"Good (and bad) typography"

“Good (and bad) typography” PROJECT 4 - TYPE IN THE WILD BOOKLET

Gabriella Shealey

Summer 2023

GRA2208C

About this book

In this book I have compiled examples of both good and bad typographic examples. These examples were found and narrated as I progressed along my summer typography course at the University of West Florida. Throughout each week I was tasked with finding various typographic pieces in my everyday life in the real world, with the exception that the pieces chosen were not digital. I had to write up a two-hundred word paragraph under each example explaining my reasoning behind why I categorized the example under either good or bad. Throughout this booklet I have laid out both my good and bad examples of typogrpahy I have found over the summer. Read along to see what I found.

Bad Examples

Week One

I found this tiny pamphlet at a local restaurant a few months ago and upon viewing it made me chuckle. It has been on my fridge ever since I found it. The text on this handbill is very disorienting and rambunctious. The use of so many different typefaces and font sizes makes it very hard to read and understand the message that is being told. The biggest words that stand out the most on this advertisement are the words free and pages. Seeing the word free made me believe that whatever event this was would be free to anyone, but under further inspection you can see that the event is not free to everyone, and is only restricted to a certain age limit. This also brings up the question of whether you need the flier to admit a child for free, or if every child is free. The word pages being so large is a bit confusing as well, only after several moments of inspecting this pamphlet did I realize that this was a circus event. I suppose that if the word circus were a bit larger this advertisement would make just a little bit more sense. Even the times underneath the dates are confusing, and number and letter spacing becomes even more confusing. Overall there is too much going on, all the important information is in much too small lettering, and the handbill is confusing.

I found my bad example in my kitchen this week. This balsamic vinegar bottle in the shadows of my pantry looked as though it had an odd textured background, but upon further inspection it turned out to be snippets of words. I feel as though the typography on more than one area of this container’s packaging could be improved. The purple lettering over the purple background makes the words hard to read, and the thin text that reads “perfect for” in the top left corner is so thin and close to the rugged darkening borders that you may not even be able to tell that it is there at all. The word “with” in the bottom right corner is also have to read. These purple words make the phrases “perfect for salads” and “great with bread”. Altogether both of these phrases are set in four different types of fonts. It makes the packaging look less uniform and eclectic in aesthetic, which may have been the goal, but I feel as though the fonts could have been chosen more carefully. I also do not like the white center of this sticker. The lettering “Balsamic Vinegar” and the text underneath could have been centered better into the middle. The white space being left by letters pushed so far to the right is unsettling. Overall I feel like this design and typography could have been thought out more.

Bad Examples

Week Two

Bad Examples Week Three

I found my bad example while looking through my bookshelf at home. My book collection issmall but has a variety of covers and titles. This specific book, Winter Garden, has a cover that is not as appealing as others on the shelf. There are a few reasons as to why this book looks unattractive to me. The author is of course a big part of a book, the author writes the book and wills it into existence. I do not think, however, that it should be a main focal point of a cover. The author’s name is so large that is is the first thing you look at, even before the title, which is quite distracting. Not to mention, the title is in such a thin font and in all small caps, removing a lot of its meaning and importance. The front of the book also includes a small quote towards the bottom left corner. This is a bit off-putting to be, although many books may include quotes of praise or a hook to catch someone’s attention, this quote is so long and takes up so much space of the composition. The title and the quote feel smushed into the bottom left corner and are very crowded because of the way they are spaced and placed. I also feel like the typefaces of this book do not flow very well together. Overall this cover’s typography does not get its point across in an efficient matter and feels very lazy.

The bad example I chose for this week was found in my apartment, specifically my roommate’s bathroom. When I first saw this product I had no idea what it was. I didn’t even realize there was text on the packaging, I just thought it was a piece of design. Under further inspection I realized there was words on the sticker. The size of the typeface is small and at first unrecognizable. Not only is it small, but vertical, and only easily read if your head or the bottle is rotated. The typeface chosen looks as though it could have been handwritten, which is why I believe I mistook it for a design, because the other design on the sticker also look hand-done, in some sort of crayon or flaky material. I do not mind the typeface or its variants along the packaging, but I believe a different typeface, as well as orientation, could have been used. After reading the text I realized the product was a hairspray, designed for creating shiny hair looks. If I had seen this bottle lined up on a shelf along with other hairsprays, I would not have easily known its purpose or benefits. Overall this typography was designed and executed very poorly, there is not a clear understanding of what the product is.

