Essays on the Morality of Good Design (Classic Typography Series)
The front cover is an example of the content to come, firmly setting the original typeface over the reference guide goes against Tschichold's beliefs however the concept is to withdraw type from it's comfort zone so it's appropriate.
To deform the subjects inside the publication, Stanley James Press (SJP) uses paper folding techniques that create pop up images that fold flat when the publication is closed. This interactive feature stimulates the audience which makes the cosmetic surgery concept more prominent. SJP have pushed the form and function of a publication which changes peoples perception on the content and publications.
Paperback – 1 Sep 1996
Tschichold's formal publication explains and demonstrates common mistakes that people make in book design through essays. The basic ingredients being the combination of text and image. The publication is heavily text based, even on the cover, which sets a formal tone to the publication.
Key Points
If a book is well produced and presented, I immediately want to buy it as a pleasant object to hold and explore. I like how Tschichold refers to making books as an art form because people often take them for granted. Irma Boom, an established publication designer contradicts Tschichold because she believe books are not an art form.
Reflecting on my first year publications, these are the most relevant principles to me:
A lot of modern publications use pure white paper which creates a strong contrast between the text and image. Typically, older publications use an off white stock which is less straining on the eyes. Referring to white paper as an 'offense against the health of the population' is aggressive and over dramatic. I aim to explore stock later in the project and I will consider Tschichold's principle.
D&AD Anual 44th Edition:
D&AD Anual 45th Edition:
44th annual has a flat spine which makes the pages harder to hold open when in the thick of the book. However, the 45th edition has a curved spine which is a lot more flexible and allows the pages to open fully. I aim to consider the binding method so that the publication is easy to handle and read through.
Sara De Bondt, The Form of the Book Book, 2010
Bondt created this publication inspired by Tschichold's 'The Form of the Book', however the more recent publication has been updated with modern essays:
Every part of the construction of the book is informed by Tschichold's publication from 1996. For example, the typesetting is exactly how Tschichold explains in his book, 'inarticulate and shapeless typesetting as a consequence of suppressing indents', instead of a drop line:
This is a very traditional approach to typesetting and reminds me of old tabloids. It can be very daunting to look at because the text isn't broken up into sections. The fact that Bondt uses the principles from Tschichold's original publication shows that his principles are important and should be considered in any publication because they work.
Armand Mevis
Mevis is profound graphic designer and contributor for 'The Form of the Book Book'. The tone of voice is friendly, encouraging and honest making the content easier to relate to compared to Tschichold's no nonsense principles of book design. For example, 'Ignorance of or disregard for the correct use of small caps, cursive and quotation marks' uses a serious tone of voice due to the use of lexis such as 'ignorance' and 'disregard'. This almost forces the audience to conform with Tschichold's views due to this aggressive use of language. On the other hand, statements from Mevis such as, 'don't try and be someone else' and 'rely on the inner feeling that what you look for will work' is much friendlier, particularly for a design student. Approaching a brief can be a daunting prospect which can often cause creative frustration, however Mevis' belief that 'all books should start with a question' help to give the publication a purpose and ultimately benefit the production. This is a technique that I would like to explore so that I can finalise my concept. Asking questions is an important technique, especially when creating commercial graphic design because I can gain an outside perspective. Mevis' honest tone of voice 'not all of these books have succeeded' brings the audience back down to earth as she continues, 'we have learned by doing, as mistakes are inherent to the job'. From my experience with book binding and production, mistakes happen a lot which can be very frustrating. I like Mevis' view on the world of publication design, her views and opinions are balanced and fair as she is speaking from experience.
'All books should start with a question' - I found this quote helpful because it allowed me to question my concept in order to give it a real, commercial purpose.
Comparing the use of language throughout both texts, tone of voice and the audience has changed from 1996 and 2010. The time difference between the two articles being written shows a dramatic change from aggressive closed writing to a friendly and encouraging tone of voice. This is likely due to a change in society around, where the arts are open to interpretation.
Unit Editions
Unit Editions is an independent publishing venture, producing books for an international audience of designers, design students and followers of visual culture. High quality design and production standards are partnered with insightful texts and informative commentaries to produce books on a wide variety of subjects – subject that are either neglected or ignored by mainstream publishers.
