Hoefler and Frere-Jones

This brings me to the type foundry of Hoefler and Frere-Jones,who like Andrew Byrom have taken there stimulus form there surroundings and landscapes for a typeface design of theirs called Gotham.

Gothem typeface

The Gotham typeface was created due to GQ magazine commissioning the designers to creates a sans seriffed type with geometric structured to display. The magazine wanted either a tech-no c.d. cover style or a more traditional type like futura.  The designs took to the streets of new york with a camera looking for source material. The font was then based upon the lettering of the signage on older buildings seen on and around the streets of Manhattan,in particular the sign on the Eighth Avenue facade of the port authority bus terminal. The lettering that inspired this typeface was the style from the the 1920s era, sans serifs like future, like architecture, they where broken down to their bare efficient essentials. This is described by Frere-Jones as "not the kind of letter a type designer would make, Its the kind of letters an engineer would make."

This typeface is very easy to look at and adopt to a range of things as it is old there are certain elements we are familiar with, but it is actually new enough to work in the present day. It is confident but never aloof the kind of typeface that can be used for  almost everything and not look to assertive and serious within the corporate world. Such as signage for banks, it speaks with authority but is also inviting. The name reflects a town in new york.

 

Part of the Gothem family 

Since its creation in 2000 Gotham Type has an extensive family and has appeared in many notable places including the campaign material for Barrack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, gotham was also selected in 2004 to appear on the cornerstone of the freedom tower, on the sight of the former world trade centre.

I am impressed to see the typeface has become so popular in the short time it has been around and find it inspiring for it to be used and recognized by the same city, place that fueled its creation. in spite of the typeface being so simple it still has a sort of friendly tone which  I find adds greatly to the its usability.

The creators of Gotham typeface Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frer-Jones together have formed an influential type foundry, based in New York, founded in 1989. H&JF produces fonts for both retail markets and individual clients. Their work unlike other designers and companies I have mentioned is very much focused on traditional type design and digitally produced typography. They are a dominant voice in editorial design with a large client list and history of impressive commissions, some recent corporate typefaces created for Tiffany & co, Nike and Hewlett Packard. 

Gothem used in Barack Obamas campaign 

Andrew Byron

Andrew Byron typeface 'interiors' 

This is typography ,which has also used sculptures  and objects,as inspiration, and like Wim Crouell with Claes Oldenburgs soft sculpture, realized the designs practically because its muse,  in this case interior furniture. A basic skeleton structure of tables and chairs have been physically created and welded together and arranged to look like 3d letterforms,which are actually on the verge of becoming furniture. With the b,d and h being chairs and the m,n and o tables. I like this because it gives a sense that characters have been found accidentally but have cleverly and precisely been formed and arranged. It also makes me look at my immediate surrounding and scenery where I have now noticed shapes letters among other things that could easily work as visuals and within design. He has then produce a digitally drawn version on the sculptured chair and table letterforms.

 

Andrew byron has then expanded on this idea, turning 3 dimensional typography in to 2 dimensional. Here he has carried the same theme through but almost reversed it. He has created digital typography which is an link with his other type design 'interiors', simplified it although staying true to the original,keeping the objects affect by making it almost bubble like and staying with the minimalist straight precise line that the metal material used on the original gives. This then because of the continues pipe like line begins to look like tubes of neon lights. The designer then references back to his earlier creation and constructs this type design out of actual neon lights (called interior lights), going back to the sculptural typography once again. I like the way both type designs can be adopted over different mediums, print aswel as actual physical form, and how both have complemented each other, and still give the same feel and tone no matter what medium is used. this kind of thinking mixes the unexpected together and has helped produce a more versatile design. Researching the methods and techniques behind this work has made me think about different angles I could start a design and to work in an unconventional manner could provide some good original results, and has given me a sense of how work can develop and cross over from one medium to the other.   

  

Andrew Byron typeface design 'interior lights'

Wim Crouwel

Someone else who has used actual physical objects as his muse to create functional type, is Wim Crouwel, and in particular his  design for a show of  Claes Oldenburgs work.