Bad Examples

Week Four

Bad Examples Week Five

I found my bad example at work this week. I currently work at a boutique in the mall and they sell a variety of interesting brands and items. This particular item was compelling because of its bright, sporadic, and busy packaging. I realized soon after looking at it that it was meant to have typography on it. The words, when read in the correct light, read “Hooray! it’s my Birthday”. I could not get a good enough picture to show the entire phrase together in one photo. I love the idea of confetti filled layers in tumblers but the typography on this specific cup is almost entirely camouflaged. The words are designed in the same shiny metallic coloring of most of the confetti behind it. The typeface size and thickness looks like the same size a piece of the confetti could be. Instead of shiny the words could have been made matte, in a different color, and even possibly with a drop shadow or outline. It is a fun and bright cup but it could have been so much better if the designers had fixed the typography on it. Overall the typography on this piece is unfortunately mostly ineligible and planned out poorly.

I found my bad example this week in my pantry. I didn’t even realize we have had this can in our apartment, and who knows for how long. The first thing that stood out to me was that this can’s packaging looked old. The typefaces and kerning on them make this seem outdated. I do think the brand name looks alright, but it does not go together with the product text. The product text on its own is not presented well either. The words read “Real Cream of Coconut”. The word “Real” is not all caps like the other words, it is also not aligned with the other words, not the same typeface, not is it in the same color. The word feels out of place and should’ve either been situated with the others or cast out entirely. The words “Cream of Coconut” are too thin and too spaced out, they get lost with the background and the shape of the can. When looked at closer, the words “Cream of” and “Coconut”, are stretched out of their original shape. The top half is squished, and the bottom half is stretched vertically. Overall Believe this part of the typography on the design could have been saved if done in a bolder type, different spacing, and different stretching.

Bad Examples Week Six

Bad Examples

Week Seven

I found my bad example for this week in my kitchen cabinets. I believe a friend had accidentally left this cup at my apartment, and I haven’t really given it a second look until now. At first, I didn’t even realize there were numbers on the cup, that read the year “2022”. This is one big thing that makes this typography hard to read. The “2022” is set in a color that is the exact same as the background. Not only that, but the outline that may have made it easier to read is in a very dark blue, which is also hard to see. The one thing that r deemed these numbers is that they overlay their shape into the text above it. Unfortunately, this text is too large for the cup. If a reader wanted to see what was said without either turning the cup or changing their own position the read it, it would be impossible. The word “playoffs” is just too large and widely extends around the visual end of the cup sides. The same occurs for the text above it, reading “jacksonville jaguars”. Other than these bad qualities, I enjoy the typefaces and other colors in this typography.

I am currently staying at my dad’s house for the moment and I found this bad example while searching through the pantry for food. When I first saw the product’s sticker I was able to read what it was due to it being the largest font, but that is the only part of hierarchy I understand. The other forms of text are all around the same size, and if they are different sizes it is very hard to discern. Even the information of the contents that are usually smaller on most forms of digestible content are the same size. The texts that are separated are in black and blue but are not colored in any sort of pattern or form of reasoning it seems like. The words “Blueberry Syrup” are in a pretty font but if you look closely the lines in the middle of each letter are a bit distracting and it reminds me of an optical illusion. I also feel as though the way the words are slanted at an angle is slightly off in some way. It makes the design coming out of both sides of the word “syrup” off center and unsymmetrical. Overall this isn’t the worst typography packaging I’ve seen but I feel like a bit of tweaking with the fonts, colors, and sizing would have made this a lot more successful in the long run.

Bad Examples

Week Eight

Bad Examples

Bad Examples

Week Nine

Week Nine

I am currently out of town and saw my bad example for this week on the side of the road in passing. With image and bottom text context it is clear that this poster advertisement is for sushi. If it weren’t for added context I would have a harder time reading this typography. The word “sushi” in bold above the image appeared to read as “susi” to me at first. The chopsticks in between the “i” and the second “s”, although a creative idea, are thin and hard to read from far away. They are also in another color than the rest of the word. They appear to be a replacement for the letter “h”. Unfortunately the way the chopsticks are placed they don’t look like an “h”, maybe more like a “v”. Perhaps if the designer placed another chopstick across to act as the middle “h” bar it might look a bit better, or even spaced out in a different way. Other than that one choice the rest of the typography comes across nicely. All of the fonts and font emphasis goes well together. All of the information you need is on the poster. Overall I don’t think this typography is horrible but I feel like there could have been a better way of executing the chopstick design.

