All of Martha’s type is sans serif as expected, this version of her website (June 2011) is busier than I expected, I personally don’t like the way the page layout was done.
I really love this magazine cover the use of color is awesome, the type style is great. They use a funky serif and use contrast italicizing “for” and “is” and I love it.
1. typeface mixing
2. good tracking/kerning
3. good leading/linespacing
4. marking paragraphs
What really stuck out to me while doing this weeks reading was Wim Crouwel’s “new alphabet”. Crouwel was inspired by the increase in the use of electronic communication devices. The main idea behind his “new alphabet” is that there are no diagonal lines or curves. The reason for this is because on video screens curves and angles are rendered with horizontal scan lines. Horizontal scan lines are alternating colored and black lines that were seen on older televisions etc. but now are seen when used for styling computer graphics.
Crouwel’s “new alphabet” is especially interesting because he created it in 1967. His insight into the future use of electronics, interest in making communication better and intuition for a programmed typography for these new electronics was truly impressive. Although the concept is unique and forward thinking the “new alphabet” itself is not very practical as several of the letters look nothing like they traditionally do.
Even though I love physical books I didn’t really like this documentary too much. I think its silly to think that books, bookstores or typewriters etc. will ever disappear. People who have an interest in these things will keep them alive forever. Even though my music collection is completely digital I still buy vinyl records at music stores because its a hobby and I’m a huge music lover. Its the same for books because I’m a book lover I’ll always go out to the store to pick up the latest series of a collection or a graphic novel I’m into so I can support the art I love. While I feel for the small book store owner its not like this is a new concept time changes everything before Kindles there was Barnes and Noble etc. But I do think its great that now I can buy electronic versions of textbooks at the half price of a printed book. So to each there own but I think these girls were more culture shocked than anything else in any huge city especially NYC people are going to be running around/on the subway with the latest trending device head to a more rural area in America, Europe or anywhere else and I’m pretty sure your average book lover is still buying books at there local book store.