? Well, it should! That’s by far the most hated font in the industry, and also the most popular one to bring up during a typography chat with your buddies. Seriously, I’ve seen “ComicSans” being the WiFi password in one of the Graphic Design faculties.
On a more serious note, it’s important to understand the trends and feeling that general public has towards some of the popular fonts. That’s a great way to start exploring and understanding the world of typography.
For some reference, you can check the corporate image I designed for a company, and take a closer look at how big of a deal typography actually is – New Corporate Image for La Popsi
