Typography is ... Graphic and web designer work

Typography is the skill, the art of making the text not only beautiful, but also convenient for reading. It is important that in the outline of letters reflected the nature of the publication or a certain information message. Typography is the ability to bring visual harmony into printed text or a page of a site. It's not just about choosing a content font, paragraph indentation, and alignment. Typography is the art of expressing the meaning of written not only through words, but also through their display. This is a very interesting, deep and complex discipline. In this article we will talk about it.

What is typography?

Many graphic designers believe that typography is a science about the design of textual information. However, the use of the word "science" is not entirely logical to use next to "typography." The problem is that all rules and laws of typography are not necessary for rigorous execution. This is nothing more than recommendations for the correct and visually pleasing arrangement of the text, its words and individual characters.

Let's talk about the importance of typography in the modern world

If the text on the page of the site or the book is hard to read for any reason (the font is too small, a small space between words or lines), the reader will leave your site or close the book by going to look for information elsewhere, or will Torment, perceiving information, but will probably remember, not at all what he wanted to know or the wrong idea that you wanted to convey to him, since all attention was focused on the difficulties of reading.

Typography is something that plays a decisive role in understanding content - if it is properly organized, the page will keep the reader's attention to the information that he needs to perceive from the text, without requiring any strong-willed efforts from him.

What do you need to know for the correct organization of the text?

To create the correct visual hierarchy, you need to understand how people perceive visual information, which explains the principles of Gestalt fairly well. They argue that people tend to organize visual elements of the page into groups based on the following parameters.

Proximity. If characters or text elements are near, people tend to perceive them as a whole.

Similarity. If the symbols are similar in size, color, shape or outline, they are also perceived holistically.

Integrity. Perception of man seeks to perceive information in a holistic and simplistic way.

Closed. A person is inclined to visualize a figure so that it takes a complete form.

Background and figure. If you correctly correlate the background and the figures, this will positively affect the accuracy of perception.

Now, if you decide to apply the principles of Gestalt theory in practice, you should use these provisions. Particular attention should be paid to the principle of similarity: if you need to highlight and draw the reader's attention to something specific, it is something that needs to be made different from the rest of the text .

Typography: book about the design of books

A lot of work has already been written on the subject of interest to us. Here are some of them:

1. "Typography. Font, Layout, Design »by James Felici.
2. "New typography. A guide for a modern designer »by Jan Chiholda.
3. "Samples of fonts" by Jan Chichold.
4. "Typography. Order and chaos »by Vladimir Laptev.
5. "Living typography" by Alexandra Korolkova.
6. "Typography of color. Workshop. How to choose a font »Timothy Samara.

Occupation of graphic designer

The work "graphic designer" is a specialty for creative people. It is important to remember that neither architectural nor textile design in their duties is not included. Their field of activity is various printed products, whether books, magazines, newspapers, web sites and computer programs, and advertising.

What kind of work is this? The graphic designer develops fonts, draws pictures, creates collages and draws up shop windows.

To design a book or website, the designer uses text, photographs and graphics that are made by others. This division of labor makes it possible to achieve the best possible result due to the fact that the work is carried out with materials of high quality. The designer is not a photographer or a text writer. In addition, he does not even need to understand the computer or HTML-imposition.

Universal specialists - do they exist?

Quite another conversation that during a full computerization to engage even directly in design without the knowledge of such a tool as a computer is simply unthinkable, especially considering that both the site and printed products are initially created with the help of programs.

If you want to create something using a computer, you need to know how this "something" can be created. In addition, modern computer software is improving day by day and provides an increasingly wide range of possibilities. And if you are not familiar with this spectrum, then you will hardly be able to design at a high level, as there will be no opportunity to create a product that can compete with the best samples.

Of course, the level of possession of computer programs from a graphic designer will significantly exceed the level of an ordinary user. Graphic designer is first of all an artist. However, between the artist and the "computer" the connection is more than palpable: for example, the foundations of style in typography and design solutions that are created with the help of certain software.

Who are the graphic designers working with?

To create a full-fledged website, the graphic designer needs to cooperate with at least a programmer. Especially in the event that a multi-level resource is created, which will contain many interactive functions. However, a small average site can pass and one designer, without the need of a webmaster or a programmer.

In life, there is almost no ideal chain, consisting of a creative, designer and layout designer. Often all these three functions are performed by a single person who has a higher art education, knows most of the necessary graphics programs, docks on the Internet and a computer, and also gives out original ideas without spending a lot of effort. In addition, such a universal person will imagine the design of the future journal, all the controls of a new, not yet created page of the site, and which advertising will be located there.

Where are the graphic designers?

In the profession of graphic and web-designer, as in no other, it is extremely important not even to desire, but a constant desire to translate their ideas into reality - and this can be said with certainty.

In this profession, many knowledge is obtained through constant practice in the workplace. It is necessary to draw just such a button on the page of the site - I'll get rid of it, but I'll do it. Perhaps, that's why graphic designers often quickly stop learning in the classical sense of the word, that is, every day visit an institute or college. Their training takes place for the rest of their lives in the workplace, when solving everyday tasks.

It is believed that one can become a graphic designer and not at all studying in a higher or secondary specialized educational institution. For many years, constantly engaged in craft and art (there are examples of this). At the same time, a person works hard and analyzes his and others' work.

True, graphic designers who have vast experience in the absence of specialized education exist only in Russia. In other conditions, people who want to work in this specialty need higher art education, as well as knowledge of software and hardware.

Of course, elementary skills in working with graphics programs can be obtained both on their own and on short-term courses, but this will only help to patch up the hole, but will not give you solid knowledge that can be obtained at the university.