Typography as Form, Information, and Meaning, A Study of Tea

GRA2335C Typography II, Spring 2024

Project 1: Typography as Form, Information, and Meaning A Study of Tea Caroline Plenge

CONTENT

Topic of interest, Tea.

Typeface Analysis

& Design Blog’s How to Create Eye-Catching Tea Packaging Designs, Krisana Estaura

Exceptions/Outliers & Why?

History

Bibliography

TEA Tea is something that I was able to enjoy with my parents before I acquired a taste for coffee.

I still love tea, and find comfort in it. I think this is what lead me to my choice of topic for typography. Tea makes me happy, and I hope I can relay that through this project. I had some knowledge of tea before diving into this project, but mostly it was from the sides of tea boxes or tins. I learned a lot doing research for this part.

Typeface Analysis

Using the samples of text from the beginning I will demonstrate the consistancies and slight variations that speak to tea and its history, and its place in our world.

The typefaces chosen for tea packaging is varied, but there are consistecies I have noticed and that I think speak to tea as more than a product. Oftentimes, capital letters porudly declare the brand name and the type of tea. The letters have strong serrifs (though not always), and the text is classic, elegant, and established. Not only is tea highly valued now, it has been foor hundreds of years.

It only makes sense that there will be much variatioin in such a broad topic. The stroke weight varies, as do the serifs. But the capital, seriffed letters remain.

Similar types: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Adobe Devanagari THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Book Antiqua

THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Times New Roman THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Colonna MT THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Minion Variable Concept THE QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG.

Design Blog’s How to Create Eye-Catching Tea Packaging Designs, Krisana Estaura From Design Blog, the following is quoted from the section on The Importance of Typography in Tea Packaging Design.

“There has been an increasing trend of tea companies paying close attention to the typography on their packaging. This is because typography can play a big role in the overall design of a tea package and can help make a tea company’s products stand out on store shelves.

Good typography can convey a lot of information about a product to potential customers and can help create an overall impression of quality. For these reasons, it is important for tea companies to carefully consider

the typography of their packaging when designing new products.

Some of the most common typography mistakes that tea companies make are: Using too much contrast between the type and the background color.

Using too many colors in a design.

Not adding enough contrast between the type and the background color.

Using an all-caps font for the main text of a product’s packaging.

Using too much negative space.

Using a too large font size for the main text of a product’s packaging.

Not using typefaces that are easily readable at small sizes on paper.

Using a serif font for the main text of a product’s packaging.

Good typography should use a variety of different fonts and sizes to create a balanced design. A great example of this is the packaging for the tea brand, Harney & Sons.

The design blog article also speaks on The Role of Color in Tea Packaging Design. This was insightful, as I color theory is something I was aware of but not actively referencing while looking at the typography in these designs.

“Color is one of the most important design elements when it comes to tea packaging. While color can be used to convey a certain message or feeling, it can also be used to make a product stand out on the shelves.

When choosing colors for tea packaging, designers must take into account the flavor of the tea, the region it’s from, and the target audience. The right combination of colors can make all the difference in whether or not someone picks up a particular box of tea.

Here are some of the most popular colors for tea packaging: Brown and Beige - These two colors are often used to convey a sense of luxury, so they’re perfect for premium teas.

Pale Blue - Blue is a great color for teas that are sweet in flavor.

Green or Orange- They are often used to appeal to the health-conscious.

Purple - This color is often used for teas with a bold taste.

Pink - This color is often used for teas that are sweet in flavor.

Blue and Yellow or Red and Orange - These colors are often used together to create a sense of energy, which can be appealing to some people.

Gray - Gray is a great color for teas that are bitter, so it’s perfect for black teas.”

I must also add in The Importance of Typography in Tea packaging Design, which was a refreshing article on a topic I’ve had trouble finding others opinions on.

