A new addition to our best selling series, Design Briefs, Thinking with Type is a straightforward primer that presents practical information about typographic design that can be immediately applied within the context of design history and theory. It is divided into three sections - letter, text, grid - each accompanied by an essay explaining key concepts, and then a set of practical demonstrations illustrating that material. The lessons of Thinking with Type are applicable to typographic design wherever it is practiced: printed materials of all kinds, Web sites, television screens. A companion Web site, will provide examples of design on screen, and provide other information (lesson plans, exercises) for readers and teaching professionals. Thinking with Type is a state-of-the-art pedagogical tool, that will be essential reading for students, teachers, and anyone else who wishes to improve or brush on their design skills.
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About the Author
Ellen Lupton is one of America's preeminent design educators and PAPress's all-time bestselling author. Her books include Skin, Inside Design Now, Design Culture Now, Mixing Messages, and Letters from the Avant Garde, among others. She is director of the design program at Maryland Institute of Art and Design and Curator at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I must admit that typography wasn't always my favourite field in design. Until a couple years ago fonts and texts were mere supporting actors of the design movie. My mind changed when I finally realized that typography is as important as the shapes, the colours and the styles used. One of the books that helped me get there was Thinking with Type, by Ellen Lupton.
Overall idea of the book
Always using history as a guide, the author shows how the letters and texts can influence the way we see a piece of design and how we can improve readability by following some rules. Personally, one of these tips that really caught my attention was: When using stacked letters - like the ones on spines of books - we should always use small caps with centred column. Maybe this is common sense to some people, but for me it was something that I had never realized.
The book is also very rich on examples. Fonts familiar to most designers - or anyone in the field - are presented and described throughout the pages. Futura, for example, was designed in the late 20's by Paul Renner who sought on "honest expression of technical processes". But be warned, as the author constantly says, this is not a book about fonts.
"The relationships among letters in a font are more important than the identity of individual characters."
History or Design Book?
If you are not into history and want to get straight to the technical part you might want to skip a few pages, but by doing this you'll miss the best part of the book, like when the author explains the reason of the terms uppercase and lowercase: in the old printshops, they used to store the case of the capital letter in the upper drawer). Historical fact or plain curiosity, at least it helps to make the reader more comfortable with the subject.
Conclusion
From letters to text, grid layout to html, Thinking with Type is a book that explains the use of typography in different media and for different audiences. This may not be your ultimate guide about it, but will surely be on your mind in your next designs.
Overall idea of the book
Always using history as a guide, the author shows how the letters and texts can influence the way we see a piece of design and how we can improve readability by following some rules. Personally, one of these tips that really caught my attention was: When using stacked letters - like the ones on spines of books - we should always use small caps with centred column. Maybe this is common sense to some people, but for me it was something that I had never realized.
The book is also very rich on examples. Fonts familiar to most designers - or anyone in the field - are presented and described throughout the pages. Futura, for example, was designed in the late 20's by Paul Renner who sought on "honest expression of technical processes". But be warned, as the author constantly says, this is not a book about fonts.
"The relationships among letters in a font are more important than the identity of individual characters."
History or Design Book?
If you are not into history and want to get straight to the technical part you might want to skip a few pages, but by doing this you'll miss the best part of the book, like when the author explains the reason of the terms uppercase and lowercase: in the old printshops, they used to store the case of the capital letter in the upper drawer). Historical fact or plain curiosity, at least it helps to make the reader more comfortable with the subject.
Conclusion
From letters to text, grid layout to html, Thinking with Type is a book that explains the use of typography in different media and for different audiences. This may not be your ultimate guide about it, but will surely be on your mind in your next designs.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By M. Rance
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This was recommended by a designer friend of mine as a resource for studying design principles and it has turned out to be a delightful book in and of itself. It's well-written and beautifully, thoughtfully designed. The author outlines and then explores the significant role type plays in design. There's a fascinating lexicon of select type faces and fonts. Lot's of ideas, tips and reasons why things work the way they do in design. I bought this as a way to learn about the practical deployment of type in design. I like it because it is so much more.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have long been fascinated by printing, font design and the like. This is a great book for indulging that interest.
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