Super Normal: Sustainability in type design
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School of Arts, Design and Architecture |
Master's thesis
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P1 OPINNÄYTTEET D 2017 Fan
Authors
Date
2017
Department
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Visual Communication Design
Language
en
Pages
158+26
Series
Abstract
This thesis is set out to explore the manifestations and characteristics of Super Normal type design in the age of mechanical reproduction. Originally developed from furniture and product design, Super Normal, here, is the first time to be applied within the context of typography as a way to design a good and sustainable typeface. Containing both a written part and an artistic production, the thesis combined the knowledge of type design, product design, and human behavior. A design project Normal Sans was undertaken to further investigate the comprehensions of Super Normal. From the view of engaging timelessness and functionality, the Super Normal typefaces are able to decrease confusing attributes and lengthen their service lives to improve sustainability. According to the literature review, from the perspective of type design, the research was framed into two phases: case study and design project. In the case study phase, ten Super Normal typeface cases are analyzed to identify how they visually communicate and operate through a relatively long time. Among them, both serif & sans-serif and print & web categories are included. Applying a general introduction and a four-point framework, the chosen typefaces were reduced to abstract forms to measure their motivation, legibility, readability, aesthetics, and adaptability. In the design project, the newly designed typeface Normal Sans was emphasized to practice the findings and data, which were calculated and collected in the case study. The outcome takes the form of a humanist sans-serif typeface family that consists of Roman, Bold, Light proportions with their corresponding Italics. Based on the type design knowledge with the experimental research, the thesis is considered to take a new step forward in understanding the concept of Super Normal in typography. Moreover, it verifies the visual manifestations and characteristics of the sustainable concept and demonstrates the basic guidelines for creating a Super Normal typeface.Description
Supervisor
Dodson, ZacharyThesis advisor
Seliger, MarjaKeywords
Super Normal, normal, type design, sustainability