Type Plus investigates the practice of combining typography with images to increase effectiveness, potency and visual impact. Today, graphic designers use type in partnership with graphic elements in ways that turbo charge meaning and impact. The subject is relevant to the brief and my concept because it focuses on how type can connote different themes and concerns, depending on its environment. The publication also demonstrates text and image combined.
Tschichold's formal publication explains and demonstrates common mistakes that people make in book design through essays. The basic ingredients being the combination of text and image. The publication is heavily text based, even on the cover, which sets a formal tone to the publication.
Key Points
- 'The real reason for the number of deficiencies in books and other printed matter is the lack of - or the deliberate dispensation with — tradition, and the arrogant disdain for all convention.'
- 'The typography of books must not advertise. If it takes on elements of advertising graphics, it abuses the sanctity of the written word by coercing it to serve the vanity of a graphic artist incapable of discharging his duty as a mere lieutenant.'
- 'Only when a book presents itself so pleasantly, when the object book is so perfect that we would spontaneously like to buy it and take it home, only then might it be a genuine example of the art of making books.'
If a book is well produced and presented, I immediately want to buy it as a pleasant object to hold and explore. I like how Tschichold refers to making books as an art form because people often take them for granted. Irma Boom, an established publication designer contradicts Tschichold because she believe books are not an art form.
Reflecting on my first year publications, these are the most relevant principles to me:
- 'White, and even stark white, paper. Highly unpleasant for the eyes and an offense against the health of the population. Slight toning (ivory and darker, but never crème), never obtrusive, is usually best.'
A lot of modern publications use pure white paper which creates a strong contrast between the text and image. Typically, older publications use an off white stock which is less straining on the eyes. Referring to white paper as an 'offense against the health of the population' is aggressive and over dramatic. I aim to explore stock later in the project and I will consider Tschichold's principle.
- 'Deviant formats: Books that are needlessly large, needlessly wide and needlessly heavy. Books have to be handy. Books wider than the ratio 3:4 (quarto), especially square ones, are ugly and impractical; the most important good proportions for books were and are 2:3, Golden Section and 3:4. The hybrid format A5 is particularly bad, while the hybrid format A4 is at times not entirely unsuitable. The inner book, or book block, of books that are too wide - square books in particular - will drop at the face. It is not easy to shelve or otherwise store books that are wider than 25 cm; 97/8 in.'
I had never heard of referring to the golden ratio for book sizes as in the past I have stuck to standard commercial sizes. Tschichold criticises A5 and square publications, however if that size is suitable for the purpose of the publication then it should be considered. Thinking about how the book will fit on the shelf is something I will need to consider, especially for a coffee book.
- 'Flat spines on bound books. The spines of bound books must be gently rounded; if they’re not, the book will be cockeyed after reading, and the middle signatures will protrude.'
D&AD Anual 44th Edition:
D&AD Anual 45th Edition:
44th annual has a flat spine which makes the pages harder to hold open when in the thick of the book. However, the 45th edition has a curved spine which is a lot more flexible and allows the pages to open fully. I aim to consider the binding method so that the publication is easy to handle and read through.
- 'No lettering on the spine at all. Inexcusable for books more than 3mm thick. How does one relocate such a booklet? The author’s name must not be missing. It often determines the position of a book on the shelf.'
Shows the importance of considering where the publication is going to be displayed. Having the title and author of the book down the spine means it's easier to see when shelved. This means considering commercial aspects of the book so I can make it as professional as possible.
- 'Lack of form, a consequence of the stillness of using only one size of type. It is difficult for any reader to find his way around in a book where chapter openings are not accentuated and where title and imprint have been set in lowercase only in the size of the basic font.'
Both Tschichold and Vignelli (Vignelli Canon) encourage the use of more than one sized typeface as it creates contrast. This contrast allows the audience to break up text into sections or chapters, 'I love the play between a very large type size for headlines versus a much smaller type size for the body text, with proper white space in between'.
Sara De Bondt, The Form of the Book Book, 2010
Bondt created this publication inspired by Tschichold's 'The Form of the Book', however the more recent publication has been updated with modern essays:
Every part of the construction of the book is informed by Tschichold's publication from 1996. For example, the typesetting is exactly how Tschichold explains in his book, 'inarticulate and shapeless typesetting as a consequence of suppressing indents', instead of a drop line:
This is a very traditional approach to typesetting and reminds me of old tabloids. It can be very daunting to look at because the text isn't broken up into sections. The fact that Bondt uses the principles from Tschichold's original publication shows that his principles are important and should be considered in any publication because they work.
