- Type doing double duty works best
when it isn't too forced.
As we saw previously, a lowercase h
that resembles the roof of a house is clever
and appears effortless.
That doesn't mean that all typographic ideas need
to follow the straight and narrow,
sans serif, minimalist route.
Expressive typography is another approach
to using type to communicate an idea.
These are forms that might be less rigid and more elaborate,
or they can be hand-drawn and fluid.
It's the difference between a minimal black suit
and a plaid shirt.
Let's start with an example from Herb Lubalin using an image
of a man with a beard where the type below is unnecessary.
For a book on beards,
Lubalin crafted letter forms that become the beard.
Forms ask the viewer to imagine the word as an image.
Lubalin's brilliant skill with the drawing and shape
of the letter forms makes this solution so successful.
When CBS wanted an advertisement
that demonstrated their success with ratings and comedies,
Lou Dorfsman designed an ad that first read as a laugh.
Ha ha ha.
It's the use of scale to show small, medium, and large
that makes the difference.
The lines below are the cue that this is about measurement.
If Dorfsman had used Helvetica,
the ad would seem a little serious and dogmatic.
The Pistilli Roman with its elaborate thick and thin strokes
and curves keep the message light and fun.
Marian Bantjes' Valentine's heart
is a remarkable masterpiece of swirling script letters
that somehow weave together to become a heart.
The viewer is invited to decipher the puzzle,
finding words and phrases embedded in the form.
This is not only aesthetically pleasing,
it engages the viewer both rationally and emotionally.
Paula Scher is a master of using type expressively
to communicate a message dynamically.
Going against the grain at the time of theater posters
that relied on an illustration,
Scher surrounds the image
with pulsating and energetic typography.
This succeeds with the refined scale choices
and Scher's willingness to go all the way.
She didn't stop at a few words.
She used them all.
Working with one typeface and multiple weights and style
and three colors maintains a cohesive form.
A few years ago, I was asked to design a skateboard deck.
Now, why they would ask me is the real mystery,
but I decided to use skate slang
from the 1960s and '70s.
The content demanded letter forms
that had a hint of the psychedelic and decorative.
I followed up with a solution the following year
that went the opposite direction
and focused on the words being legible and direct.
Here's the secret to expressive type as the idea.
First, the forms must communicate the concept
and tone of the message.
Second, this isn't the place to pull back.
If you're going to make something expressive,
go for it all the way.
Third, if the type is doing this much work,
keep the colors and type choices minimal.
Otherwise, there is a whole lot of graphic design going on,
and the viewer will give up
before he or she gets the idea.
And finally, have fun.