Brief

Name

Sol Chadwick

Brief title

Explorations within Legibility

Brief (outline the general aims of the project)

Essay question: What is the definition and role of "legibility" in relation to contemporary typographic practices? -       Create a publication that explores legibility by documenting and/or creating a range of typography and glyphic forms and their interaction with context. -       Involve an element of interactivity that allows the viewer to be a part of the process or final product -       Find out more about the role of legibility within typography by exploring and documenting key practitioners -       Provide clarity around the meaning of legibility for intended viewers -       Explore the difference between legibility and readability

Background / considerations

-       It is important to understand exactly what legibility is and why it is relevant to the practice of typography. The Oxford English dictionary defines it as ‘The quality of being clear enough to read’ however this definition seems fairly vague so the definition accepted by this project will be: ‘the distinction available between letterforms within a typeface via their individual characteristics’. -       It is also imperative to note that although readability and legibility is often interchangeable terms readability more generally describes the easy with which a passage is read.   -       Consider the factors that make a typeface legible carefully e.g. RUDI W. DE LANGE, HENDRY L. ESTERHUIZEN AND DEREK BEATTY study 1993 that suggested that there is no notable difference in legibility, measured by reading speed, picking out words etc between Times New Roman, a serif type face, and Helvetica -        Also consider how typography can change the world e.g. Sandra Grabriele's 2006 investigation into how we can solve the problem of patients mixing up similar sounding drugs with typography alone.

Deliverables

-       1x Printed and bound interactive and experimental publication -       1x Typeface or partial typeface

Mandatory requirements (essential requirements that must be followed)

-       Conduct thorough and relevant contextual research that build upon that conducted for the essay -       Document the process via design board and blogs -       Create a concise visual narrative that allows the project to look professional -       Ensure that the project is closely linked to the topic discussed within the essay but through a more interactive and exploratory medium

Research: references to reading (essay)

Ambrose, G. and Harris, P. (2006). The fundamentals of Typography. 1st ed. AVA publishing, p.12- Tschichold, J. and McLean, R. (2006). The New Typography. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California W. DE LANGE, L. ESTERHUIZEN, BEATTY, South Africa, 1993 – Legibility of Times New Roman vs Helvetica   https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5936/22000cdca280fb6b4df3720844ba44ba7427.pdf Sandra Grabriele's 2006 investigation into how we can solve the problem of patients mixing up similar sounding drugs with typography alone.  https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/0e0f/267e854c10e89bfc905e49231baf5bc6da01.pdf Nora Kaszanyi's 2015 typeface loc that I found on behance www.behance.net/gallery/22145423/l-o-c-TYPE-FONTBOOK