“There has been an increasing trend of tea companies paying close attention to the typography on their packaging. This is because typography can play a big role in the overall design of a tea package and can help make a tea company’s products stand out on store shelves.

Good typography can convey a lot of information about a product to potential customers and can help create an overall impression of quality. For these reasons, it is important for tea companies to carefully consider the typography of their packaging when designing new products.

Some of the most common typography mistakes that tea companies make are: Using too much contrast between the type and the background color.

Using too many colors in a design.

Not adding enough contrast

between the type and the background color.

Using an all-caps font for the main text of a product’s packaging.

Using too much negative space.

Using a too large font size for the main text of a product’s packaging.

Not using typefaces that are easily readable at small sizes on paper.

Using a serif font for the main text of a product’s packaging.

Good typography should use a variety of different fonts and sizes to create a balanced design. A great example of this is the packaging for the tea brand, Harney & Sons.”

This article also discusses the Images and Illustrations in Tea Packaging, I include this because I see the illustrations as a frame for the text that sometimes add and sometimes take away from the design as a whole.

“In the world of tea, packaging design is everything. The right images and illustrations can make all the difference in whether or not a potential customer buys your product.

Tea is an ancient beverage, with a rich history and culture behind it. The tea packaging design should reflect this rich history and culture, while also appealing to modern sensibilities.

The right images and illustrations can make all the difference in whether or not a potential customer buys your product. When designing your tea packaging, consider using traditional imagery that reflects the history and culture of tea, while also incorporating modern design elements to appeal to today’s consumers.

For instance, the illustrated tea packaging designs below are cleverly designed to appeal to both modern and traditional sensibilities.”

Finally, I would like to reference Using Negative Space in Tea Pachaging Design.

“An increasing number of tea companies have been incorporating negative space into their packaging design.

Negative space is the area

around and between the main subject of an image. When used correctly, it can add visual interest and balance to a design.

Negative space can be used in a variety of ways in tea packaging design. For example, it can be used to create a sense of movement or to highlight a particular element of the design. It can also be used to create a feeling of tranquility or serenity.

When used correctly, negative space

can make a big impact on the overall look and feel of a tea package. It can help to set the tone for the product and make it more visually appealing.

As such, it is an important tool for tea companies to consider when designing their packaging.

A great example is the packaging for Imperial Tea Exports (IMPRA). In their tea bags, they have incorporated a unique pattern that is made up of negative space. The design looks amazing and is sure to draw attention in the store.

Exceptions/ Outliers & Why? While these fonts are still fully capitalized, the serif is either suggested or not there. There are also many brands who do not fall within this theme. As stated earlier, the letters of tea brands tend to have strong serrifs (though not always), and the text is

classic, elegant, and established. Not only is tea highly valued now, it has been foor hundreds of years. I think this is visible in these examples, they fall slightly off the curve but still represent what they mean to. Established class and elegance.

Analysis Tea was born in China, as far back as 2737BC, according to legend. Tea was introduced to Europe in the latter half of the sixteenth century.

“It was the marriage of Charles II to Catherine of Braganza that would prove to be a turning point in the history of tea in Britain. She was a

Portuguese princess, and a tea addict, and it was her love of the drink that established tea as a fashionable beverage first at court, and then among the wealthy classes as a whole.

Capitalizing on this, the East India Company began to import tea into Britain, its first order being placed in 1664 for 100lbs of China tea to be shipped from Java.”

Tea was taxed at a ridiculous rate, which unfortunately promoted smuggling and poor quality control with the smuggled tea. In 1784, the tax was drastically reduced and the smuggling

stopped almost instantly.

The following charts from Peter Keen do a wonderful job of showing tea in many aspects of the world. I would highly recommend the article which expands upon these and a few other topics.

BIBLIOGRAPHY https://www.tea.co.uk/history-of-tea https://teajourney.pub/tea-innovation-times-tides/ https://unsplash.com/s/photos/ loose-leaf-tea https://delesign.com/blog/ tea-packaging-designs