Typography is not black and white, vanilla, mundane or any other word you come up with that describes the word boring. Can it be? Well, certainly it can be, but that doesn’t mean it has to be or that you can’t make it do something special. Stefan Sagmeister displays the concept perfectly in his book titled ‘Things I Have Learned In My Life So Far’. This book by Sagmeister can not only make an incredible statement to a young designer such as myself, but as an added bonus, it has the greatest packaging I’ve ever come across.
However, packaging is not what makes this book worth purchasing. Instead, it can help you take another vital step as a young designer. What this step is called, I do not know, but I’m certain it’s on the list that all great designers have conquered. In a nutshell, that step is this; type is not just a part of design, type is design.
Let me try and explain that a little more, so I do not confuse. As young designers, it can be far too easy to design something and then slap a typeface on the design, with no rhyme or reason, other than it looks good. On the other hand, it’s also very easy to think of a typeface, and completely design around that typeface. However, step back and ask yourself this question. What if the type was the design?
I’m not talking about dingbats, or some heinous free font that was download, which depicts vector images on the command of key strokes. So, lets vanquish that thought from our minds at this moment.
I’m talking about making type out of something besides our finger tips. Think about how many times in your life, even if it’s a young life, that you’ve designed something, and for whatever type you put on this design, you did not type it on a keyboard. I’m guessing you have never had that happen, it’s alright, I have not either.
However, had it not been for Sagmeister’s book, I would not be typing this now and would not have had the experience of realizing that all type I have used has been done by slamming my fingers into plastic squares, only then to see them appear on the screen. What is organic and real about that? Nothing, that is the answer you should think if you’re still searching for one.
I am not even coming close to saying that we should all throw our computers out the window. I am simply saying, there is more to type than most of us young designers think there is. There is more to making a message with words than what sits below our screen and until we learn that and accept it, we’re running in place.
After looking through Sagmeister’s book several times, I’ve come up with this to describe what it was like for me, a young, student of design; before coming across this book, I was the classic businessman going to work in the morning, only cleaner. I had not a speck dust or dirt on me, and I had not one wrinkle in my clothing. My hair was as neat as one could imagine, and the rest of my physical appearance the same. I went to wherever I was going, and was not noticed. People were oblivious to me, and would take no interest in me, because even if I had something to say, they would never know.
After coming across Sagmeister’s book, I was that same businessman, going to the same place as before. Walking the same, talking the same and even dressed the same, except for one thing. I was not wearing any pants.
Stefan Sagmeister stole my pants.
Stefan Sagmeister came up to me, someone who thought he was on the right track in terms of design and typography and told me to my face, I know nothing, but I can. He then proceeded to steal my pants. However, that was not it, he also kicked dirt on me, squirted me with mustard and messed up my hair.
After the assault, I finally arrived at my destination. I was no longer invisible, either. People were talking about my appearance, mumbling to each other, I had made them stop and think instead of looking and moving on. They could no longer take a glance, and realize what they’re looking at is what they’ve seen before and knew that it or I had nothing to say.
If you can do that with your type in a design, then you’re onto something.
Only after your world or perspective has been turned upside down do you see how it should truly be put together.
You can buy ‘Things I Have Learned In My Life So Far’ at the following link from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Things-have-learned-life-far/dp/0810995298/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218756970&sr=8-1
Filed under: Design
