systems & type-ologies
Systems Any lettering or type is based on a system. Like a moral code for the alphabet, typographic systems are sets of visual rules and guidelines that govern the actions and decisions involved in creating letters. These implicit systems enable characters to work together, by regulating and defining their appearance—dictating their shapes and sizes, how they fit together, and their visual spirit, as well as all other underlying tenets of the letters. Lacking a strong code, a lettering treatment or typeface rarely leads a successful life. Analyzing and defining a typographic system is a bit like playing Twenty Questions. Instead of “Animal, vegetable, or mineral?” one might ask, “Serif, sans serif, or mixed?” Are the characters all the same width, or do they vary from letter to letter? If there are serifs, what shapes do they take? Are the round characters flat sided or curved? Do the letters lock together, or are the spaces between them irregular? The more questions one asks and answers, the better one can understand or create a Matchstick Alphabet (detail) Alphabet, 2008 Lusine Sargsyan Matchsticks radiate from letter skeletons formed by the bright red match tips, creating an almost three-dimensional effect. The unusual material unites (and potentially ignites) the eccentric characters of this flammable alphabet.
typographic system. A well-established system constitutes the core of any typeface. Either consciously or unconsciously, type designers build and follow rules that direct the myriad choices involved in creating a font. If a designer elects to draw letters with very round curves, this decision affects every curved character in the alphabet. If one or two letters do not reflect the system’s curves, they appear uncomfortable and out of place within the font. Even relatively minor choices like the size of an i’s dot are telegraphed throughout the character set. Each decision that affects an alphabet’s visual code or the way that any letters relate to each other is part of the typographic system. By closely adhering to a system, a designer creates a typeface whose characters interact in a natural and consistent way.