GQ story header

Typography 24, 2003, p119
GQ Magazine, Paul Martinez, magazine page layout

This is the opening page to a magazine spread about Tobey Maguire coinciding with the release of a Spiderman movie. The words climbing up the buildings are symbolic of Spiderman climbing skyscrapers. The smaller type in the design is spaced and sized to look like lit windows in the buildings. By cleverly placing the author and photographers names sideways in what appears to be random spots, the type loses the look of letterforms and enhances the idea of windows. If the type had been placed vertically, the viewer would have been more focused on the actual letters and would not appreciate the artistic effect the designer was after. I also found it clever that the article actually begins on this page within the framework of a building. Notice how the color treatment of the letters aids in the windows illusion.
The font is Gotham (how appropriate!) and is used for editorial purposes.

Half Moon Catering

Graphis Design Annual 2002, p149
Half Moon Catering, Amy Johnson, letterhead

I enjoyed the logo and the layout for this corporate identity package. The "moon" is actually a cup and saucer in heavy shadows. I found it interesting in the way the designer kept the imagery completely separate from the informational text. I also found it interesting that the type in the logo is all caps and actually works. Every source I read states this is a big no-no. Obviously, an exception to every rule.
The font is a thin sans serif serving the purpose of identity.

ai

Typography 27, p57
Pratt Institute, Hsin-Yi Wu, student project

I loved this layout. The designer chose random people off the street and had them pose as letters. The paragraphs (in Garamond) on the side tell about the persons. I like how the little girl's balloon forms the dot over the i. The designer did a great job of balancing the elements. The large red i creates a strong point with the white space surrounding it helping to emphasize it. The paragraph font serves the purpose of informing while the large letters are used purely as decorative elements.

Have a seat

Typography 27, p137
Commissaires, David Guarnieri, poster

I have no idea what this poster says but I'm guessing it's an art exhibit. I enjoy how the text is used to replace parts of the chair. It makes me want to read the poster to see why. My favorite part, though, is the single line of text below the chair. I found it interesting because it was placed at the same angle as the chair, which I find unexpected. The text used is Didot and my guess is its purpose is informative.

Atmosphere

Typography 27, p141
Anti-Pop Festival, Dirk Fowler, poster

I thought this was a rather bizarre poster. It makes me feel like I need 3D glasses to focus. I was intrigued by the type, the way the letters tucked into each other. Very geometric. And the M looks like a sideways E. It has a 70ish feel to me. And for some reason, instead of the figures flying up, I feel like they're actually falling but have just been turned upside down. They look like diving forms. The fonts used are Handcut and Twentieth Century, both sans serif fonts, used for advertising purposes.

Don'tnut

Typography 27, p59
California College of the Arts, Julyanne Liang, student project, billboard

I found this project to be quite eye-catching. My first thought was it was going to be something against the Dunkin Donuts franchise since it basically copies their logo font and colors. It is actually a call to arms to fight teenage obesity. Although, I'm sure Dunkin Donuts would probably fight this billboard if it were actually used. I thought it was a pretty clever play on words. The fonts used are Frankfurter and Futura, both sans-serif fonts. The purpose of the type in this billboard is informational.

A Bottle of Red

Typography 27, p48
John Anthony Vineyards, Liza Butler, packaging

This wine label seems simple but I find it to be elegant. I liked the shape created by the overlapping letters. The Y at the bottom creates the base of a tree. Each layer of stacked letters is smaller in size until the top letter J. The large J on top helps to guide your eye to begin at the top of the tree and read downwards. The letters forming the tree have enough transparency that you can see a darkening where the letterforms overlap. The wine variety is printed in red helping to identify it as a red wine. The fonts used are Centaur and HTF Requiem and the purpose is packaging.

Just for fun!

Typography 27, p56
Muthesius Kunsthovhschule Kiel (School), Rene Siegfried, student project

I had to share these just because. I loved the art created by the letters. I like how the "girl" is present in each scene and how she seems to take on a different personality based on the angles of the letters used to create her. For example, if the d used to create her head is tilted more horizontally, she looks like she's looking up. Each rectangle seems to represent a new geographical destination and the last last rectangle shows all roads lead to the same place, but I'm not sure what that means. Maybe all letters serve the same universal purpose?
The fonts being promoted include Futura Book, Adobe Garamond, Shelley Andante Script, and Zentenar-Fraktur.