Typeface Analysis

All communications start with a need to convey information from one source to another source. Communication can be verbal, tactile and/or visual.

Visual communications can transmit messages using pictures or text. Handwritten text represents a unique creation, as the letters that make up the words are never written exactly the same way twice even when composed by the same author.

All electronically written text is created using one or more typefaces, or fonts. Encarta Dictionary defines the word "Font" as “a full set of printing type or of printed or screen characters of the same design and size.”

Font style is chosen to convey a particular type of message and type choice can have a big effect on the way an audience understands that message. To get an idea of some of the finer points of choosing a type, with a little typography history thrown into the mix, take a look at the following movie clip on Font Design:



In order to explore the topic of font style in more depth, I have selected one particular font type to focus attention on, and the font I have chosen to profile for this posting is: MONGOLIAN BAITI.



Mongolian Baiti is licensed by Microsoft Corporation and is available in Windows Vista and Windows 7.

Using Kathleen Burke Yoshida's excellent advice put forth in her publication
"Avoiding Typeface Terrors", let us take a look at Mongolian Baiti as compared to the font Tahoma in a real-life comparison of a conventional headline for an international company in the shipping industry. In this example, the company, CaroTrans, designed their website using Tahoma for the headings and sub-headings. I have provided a sample of CaroTrans' sub-heading, using Tahoma with a sample sub-heading using Mongolian Baiti:


Using this example, it is clear to see that Tahoma is a better choice for a title heading for an international company that depicts stability and strength, while Mongolian Baiti could provide good suitability and readability for the body of the text, and could easily be used with equal effect instead of a type like Arial or Times New Roman. In this example, we note that Mongolian Baiti does meet the standard definition of good legibilty, as the text is easy to read even after it is divided into top and bottom halves.

In continuing our analysis of typeface suitability, there are six important points to consider when selecting a font:

Do I use serif or sans serif type?
Is the typeface legible?
How is the readability of the font? Is it easy to read or should it only be used for dramatic effect?
What is the font's personality?
And most importantly, who is my audience and what message do I want to convey?

Serif or sans Serif - Typography experts such as Yoshida tell us that Serif type lets the reader easily follow the type across a long line of text, as it creates a baseline for the eye to follow. Mongolian Baiti is a serif style of type, making it a good choice for body text.

Legibility - How easy is it to recognize letters? - Yoshida tells us we can test legibility by placing a piece of paper over either the top or bottom half of the letters. If the text is still easy to read, the font is considered legible.



Readability - The x-height of Mongolian Baiti contains letters that have a larger body than the ascenders and descenders, making it a good choice type for easy reading, similar to Times New Roman in its versatility.

(See comparison of Times New Roman body text with Mongolian Baiti)



Personality

Yoshida tells us that a typeface's personality is related to certain characteristics of the letters,but it also depends on the subjective view of the reader. Mongolian Baiti has the feel of a understated conventional type with just a small amount of flair. The negative personality qualities of Mongolian Baiti is its lack of uniqueness and lack of distinction from other related type styles, such as Times New Roman. The positive impressions conveyed by Mongolian Baiti are the qualities of calmness, reliability, authority, and trust. Mongolian Baiti says "you can believe me - what I say in this type is true."

Compare this trustworthiness of Mongolian Baiti's personality with the typefaces of WaltDisneyScript and Candy Round BTN - Which one would you believe more?



For a humorous look behind the personalities of type, I hope you will enjoy a little type parody, as presented in the next video clip, Font Conference:

Age and Audience

In keeping with the theme of this blog, which is discovering new directions in technical communications, I would like to explore the best ways of creating communications that appeal to different age ranges. I have chosen two websites to review in order to examine the ways designers build sites based on age. The first site, Discovery Kids is a division of Discovery Communications, and it is designed for the prepubescent child audience, or anyone up to the age of 14 or 15 to learn to explore science, nature and the world around them.



The website even includes a special section for preschoolers,Paz Place:


"Discovery is More than the name of our Company...
it is our Very Calling."



Using the Index of Learning Styles paradigm that was developed by Richard M. Feldman and Barbara A. Soloman as a comparative tool, we see the Discovery Kids site is designed to keep the primary focus on the visual and active styles of learning, although the site does incorporate both verbal and reflective styles, as well. Another interesting aspect of this site is the very minimalist use of text on the home page, which demonstrates the attractiveness of an active, global approach to learning for young children. Even though I no longer fit in this age group, I found the site to be interesting and fun, with strong visual design effects and a primally appealing use of color.

