ALEX JACKSON PRESENTS:

A PECHAKUCHA HANDOUT ABOUT

AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARE

If you know me, you know I love fonts. I got to share that love of fonts with you
during my PechaKucha presentation at the end of this quarter. Hopefully it
stuck with you, but heres a quick summary of what I shared with yall:

TYPOGRAPHY DEFINED
Fonts are nice, but what really matters is typogra-
phy. Typography is the study of the ways in which
the font choice and arrangement affects the
message of the text. We used this example during
the presentation:
What makes these logos different? How does
the top logo make you feel? Who might own
that bottle? How does the bottom logo make
you feel? Who would own that bottle? These
are all questions in the realm of typography.

THREE CHARACTERISTICS OUTLIERS

In my view, good typography is three things: Contrary to popular belief, not all fonts are designed to be
beautiful:
1. READABLE
2. COMPLEMENTARY Comic Sans
does not deserve the hate it gets. This is a well-designed font
3. ENCHANTING
that is criminally misused. It is a familiar, friendly, and

Adobe Caslon
is a great example of an incredibly readable font. Designed
without frills, it is an incredibly transparent font, which
allows the message of the text to shine through.
ClearviewHwy
is a font scientifically designed for readability. It is a font
designed through rigorous testing to have the exact right
proportions to be maximally readable at a far distance.
FUTU R A
is the font Ive chosen for this project you are reading right
now. A complementary font reinforces the message of the
text. For this project, the main font Ive chosen in Futura,
because its an incredibly clean, precise, and modern font. I
want you to believe that I know what Im talking about,
which is why I chose a clean font. I also want you to listen to
me more closely, which is why I chose a more modern font
that evokes trendiness and authority. This might not be the
finest example of complementary typography, but its the
best Ive got right now.
functional font. It is a great font for childhood education. The
letterforms are far closer to written handwriting taught in
schools, it has a nonthreatening feel which can be good in
some situations for young kids, and it has been proven to be
more useful for both students with autism and dyslexia due to
the unique letterforms.
OpenDyslexic
is one of the best examples of accessibly-first typography.
The letters and letterspacing are specifically designed for
one thing only: readability for those with dyslexia. Its free
online, so go grab it now.
THE UPSHOT
In the digital age, text is king. Because of this, typography is
more important than ever, and its important to recognize
this. Nobody needs to have the love of fonts that I do, but if
you go away from this PechaKucha with one thing, its to at
least put a little thought into the typography of the things you
put your name to. Typography is message.

Bookmania
is a wonderful example of an enchanting font. This font was
designed in recently to evoke the font Bookman which
was a staple of the 70s, but to add a more modern twist.
This font is enchanting because it draws the reader in and
transports them to another time. When I read this font, I
instantly get a sense of time and place. Its just a truly
enchanting and powerful font.