The ability to select and apply type sensitively is an art form that requires an astute knowledge
of the communicative complexity of letterforms. However, as a designer and design educator,
I have observed that many designers frequently select and apply typefaces inappropriately
or arbitrarily because they are simply unaware of the complex meanings underlying letterforms,
as well as the power of the communicative choices they make. Many designers with even a
basic understanding of type still tend to prefer to use illustration, illustrative graphics, icons
or photography as their primary media of communication. In the event that type is indeed
used, designers tend to choose clean typefaces because they appear to detract less from the
communicative aspects of other rhetorical texts already at play in their design. In other
instances, letterforms may be chosen to achieve an array of elaborately intricate design layouts
that are often superficially strewn across decorative, trite and eye-candied designs. From these observations, I have therefore dedicated my study to delineating and discussing
two default modes or methods used for selecting and applying type type as experiential form
and type as iconic form in order to illustrate the powerful, yet intricate communicative facets
of the letterform. The first mode relates to how designers select type based on a typeface s
experiential form. By this, I refer to the connotations that we derive from our physical and
sensual perceptions of letterform shapes. I refer to George Laukoff s experiential metaphor
theory, as well as sound-image symbolism theory (synesthesia) in order to identify reminiscent
and intuitive letterform perception. The second describes several ways in which designers
invoke symbolic connotation by selecting iconic typefaces. Here, I investigate historical and
cultural narratives woven into iconic typefaces and how these narratives may be signified,
resignified and repurposed.
As a means of understanding the interconnected nature of meaning embodied by the letterform,
my final objective is to highlight letterform communication from a visual rhetorical perspective.
By conducting an in-depth case study of the Fraktur typeface (as communicating at once
experientially and symbolically), I stress several tensions that exist as a result of overlapping
meaning and the interconnected nature of the two default modes of type selection. I thereby
argue that designers need be aware of the communicative implications of their default modes
or strategies to typeface selection. My point of departure is that a more holistic approach to
selecting and applying typefaces could be followed and that rhetorical theory may provide an
analytical framework for such an inclusive perspective. I maintain that if the communicative
complexity of letterforms is viewed from a visual rhetorical perspective, where rhetorical
intricacies of meaning embodied in the letterform are thoughtfully and holistically considered
(where designers may question their default modes of type selection), designers can be more
strategic in directing meaning through type. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2015. / Visual Arts / MA / Unrestricted
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:up/oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/53461 |
| Date | January 2015 |
| Creators | Rath, Kyle A. |
| Contributors | Botha, A., kyle.rath@up.ac.za |
| Publisher | University of Pretoria |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
| Rights | © 2016 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. |
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