This site is designed using a pedagogical, or teaching style of instruction that provides both a sequential and global learning approach through the use of interactive links. The icons help the viewer by encouraging an intuitive approach to access new features and helps to develop insight through the use of these connections. The links are in the form of hover bubbles, and they rotate as the viewer moves through the site. Each time the viewer hovers over a link, they are given a choice of continuing to an outside commercial site or returning to the official Discovery site. If the child selects one of these options, they are directed to a warning page that tells them they are leaving the official Discovery Kids site:

(SEE WARNING)>>

The site contains primarily visual content, but there is audio content available as well, and although visual or hearing impaired children would miss a large amount of the content on the site, it is possible for them to see or listen to the accessible portions of the site. On the lower third of the page are links to authorized Discovery Kids videos and cartoons, including BEYOND: All about Bindi, an adventure series of a child naturalist, that is presented to the audience through video and game links, and using the English language on the home page.The site also features scientific education on a page titled "The Yuckiest Site on the Internet."
(Video illustrating visual format of Discovery Kids)


The overall corporate image of the site translates as making learning fun and adventurous, an overall positive experience for children.


Second Site - Maverick Adventures

Using a template developed by Jennifer Turns and Tracey S. Wagner in their publication, Characterizing Audience for Informational Web Site Design" By: Turns, Jennifer; Wagner, Tracey S.. Technical Communication, Feb 2004, Vol. 51 Issue 1, wherin they identified the principal characteristics of successful websites in terms of Role, Goal, Knowledge, Human Factors, Circumstances of Use, and Culture, the second site I have chosen for comparison is Maverick Adventures, a website devoted to an audience of "active, luxury travel for adults aged 25 to 55."

(Maverick Adventures Home page and destination image)

In contrast to the Discovery Kids website, the Maverick Adventures site engages the adult learner through the promotion of a reflective, sensing learning style and gives the viewer a location where adults can find articles, tips and travel advice.

The site lets the viewer sort through the facts via tabbed browsing, in a sequential fashion, using both visual and verbal information to help inform their choices. The website gives us information that tells us that, in addition to serving as a travel guide for the active adventurer, the company also serves as a social and networking site, as seen by their motto:"To create innovative, life-changing travel experiences that form new social bonds and amazing friendships."

Maverick Adventures advertises their services as providing access to the "coolest" sites and giving the traveler "destination expertise" but does not list the specific qualifications of their tour guides or travel agents. Maverick states that the company promotes and is devoted to active adventuring, therefore excluding adults who are physically handicapped or otherwise unable to keep pace with the other members of the groups.

The overall design of the site is harmonious, with warm blends of earth, sea and sky tones, a perfect choice for a travel site. The visual images are well-chosen and give balance and movement to the site.



In terms of culture, Maverick Adventures is geared towards the modern urban professional who wish to have an "active, adventurous, social and refined travel experience." As someone who nominally fits the criteria for a Maverick adventurer, the overall corporate message of the site serves to provide a surface visual and verbal appeal. However, there is cause for dissatisfaction by the targeted audience due to the lack of specific details on the site. The exclusiveness angle that limits the audience to certain criteria may appeal to some members of that group, but may be found to be unappealing to others.

Typography - Kinetic Design

I like the concept of creative movement; in technical communication, in visual design studies, and in life. As a way of exploring the importance of type choice in visual design, I recently had the opportunity to view several videos on the subject of typography. I would like to share with you one particular video that exemplifies how typography can be used as a type of mask to redirect one's focus and attention. The video begins with the contradiction of asking a masked man who he is, and then uses the visual design principles of harmony and emphasis to direct and shape the movement of the eye towards that answer.

The video that I selected reminds me of a game I used to play with one of my sisters, where we would frame all of our conversations, for one entire day, in the form of song lyrics; no matter whom we talked to, or about what subject, all of our responses had to be taken from the words of a song. When playing that game, we discovered that limiting our expressiveness to just one form of reference eventually created its own special cadence to our conversations, and brought that measured movement to our thought processes.

As you watch the video, you can see how the type floats and dances, using harmony of color (a maroon background with starkly white typography as contrast) along with harmony of sound to build a work of art using kinetic design. (According to WikiAnswers, kinetic design is: "a type of streamline design that makes use of straight edges and trapezoids." )

The presentation of the printed words acts much like the sword of the fictional character Zorro, as the words in the video slice and re-combine into the primary letter shape that is the featured focus of the piece. The choice of type that is used creates its own sense of movement by increasing and decreasing in size, as the words increase and decrease in pitch and emphasis.



In harmony with the pitch of the voice, the type used in the video starts and ends each phrase from different points within the layout, and by focusing the senses towards one particular letter, the presentation creates a visual home for the eye and an auditory home for the ear.

The video uses the flow of the mellifluously spoken words and the rhythmic flow of the letters to empasize how complexity can be born from simplicity, and how harmony in design can be created by the blend of both senses working together to achieve a single goal:
the lasting impression of the letter V.