Armand Mevis
Mevis is profound graphic designer and contributor for 'The Form of the Book Book'. The tone of voice is friendly, encouraging and honest making the content easier to relate to compared to Tschichold's no nonsense principles of book design. For example, 'Ignorance of or disregard for the correct use of small caps, cursive and quotation marks' uses a serious tone of voice due to the use of lexis such as 'ignorance' and 'disregard'. This almost forces the audience to conform with Tschichold's views due to this aggressive use of language. On the other hand, statements from Mevis such as, 'don't try and be someone else' and 'rely on the inner feeling that what you look for will work' is much friendlier, particularly for a design student. Approaching a brief can be a daunting prospect which can often cause creative frustration, however Mevis' belief that 'all books should start with a question' help to give the publication a purpose and ultimately benefit the production. This is a technique that I would like to explore so that I can finalise my concept. Asking questions is an important technique, especially when creating commercial graphic design because I can gain an outside perspective. Mevis' honest tone of voice 'not all of these books have succeeded' brings the audience back down to earth as she continues, 'we have learned by doing, as mistakes are inherent to the job'. From my experience with book binding and production, mistakes happen a lot which can be very frustrating. I like Mevis' view on the world of publication design, her views and opinions are balanced and fair as she is speaking from experience.
'All books should start with a question' - I found this quote helpful because it allowed me to question my concept in order to give it a real, commercial purpose.
Comparing the use of language throughout both texts, tone of voice and the audience has changed from 1996 and 2010. The time difference between the two articles being written shows a dramatic change from aggressive closed writing to a friendly and encouraging tone of voice. This is likely due to a change in society around, where the arts are open to interpretation.
Unit Editions
Unit Editions is an independent publishing venture, producing books for an international audience of designers, design students and followers of visual culture. High quality design and production standards are partnered with insightful texts and informative commentaries to produce books on a wide variety of subjects – subject that are either neglected or ignored by mainstream publishers.
Type Plus
Type Plus investigates the practice of combining typography with images to increase effectiveness, potency and visual impact. Today, graphic designers use type in partnership with graphic elements in ways that turbo charge meaning and impact. The subject is relevant to the brief and my concept because it focuses on how type can connote different themes and concerns, depending on its environment. The publication also demonstrates text and image combined.
The front cover is an example of the content to come, firmly setting the original typeface over the reference guide goes against Tschichold's beliefs however the concept is to withdraw type from it's comfort zone so it's appropriate.
The Type Plus images can greatly enhance typographic expression and letterforms themselves, when redrawn, combined, distorted, or augmented with decorative embellishments, can enhance meaning and lend emotive qualities to all kinds of typographic communication.
This publication gives me confidence in my concept as the era of type as a passive, semi-invisible holder of meaning is long gone and I want to capture that with my publication. Removing the type from it's original context and distorting it will change peoples perception of typography. Unit Editions haven't let the concept of the book inform its production which is an avenue that I aim to look at to further engage the audience. The target audience can read interesting articles about the type and then refer to it for reference in the future.
Stanley James Press
'We enjoy designing and making real things, physical things that you can hold in your hands. We mainly make paper things like books, interesting mail-outs and portfolios. We can letterpress things, we design complicated fold out and pop up things.'
Cosmic Surgery is set in a fictional, not too distant future where intelligent materials are about to transform the world of traditional cosmetic surgery.
Stanley James Press
'We enjoy designing and making real things, physical things that you can hold in your hands. We mainly make paper things like books, interesting mail-outs and portfolios. We can letterpress things, we design complicated fold out and pop up things.'
Cosmetic Surgery
Cosmic Surgery is set in a fictional, not too distant future where intelligent materials are about to transform the world of traditional cosmetic surgery.
To deform the subjects inside the publication, Stanley James Press (SJP) uses paper folding techniques that create pop up images that fold flat when the publication is closed. This interactive feature stimulates the audience which makes the cosmetic surgery concept more prominent. SJP have pushed the form and function of a publication which changes peoples perception on the content and publications.
Here is a video of SJP creating a hand made mock-up of the publication:
Creating a hardback book cover safely contains the information and the paper. I aim to explore book binding methods so that I can start producing mockups. A well produced hard back book is immediately desirable because they evoke quality which makes them nice to use. They are usually more expensive so they're aiming at a specific audience.
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