Typography plays an important part in our life - more and more we are receiving our information visually. Just think how many different kinds of written communications you come across in a regular week: sign posts, notices, flyers, menus, emails, shop signage, web-banners, posters, billboards, magazines, news-papers, catalogues, TV shows (particularly news stations), and of course the internet.

To stand out in this crowded environment requires something special. Striking. Different. One way to do this is creative use of typography - particularly working type into existing imagery.

Dual Coding Theory.

In the 1960’s, Allen Paivio - a professor at the University of Western Ontario as well as a champion body builder - theorized that the human brain processes visual and verbal information differently. This was tested by showing people a series of images and a series of words, and recording their recollection of each set. These tests revealed that peoples are better at recalling images when allowed to do so in any order, but found it easier to recall words sequentially. Further to this, research later proved that memory for spoken word can be increased if presented alongside related visual stimuli - and visa versa.

As far as the written word goes, Dual-Coding theory helps us understand how the brain acts when we read something - be it a book, a leaflet, a menu or an advertisement - and speculates that our brains use both the phonological oenological information presented to help us translate the shapes we see into letters, words, sentences, and ultimately establish some form of meaning.

What does this mean for typography?

Essentially, this confirms that people do associate certain typefaces, styles, and colours with certain messages. We see shapes and build those into letters. We then establish the meaning from both the meaning of the words by verbalizing them internally - whilst the context and style of these words help establish our lasting impression as well as cement the meaning of the words.

Take a red stop sign for example. The phonological message is in the words “stop” - and encapsulates the primary message. We also garner the importance, authority, and immediate urgency of the message come from the orthographic information; the use of capitals, bold lettering, and strong red colouring - all reinforcing the original message, but populating our senses through differing means.

It is this synergy of message across these two subconscious channels that helps create a lasting impression, and makes the information really easy to absorb.

How it’s done.

I’ve gathered a few examples of typography that integrates a separate visual directly into the typeface itself. In these instances the letters themselves would give a great deal of added weight to the words they convey simply because of their construction. Conversely, if used devoid of context the information could easily be lost or misconstrued because of the conflict of the two channels.

Type the Sky Project - via JPGmag.com

Some of the best ideas come about serendipitously.

“Standing in something like a little courtyard in Barcelona I looked up. I saw houses, the sky, clouds and a “Q”. The negative space in-between the houses formed a letter.”

-Lisa Rienermann

Rienermann followed this up, and after a couple of weeks of looking skyward, she’d captured the entire alphabet.

The brilliance of this is that letters occur ‘naturally’ in a man made environment - whilst the focus on the sky keeps the organic feel.

Water Alphabet - by Abelardo Morell

Carefully created by guiding water on a porous wooden surface, the natural vibe is very strong here; the arrangement of two natural materials, the imperfections of both the letters and the grain of the wood, and the feeling of very natural texture suggested by the black and white photography. The clarity of the letters is quite astounding - particularly when you take into account the difficulty of manipulating water on a flat surface. The rustic feel makes this ideal for a message about green living, or information on organic products

Hand lettering - via Public Works

Using only one hand and a scanner, this piece shows just how simple it can be to come up with something creative and effective.

The letters are instantly recognizable, and against a black background makes the letters/hands the only elements. The use of the hand makes for a great human aspect - evoking the ideas of ‘hands on’, or more personal communication. Also brings a new twist to the mimes - who essentially presented information to their audience strictly through a strictly visual means.

Finger Type - by Lowman

Using fingerprints immediately evokes the idea of guilt/innocence. The outcome of this would rest entirely on the wording of the piece.

When designing this piece, Lowman wanted to evoke the honesty of putting a piece of himself into his work - something he believes designers should do more often.

This also installs a solid human quality to the work, something increasingly lacking in a profession increasingly dominated by computers and technology.

Something as simple as using red ink/blood could put and entirely different twist on this idea though - as our perceptions of honestly, humanity and identity would be turned on their head.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Scott Hansen’s work (aka Tycho, aka ISO50) - I check his blog pretty much daily, his music is in the top 10 artists on my LastFM playlist, and my walls are adorned by his brilliant prints.

Well today I found out that Scott was approached by Barak Obama to produce a campaign poster; and he’s done a great job.

True to form, Scott has produced a great piece of work for this campaign, and I’m happy to see he is getting the attention he deserves as one of the most creative graphic designers in the business today.

Change will do you good

The image itself isn’t quite what I was expecting from Scott at all. He’s really scaled back the retro-futurist feel, the Soviet inspired repeating patterns, the warm sepia tones, and worn textures that have long been a staple of his work. Instead we get something a little more fresh, a little more traditional, and a little less challenging. The imagery is all pretty obvious; roots/strength, tree/growth, people/harmony, blue/red divide coming together - all around the central ‘O’ Obama logo. And a simple statement sums it all up at the bottom. Progress.

an oldie, but a goodie…

Whilst it’s all a little cliché, it works thanks to both Hansen’s attention to detail, flare for composition, and the existing sentiment of the Obama campaign (oh come on - the whole “Change” thing was pretty damn corny).

Sure it’s not as iconic as Shepard Fairey’s offering, but there is something inherently creepy about adorning your walls with images of political figures - especially living ones. Oddly enough, it’s because of this that Fairey’s work reminds me more of the Soviet era that so inspires Hansen’s other work.

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