B2 - Analysis of Corporate Blog #2

Analysis of Corporate Blog Site # 2

I am attempting to examine how corporate blogs promote the products and the images of their parent sites. This is my second analysis in the series, using the principles of visual design as evaluative tools. Starting with a screenshot of the blogsite:

The name of the Corporation is: Adobe Systems, Inc.
and the structure of the entity is as a: Corporation - (American).The title of the Blog is: Technical Communication
and it is located at the following address: URL: http://blogs.adobe.com/techcomm/

This blog is intended for audiences who are principally members of the professional technical communications industry, and is also aimed at students, educators, and the general public.

The goals of the Blog is to provide product support and sales, along with professional technical analysis of specific product issues. From the Blog site, the goal of the blog is stated as : “ This team blog intends to provide interesting and useful info about Technical Communication Suite, FrameMaker, RoboHelp and related issues in Technical Communication.”

Adobe Systems Incorporated is an American computer software company, with over 7,000 employees, as of 2008, that was founded in 1982 in California. Adobe’s principal focus is in the development of creative and multimedia software area.

The average length of entries in the Technical Communication blog is 148 words per post, based on the last five posts found on site. This puts the blog in the average range for the number of words used - (half of all blog posts average between 100-249 words per post) see graph, below:

Using the visual design elements and the principles of design, I find the blogsite to have
a Space focus of 2 dimensional, length and width, with a square and rectangular format. The lines used are horizontal headers with vertical columns. For unity the site maintains unity of style and form, along with color and layout. The color scheme used is a positive space soft blue with negative white space.

The site uses a balance ratio of approximately 70/30, moving from left to right with the main blog post areas on the left of the page and the categories, search and archives sections placed on the right. The shape of the columns uses a 2 column layout, with rectangular columns and a center-front display. The site achieves color and design harmony through the use of three shades of color, evenly spaced type and a generous amount of positive space in the layout.

The texture of the site appears as smooth and soft, with the screenshots adding depth. The site has good contrast with the softness of the type (soft grey) against the orange post headers. The use of Positive space throughout the site to directs focus towards the text.

The use of repetition , using the same style, font and color schemes, throughout the site creates postings that are direct and pointed towards specific topics. The site uses a font and type size of Trebuchet 13.5 for post headings, Trebuchet 11 pt for text in posts. The site has limited variety, with a heavy use of text, occasional graphics and screenshots used as needed.

The emphasis of the eye is drawn to the left side column, where the blog posts are located, and the blog site heading – stronger dark blue color on the top of the page and the orange topic headings brings attention to beginning of posts. The relative size of elements is appropriate in proportion , creates harmony, and ease of use and the site is well designed for functionality, with two disproportionate columns, the largest on left, creating easy navigation and readability of site.

The Overall Corporate Image

Using the analysis provided, the overall design of the Technical Communications (Adobe) site is practical, direct, businesslike, professional, calm.

The disclaimer that appears on the blog site limiting the responsibility of the postings to the opinions of the technical engineers lessens the reliability of the site. (see disclaimer at end of analysis.)

** This blog represents the personal opinions of the Adobe Product Management Team and do not necessarily reflect the positions or opinions of Adobe. You should conduct independent assessments before basing any decision upon the statements made in this blog.**

B2 - Analysis of Corporate Blogs - Site #1

In an attempt to understand just what goes into a well-designed blog site, I have completed an analysis of two corporate blog sites: In the Field, an Events blog sponsored by Nature science journal, and Technical Communication, an information and product analysis blog developed by the Adobe Product Management Team.

Analysis of Corporate Blog Site #1

Please see the screenshot of the In The Field Blog: (at right)

The parent corporation of the site is Nature Publishing Group (NPG) is a division of Macmillan Publishers Ltd, and it is a limited liability c orporation of British registry.

The blog home site is NatureNews, and the main title of the blog is: In the Field, located at the following address:
URL: http://blogs.nature.com/news/blog/. The blog serves as an Events Blog and is designed to appeal to the intended audience of scientists from all scientific disciplines, writers, educators, and the general public. The principle goal of the blog can be found in the original mission statement of Nature, first published on the 11th of November, 1869. As described in the mission statement, the purpose of the original written journal that extends to the present-day online publication is to:

“FIRST, to place before the general public the grand results of Scientific Work and Scientific Discovery ; and to urge the claims of Science to a more general recognition in Education and in Daily Life ;

And, SECONDLY, to aid Scientific men themselves, by giving early information of all advances made in any branch of Natural knowledge throughout the world, and by affording them an opportunity of discussing the various Scientific questions which arise from time to time.”
The online blog journal simplifies this mission, expressing it thusly; “the Nature newsblog has two roles: to provide our readers with an easy way to comment on our news stories, and to provide diary entries from our reporters at scientific conferences and events.”