Wim Crouwel's typography for Claes Oldenburg.

The typeface has been digitally redrawn and reproduced by Sea design to accompany an exhibition, (called Seen/ unseen). This was an exhibition of Wim Crouwel's posters from the late 1950s to 1970s, this catalog uses a font originally designed for Claes Oldenburg, that has ben revamped.

          

Catalog for Wim Crouwel's exhibition.

To appreciate this typographic design you would have to be aware of Claes Oldenburg and his work, he is an American popartist who is known for his larger then life sculptures. He would take everyday objects and enlarge and replicate them,to then place them in oureveryday surroundings,for example: A large peg in an office, up-market working environment.

        

Claes Odenburg sculptures.

These sculptures ranged in size and materials,often seen as humorous 

He also created a rage of soft sculptures which used materials such as PVC, leather,filling them with foam and sponge. One of the most remembered sculptures being a large slice of chocolate cake and another being a burger. 

  

Oldenburg's soft sculptures

The success of the typeface I find is the use of the shapes of the counters and corners of the characters. The curved diamond shape gives the illusion that the letter is soft and could be packed with something,a full cushioned look is seen here. This is a direct echo of claes oldenburgs soft sculptures. The materials used for the sculptures is virtually visible here,all the foam, plastics and built up artwork is resembled clearly due to the cleaver shape. also find the short x-height of the letters also help created a chunky solid sculpture like visuals. The heavy weight encourages the shapes to look like objects and nearly 3 dimensional.

Poster for Seen/Unseen exhibition

This poster was also produced by sea design to promote a talk by the designers. It uses enlarged fragments of the claes oldenburg type. The main focus is kept on the blown up type displaying the information very small and tightly, in an extra bold wide rounded face , which is consistent with the enlarged typography design. It is foil blocked in silver and the rest of the poster is screen printed. I think the typeface is also effective as an outline and still references the same things as the filled type but has a slightly more modern digital quality to it. As far as I am aware the type only exists as lower case,or I have only seen it as lowercase. It would be interesting to see how uppercase characters would look and what modifications would be made. Another way this type could be taken further would be to produce it in three-dimensional scale maybe made as actual cushions or bean bags.

Wim crouwel is a dutch designer worked primary as a freelance until he founded his design studio Total Design,where he has designed and overseen an extensive work for the museum of Amsterdam along with other clients,but he is typically known for his work in typography.

One project in particular being his 'new alphabet designs', which is a set of characters consisting of no diagonals or curves,only consisting of 90 and 45 degree angles for all strokes.

Wim Crouwel's New alphabet

Although this design was published in 1967,I find it still looks contemporary with a timeless look and could be mistaken to of been produced very recently,this along with a minimalist swiss feel is strong and consistent though a lot of Wim;s typography. Another factor I have noticed in many of his typography designs have only one case.

Here is a great interview between Win and Creative review,where he talks about some of his life as a designer,and shows other good examples of his work.

www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2007/july/striking-the-eye-an-interview-with-wim-crouwel

3 Deep Design.

Another example where type has been constructed and influenced from 3 dimensional objects is this issue of quarterly fashion magazine "Poster magazine",designed by 3 deep design.

3 Deep Design for Poster Magazine.

3 deep designs is a design and image agency based in Australia, with representations in New York,Tokyo and Europe,winning many awards and working with many clients all over the world. This issue of the fashion quarterly (issue 11) also uses highly elaborate letterforms created from old engraving plates and have been compressed together.

It is interesting to see how 3-d shapes can be made in to functioning typography. Here the designers have photographed the constructed metal type and developed it in to working text. The front cover looks as if a stencil and screen printing process has been used to create this flat 2-d shapes which is still recognizable as objects. It is fascinating to see a set of characters be developed from an actual physical substance, in this case metal (engraving plates), and then processed in to a digital working typeface.

Typography used in Poster magazine,by 3 Deep design.

Other issues of poster magazine uses strong and distinctive typography on the front spread,3 deep have designed another for Poster magazine ( issue 10).

3 Deep for Poster magazine.

Other issues of poster magazine uses strong and distinctive typography on the front spread,3 deep have designed another for Poster magazine ( issue 10).

