Notes from ‘Thinking with Type’

These last ten days of vacation have really given me a chance to slow things down and catch up on some much-needed reading. Case in point, I just wrapped up reading Ellen Lupton’s book, Thinking with Type. Up until now, my go-to book for typographic reference has been John Kane’s A Type Primer. I had the fortune of taking many of John’s design and typography classes during my undergrad at Northeastern University, and his book has been a mainstay in my bookshelf ever since (you should still buy his book).

Lupton’s book takes a look at every aspect of typography, from the history of letterform, to using grid systems with today’s page layout software. Peppered into the text are “nerd alerts” and “type crimes“, keeping the book a very engaging and interesting read for a student or an experienced design professional.

In fact, Lupton has even published the contents of the book at her site, ThinkingWithType.com, complete with how-to guides, lectures, exercises, and demos.

Here are a few of my favorite passages and notes from the book:

“Combining typefaces is like making a salad. Start with a small number of elements representing different colors, tastes, and textures. Strive for contrast rather than harmony, looking for emphatic differences rather than mushy transitions. Give each ingredient a role to play…” (p. 54)

“Typography helps readers navigate the flow of content. The user could be searching for a specific piece of data, or struggling to quickly process a volume of content in order to extract elements for immediate use. Although name books define the purpose of typography as enhancing the readability of the written word, one of design’s most humane functions is, in actuality, to help readers avoid reading.”

“Make the shoe fit, not the foot. Rather than force content into rigid containers, create systems that are flexible and responsive to the material they are intended to accomodate.” (p. 218)

“Design is an art of situations. Designers respond to a need, a problem, a circumstance that arises in the world. The best work is produced in relation to interesting situations- an open-minded client, a good cause, or great content.” (p. 219)

Thinking with Type (Second Edition) by Ellen Lupton is on sale at Amazon.com, and while you wait for your book to arrive, take a look at the full content of it at ThinkingWithType.com.