Ideogram-based languages and how they work

Ideogram-based languages utilize symbols or characters to express ideas and thoughts rather than phonetics, such as alphabetic based languages. Each character is tied to one idea or concept, which are strung together to give the broader meaning of the sentence.  It is important to understand that ideogram-based languages are not logographic writing systems where symbols are substituted for exact words.  Many times one may see a symbol that is described as ‘this is the Chinese symbol for life,’ for instance.  This is incorrect as the symbol would not refer to ‘life,’ but the pure idea of life.  To be correct the words should read, “this is the Chinese symbol representing the concept of life.’

 

Formal languages such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean are all ideogram-based, but anyone who has driven or been to an airport has seen and understood ideogram-based languages.  Wayfinding signs are often just symbols that express a clear and concise idea to their viewers even if we were to find ourselves in a foreign country where we do not speak the native tongue.   These signs may even be strung together to give us the notion of a larger concept, such as sign with a red circle containing a white horizontal bar saying ‘do not enter,’ with another sign next to it with an arrow pointing in the direction we should go.  We instantly recognize two separate ideas and combine them to understand the intent.  This is the way that ideogram-based languages work.

 

Test question:  In ideogram-based languages symbols are substituted for words exactly.  True or False?

Gaining a little definition...

Absolute Measurement --- measurements of fixed values that cannot be altered, expressed in finite terms. Examples: millimeter, points, picas

Relative Measurement
--- relationships defined by relative values. Examples: character spacing, ems and ens, leading

Points/Picas --- unit of measure used to measure the type size of a font.  (a pica is equal to 72 points, 6 picas equal an inch)

x-height
--- height of a lowercase ‘x.’ It is a relative measurement based on each typeface. used as a reference point in the layout of a design.

The em. The en
--- relative units of measure used to define basic spacing functions (em is equal to the point size of the font, the en is equal to half of an em)

Dashes (hyphen, en, em)
--- all are used in punctuation to provide a measurement for dashes.  (em is equal to the point size of a font, en is equal to half of an em, hyphen is equal to 1/3 of an em and is used to link words)

Alignments: Justifcation, Flush Left, Flush Right
--- the posistion of type within a text block, in both the vertical and horizontal planes. Flush Right-less common and more difficult to read, words are aligned flush the right side of a text block ending ragged on the left.  Flush Left-follows the principle of handwriting, text is aligned flush with the left side of the text box ending ragged on the right

Letterspacing
--- increasing the space between letters

Kerning
--- reducing the space between letters

Tracking
--- adjusts the spacing between characters

Word Spacing
--- standard word space is a percentage of the individual typeface’s em, and is thus a relative measurement

Widow
--- lone word at the end of a paragraph

Orphan
--- the last one or two lines separated from the rest of the body of text

Leading
--- the vertical spacing between lines of text

Indent, Fist Line Indent, Hanging Indent --- text moved in from the margin by a specified amount.  First Line Indent- the first line is indented from the body of text.  Hanging Indent- the first line of text is justified to the side of the text body while the remaining lines are indented.

Who is Adrian Frutiger and why is he important to typography?

Adrian Frutiger is one of the most renowned type designers of the modern era. Frutiger began his studies by apprenticing under a printer starting at the age of 16. He continued structuring his work during his formal education while studying in Zurich.

Frutiger has created many typefaces in his career, the most notable of which are univers and frutiger. Frutiger, the man, not the typeface, reveals his focus in type design in his own words when he says, “From all these experiences the most important thing I have learned is that legibility and beauty stand close together and that type design, in its restraint, should be only felt but not perceived by the reader.” (well spoken on Frutiger’s part)

Univers is a sans-serif typeface that is comprised of 44 faces in 16 different width, weight, and position combinations. The univers grid is the organization of those difference faces with specific coordinating numbers based on the width, weight, and position combinations. The typeface has been used extensively since the 1960’s.

Wikipedia

Univers

Font Designer
Identifont

Who is John Baskerville and what did he deliver to the world of typography?

John Baskerville is a famous printer and typographer from the 1700’s. His work began in the late 1750’s and soon led to his employment as a printer at the University of Cambridge. He is most notable for his creation of what is now known as ‘Baskerville’ fonts, which were greatly admired by Benjamin Franklin. It was because of this admiration that the newly emerging United States would adopt the Baskerville typeface for its governmental publications.

Baskerville’s printed masterpiece is easily his folio bible (published in 1763), even though Baskerville was an atheist. His printed works tend to be larger, with broad margins, and printed on high quality paper with fine ink. The typeface fell prey to criticism and drifted out of regular use for some time until in the 1920’s when American classical typographer Bruce Rogers led the charge in its revival which has led to many modern fonts that draw directly from Baskerville’s style.

The Baskerville typeface is unique transitional typeface. It focuses on the variance of line weight within its characters. It also focuses on near horizontal serifs in its lower case letters.

John Baskerville --- Wikipedia

I Love Typography

ABC Typography

John Baskerville Bio

The Grid

Why is the grid an essential tool of the designer?

The grid allows designers to take typographic and graphical elements and arrange them in a hierarchical and orderly fashion. By doing so the intent of the design that we wish to impose upon any given content can be made clear to our audience.  We can choose to lead the focus of the viewer to different points of the design  based on the grid layout. According to the Layout Workbook by Kristin Cullen, a grid can function to provide “control, organization, rhythm, harmony, unity, dynamism, readability, movement, balance, direction, contrast, interaction, and order”.   

The New York Times

Links:

Design By Grid

Smashing Magazine

Vandelay Design