Type Walk_Granville Island by William Briggs

June, 2022

WILLIAM

BRIGGS

GRANVILLE ISLAND

Typeface Walk

CONTENTS SIGNS Mitch’s Catch Licorice Parlour Crystal Ark Waterfront Theatre The Liberty Distillery

ADVERTISEMENTS A Bread Affair Fisherman’s Wharf Aquabus Granville Island 2040 Public Market

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Design: William Briggs Image credits: William Briggs, Tim Woolliscroft from Unsplash Location: Granville Island Printed in Canada Vancouver / British Columbia _______________________________

For my type walk I decided to venture down around Granville Island as it contains many unique and interesting typefaces. My focus was only signage outside of storefronts and also advertising through out the surrounding grounds.

The goal was to try and capture a variety of different typefaces.

In each photo I took a larger one and then focused my critique on a singualr letterform. Included is a description of how the typeface was used.

Granville Island entrance at night time

DISPLAY FEATURES

Similar to Highrise Regular Stretched out letters Serif Semi bold Small angled bracket?

Mitch’s Catch was displayed on a sign advertising local fresh seafood. What caught my eye was the unusually long letter, especially that of the letter “H”.

HANDWRITTEN SCRIPT FEATURES

Similar to Metroscript Lig San serif Appears to be done with a marker White drop shadow This typeface was used for Licorice Parlour, a candy store.

I thought the letters were pretty neat. Something that caught my attention was the tiny gaps in-between the descender and the bowl in the “P’.

DISPLAY FEATURES

Serif Looks hand painted Pronounced spine with elongated tail Thick teardrop hook Condensed tracking The Crystal Ark is a stone shop, it is hard to miss this signage as it is quite bold and stands out from a distance. It reminds me of some mystical theme, I especially like the emphasis put on the “S” and “Y”.

The ears on the “R” are very prominent. Quite a bit of contrast when you take into account the drop shadow in the background.

SLAB SERIF FEATURES

Serif Similar to Rockwell Bold Block like + large serifs Stem equally as thick This is the banner for the Waterfront Theatre, a vibrant creative performance hub. The typeface really draws you in with its imposing form. Reminds me of a billboard advertisement.

Heavy serifs.

TRANSITIONAL FEATURES

Similar to Bronzier Serif High contrast Heavy tracking Bracketing The Liberty Distillery offers hand crafted spirits that are organically sourced using BC grain. I feel like this typeface works well for the brand, as it gives it sort of a new but old style while maintaining a fresh look. The subtle outline gives it that extra little pop. I also like how the “R” appears to have a double-curved tail.

HANDWRITTEN SCRIPT FEATURES

Similar to Nexa Rust Script Bold Heavy weight Condensed look

A Bread Affair is a local baker. The typeface is located on the side of the building and is painted on. I liked the letter “B” because it had a very nice organic feel to it and really brings the font together.

DISPLAY FEATURES

Similar to Rosewell Black Bold Sharp pointed serif’s Rational axis I really like the typeface that I found at False Creek Fisherman’s Wharf. It is located just outside of Granville Island. It has a mix of transitional display, I noticed some of the letters have serifs while others do not. One thing that stood out to me was in the “W” it has wonderful contrast and the lined dropped shadows bring the letter to life. It has been painted on a carved piece of wood.

MODERN HUMANIST FEATURES

Similar ITC Tiffany Heavy High contrast Angled crossbar on letter “E” Bracketing Thick rounded ears Located outside the market place this sign directs you to the Aquabus a popular way for people to travel back and forth between the city. The breakup of color really adds some vibrancy to the typeface. The letter “F” in particular looks pretty cool. Tiny serifs and an angled jagged terminal.

MODERN FEATURES

Similar to Reina Neue High contrast Serif Sharp edges Kerning with some of the letters Ligatures with the I + D I came across this advertisement that was placed on the side of a building as you walk towards Arts Umbrella, the old Emily Carr campus. It highlights the new plan for Granville Island in the coming years and pays homage to support it got from locals. The letters I thought were pretty neat, the super high contrast, the stems are ultra thin and thick and have such a slim serif. Some of which are pretty sharp. The red background really makes it stand out even more.

DISPLAY FEATURES

Similar to ATF Franklin Gothic Bold Heavy weight Condensed look Sans Serif

Big, bold and simple. The Public Market is one of the main attractions down at Granville Island. At nighttime this sign is illuminated with a orange light which gives it a wonderful glowing effect.

WILLIAM BRIGGS COMD-204-SU91-2022 Robin Mitchell Cranfield Emily Carr University of Art + Design