Reading Reflection For Ch: 1, 3 & 6

Chapters 1, 3 and 6

The Evolution of Typography

I find it both hilarious and interesting that it didn't occur to me, after reading the title, that the origins of typography would be ancient tablets and hieroglyphics  which makes sense now, considering one of our typography vocab words is GLYPHs. Some of the writing seen on pages four and five, where the characters are condensed and bold to the point it just looks like the ink was dragged up and down in various ways, really makes me realize how far language has come, especially in the way we express it physically. Figure 38 really jumped out at me - it's neat, justified so there is little to no ragged ends, more legible than the previous writings and very exaggerated in the decorations, reminds me of what I'd see in a newspaper now. As you quickly flip by the pages, it's comical how each page there is large advancements in typography, from the mediums in which the type is on, to the legibility and then the introduction of color and experimentation, sort of going into more of what we see as conventional forms of 'typography'. 

Syntax and Communication

Typographic Syntax is literally exactly like literary syntax, which helps loads in understanding. Literary syntax is, like the book says, the way in which the words are put together to form phrases, but it's more than just putting them together, it's putting them together the RIGHT way so that the message you want to convey is accurately portrayed. Putting words in front of others can switch the meaning of the sentence, adding commas or other gramatical marks can change the sentence and this is exactly like what typographical syntax is about. Using single letters, words and entire sentences in a design/composition as a way to both communicate a meaning, but also use those very words, arranged in strategic ways to help the meaning/idea along. A lot of the topics and examples discussed and shown were used last semester when I took GD 200 where we had to be conscious with letters and using words to convey messages in a composition.

 The Typographic Message

"A multidimensional language" made me think of typography as something that can be sensed with all five senses - see it, feel it (both literally and commenting about the texture of it, perhaps), hear it (use adj like it's noisy or quiet), smell it (... I didn't think this one through completely) and taste it (... uhm more along the lines of metaphorical tasting?). This chapter relates to more of the type of posters or graphics we see that involve the actual lettering, constructed, deconstructed, arranged so that it IS what it's talking about, or that objects are in place of words, along with words designed in such a way that almost literally represent the subject or company essence, but overall keeping in mind that it has to accurately portray these things, so as to serve a/it's function.