Nature magazine is a leader in the field of information science, having actively written about scientific issues and advances for the past 140 years. Nature has adapted to market demands and is at the forefront of online journalism in establishing and maintaining an online presence in the scientific world. Nature does this by having reporters attend conferences and file reports that are available for the viewing of the scientific community and for the public, through the use of an online journal presence and the use of a blogsite entitled In the Field. The blog posts and summaries of the scientific findings are available, free online, for four days after posting, and then the site shifts the blog posts to a pay per article format.

The average length of the entries for the In the Field site, based on the 10 most recent entries at time of this analysis, amounts to: 464.9 for Blog posts by journalists, and 217.2 by Blog posters from the general public.

The blog uses the visual design principles of space to project a 2 dimensional appearance using length and width, and employs the concept of unity, through the use of a clean aesthetic design, with good use of white space. The site uses horizontal lines and vertical columns, and creates balance by creating a space where the the first two columns of the site are clean and equally weighted, with the third column (for graphics) adding heavier weight to the appearance of the site.
The color scheme used is classic, and muted in tone with red headers, black text and white negative space, creating harmony through the use of color and design, and is achieved by unified type settings, and a positive use of color. The promary shape used in the design layout uses a 2 column layout, with rectangular columns, and full- screen display format. The softness of the type contrasts with the larger point size of the column headings, drawing attention to the topics.

Pictures add positive contrast to site, and the smooth texture of the site is enhanced by the addition of photographs and visuals in design structure. The layout of each post is repeats in uniformity with the overall design. Positive rhythm creates interest, readability, and reduces randomness in design.

The site uses the element of value by the inclusion of images , charts and graphs that appear almost 3 dimensional, and the graphics used in the site provide variety, with posts that are standardized in size, weight, type and color. The type that is used is uniform throughout the site and allows for easy readibility. Particular emphasis is drawn to each column, with categories on the left side of the page, articles in the middle, and graphics on the right of screen, drawing the viewer's attention to each section.

The site uses the element of proportion, using the relative size of elements that are appropriate, and creates harmony. The site is well designed for functionality, and uses three standardized columns that allow for easy navigation throughout the site.

The overall corporate image represented by the design of the site is elegant, breathable, enhances ability of reader to locate and navigate throughout site, and implies trustworthiness, dependability, permanence, and professionalism.

How We See the World

In the world of technical communication, we seek to reach others, to bring knowlege and to impart information, and we do this through the use of stimuli - visual, auditory and tactile stimuli, chosen to elicit a desired response. In order to reach any audience, we must often expand their frame of reference. Often, this requires the tech comm professional to step out of their own surroundings and seek to understand and anticipate the needs of their audience.

Many times, people have been conditioned to do or to understand a idea in a particular way, so they eventually come to believe that there is only one way of "doing." As an illustration of the types and degrees of conditioning that you may encounter in your work, consider an experiment performed at Harvard University by the team of scientists led by Hubel and Weisel in the late 70's. Known as the Kitten Experiment, (seen here in a video illustrated by Deepak Chopra), the results of the experiment illustrate how profound a difference conditioning can cause in a living organism.

"Whosoever works for a Revolution is Plowing the Sea"

The above quote is from the great South American "Liberator" General Simon Bolivar, who was one of the chief architects of Latin American independence from Spain. As a current student pursing a graduate degree in Professional and Technical Communication at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, my goal is to understand the instrumentality of words and images in promoting effective communication. In the spirit of Bolivar, this site will be used to promote the achievement of independent thought and progressive development in the field of Technical Communication.

"Plowing the River" is a term used by boat pilots and ship captains, who often had to steer their vessels through sandbars, ice and other debris, to create a new path for those who followed. In contrast to Bolivar's revolutionary seas, (which must have been very difficult to navigate at times), this site will approach future developments in technical communication from the perspective of the outward journey of the self.

Consider this excerpt from the T.S. Eliot poem, "The Dry Salvages" (No.3 of Four Quartets)

"The River is within us, the sea is all about us;
the sea is the land's edge also, the granite
Into which it reaches, the beaches where it tosses
Its hints of earlier and other creation:
The starfish, the horsehoe crab, the whale's backbone;
the pools where it offers to our curiosity
The more delicate algae and the sea anemone;
It tosses up our losses, the torn seine;
The shattered lobsterpot, the broken oar
and the gear of foreign deadmen. The sea has many voices,
Many Gods and many voices.
The salt is on the briar rose,
the fog is in the fir trees."

Now, tell me, what images does this passage convey to you? How does word imagery promote ideas in technical communication?