This type is created from a complex grip of vertical,horizontal,and 45 degree lines,accompanied by semi-circles. The type is deconstructed and broken down to the bare minimum, with only parts of the type legible. This gives a free fun illustrative but also modern an minimalist feel.              

Grandpeople

I have come across another designers work which resembles MMparis working techniques, and style one piece in particular.

Grandpeople for Oslo Architech association

'collecting flowers'

Poster design called 'collecting flowers' for the Oslo Architech association created by the Norwegin design studio Grandpeople. All posters combine the composition of colorful photographs and physical objects,referring to the theme and the world of architecture.

Grandpeople was established in 2005 and specialize in art direction,graphic design and illustration.  They have worked within the fashion,art ,music,advertising and culture industries,including nike, where like MMparis they promote the message using typography in a hand rendered,experimental, and expressive manner.

nikes summer hoops poster campaign,summer hoops 

was nikes us retail campaign promoting the 2007 

basketball shoes. 

"Collecting flowers" poster designs are where the similarities are most distinguishable. The same approach to making visuals from unconventional materials is used as well as the crafted feel. Collecting flowers is a series of lectures with the subtitle "an anthology of architecture and art". The brief was to reflect this theme,and make a poster design,dissimilar to the designers traditionally used in this context.

Grandpeople used found pieces of litter for the raw typography foundations for the posters. Each crushed tin can or off cut of wood is treated as a delicate pressed flower to reflect the title. Part of these found object have been cut out to increase legibility of the letterforms,but still at first sight the letterforms are not recognized as type. The letter forms do look harsh and not always distinguishable but are original and attractive to look at and memorable.

'collecting flowers poster series'

This is another piece of work by Grand people that I find has similar qualities to MM Paris's Balenclaga Portraits.

Grandpeople                                        MMParis

Grandpeople have done an illustration for the New York photographer Zach Gold for his art and fashion project playground,which is an unbound magazine exhibited and sold at Anna Kustera in new york in July 2007. Grandpeople where handed Photographic portrait of a supermodel. There starting point/inspiration come from David bowies album sleeve "Aladdin Save", as the photographs color pallet references this. Both works use close portrait, almost halftone photography,freehand illustrations and typography and abstract shapes and letterforms. The colour schemes are alsoalike.  

MMParis

What do they do?

Mathias Amzalagmet and Michael Amzalag met  in school in paris in 1988,and founded there company M/M paris in 1992.

They initially worked in the music industry designing record sleeves and posters but soon moved in to different areas,working for fashion houses doing commissions for museums and magazines, advertising,and anything with visual aspects. They are seen as visual communicates,but are mostly recognized for there contemporary use of typography. 

How do they do it?

They have a distinct illustrative hand rendered style. Often combining real life mediums and photographs.

MM paris often collaborates with photographers Inez Van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin, they combine  these photographs with hand crafted original artworks,consisting of illustrative graphics as well as objects and a vast amount of materials and media. 

MMParis as well as photographers Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin.  have used there blend of hands on illustration, stills and shots to produce this  Typeface called alphabet.

MMParis alphabet,letters S and T.

This is formed from black and white photographs of 26 models. They have then been cut, cropped and scaled to resemble characters. Each letter represents the name of a model. There's A for Alexis, D for David, S for Sacha and Z for Zev. MMParis likes to use old-fashioned handmade methods like cutting things out with scissors, collarge with glue, and free-hand drawing. 

MMParis letter A from alphamen.

They developed a male as well as female alphabet, called alpha-men. For the women's alphabet, they cut each photograph with scissors, making the letters feminine and sensual. curved positions and almost stretched poses are used to add to the femininity and supermodel look. The men's alphabet, meanwhile, is more aggressive, with sharp, jagged edges,and was constructed with a blade and ruler to get a sharper result, featuring harsh angles strong poses and lines.

The methods and process they have use to generate the letters is original contemporary and influential. This shows that typography can be formed from anything and everything , with strong innovation and vision, and does not always have to start  2 dimensional and digital.