I am currently out of town and saw my bad example for this week on the side of the road in passing. With image and bottom text context it is clear that this poster advertisement is for sushi. If it weren’t for added context I would have a harder time reading this typography. The word “sushi” in bold above the image appeared to read as “susi” to me at first. The chopsticks in between the “i” and the second “s”, although a creative idea, are thin and hard to read from far away. They are also in another color than the rest of the word. They appear to be a replacement for the letter “h”. Unfortunately the way the chopsticks are placed they don’t look like an “h”, maybe more like a “v”. Perhaps if the designer placed another chopstick across to act as the middle “h” bar it might look a bit better, or even spaced out in a different way. Other than that one choice the rest of the typography comes across nicely. All of the fonts and font emphasis goes well together. All of the information you need is on the poster. Overall I don’t think this typography is horrible but I feel like there could have been a better way of executing the chopstick design.

This week I have been out of town, again, and found this coffee sign in a hospital cafeteria for my bad example. This coffee advertisement is crowded, busy, and hard to navigate. There is a lack of visual hierarchy and I am unsure of what to focus on first. It took me longer than I’d like to admit to realize that the name of the coffee shop in the cafeteria is “Fresh Brew Cafe”, I believe because of the confusing placement my eye first went to the logo “lavazza” in the middle and it led me to believe that this was the coffee shop name. After reading the top right text it helped lead me through the page. Not only is the lack of visual hierarchy confusing, but so is the typefaces, the colors, and lack of text border. Most of the text is in different typefaces that don’t go well together. The text on the middle of the coffee cup on the bottom of the page is layered on top of stripes, making it difficult to read. The text is also so thin and lacking a significant border that may make it more legible. Overall this poster seems like all the information was thrown together very hastily and could have been conducted in a better way.

Bad Examples

Week Ten

Good Examples

Week One

Good Examples Week One

I found this book at a Barnes and Nobles

my favorite book genre, and a list of books and their covers showed up on my screen. While looking for several different book covers and titles I found this one first, the use of colors and large text was easy to find.

The text covers the entirety of the composition, getting straight to the point. The waterfall or staircase effect of lettering

although it is an effect that can be butchered easily. I am not sure what the specific typeface is, but it is sleek and modern looking, it is pleasing to view as well. The use of uniform text and legible

too. The colors between the background and font make it easy to read, and pretty as well. All the information you need is on the front, it is not overcrowded or busy. It

choice on this book cover is exceptional in quality.

I found this book at a Barnes and Nobles while on vacation recently. I searched up on my phone good fantasy books, as it is my favorite book genre, and a list of books and their covers showed up on my screen. While looking for several different book covers and titles I found this one first, the use of colors and large text was easy to find. The cover is simple and effortlessly read. The text covers the entirety of the composition, getting straight to the point. The waterfall or staircase effect of lettering was done very well in my opinion, although it is an effect that can be butchered easily. I am not sure what the specific typeface is, but it is sleek and modern looking, it is pleasing to view as well. The use of uniform text and legible font size throughout the cover is appealing too. The colors between the background and font make it easy to read, and pretty as well. All the information you need is on the front, it is not overcrowded or busy. It lists the title, author, and a reason that you should read the book. Overall the design choice on this book cover is exceptional in quality.

I found my good example in my bathroom. This body wash packaging has always caught my eye. The text, arrangement, and intricate features make this design look sophisticated. In this example, I like the use of different type faces, in a design like this if it were uniform it would have looked bland. But unlike my bad example, these fonts are well thought out and flow together nicely. The brand is in its own font, and the other texts are laddered in a nice pattern over the sticker of the bottle. The sizing and kerning of each set of text is also very neat and elegant. The brand name “cremo” is clear not only on the sticker on the front of the bottle, but also engraved into the bottle on its sides. The type of product, body wash, and scent, bourbon & oak, is also clearly stated and readable. My favorite piece of typography on this bottle is actually on the inside, which was revealed the more the body wash was used. It shows the number “8” and reads “spice collection”. I mostly just like it because it feels like an easter egg. Overall this packaging is precise and simple, in the most effective ways. It is also interactive in some ways and interesting, separating it from bland packaging.

Good Examples Week Two

Good Examples Week Three

My good example was also found on my personal bookshelf. Since I bought this book I have been in love with the cover, at first it was the artwork, and after starting this class I also noticed how much I love the typography on it as well. The typefaces of the title, author, and quotes all flow together very nicely, and are attractive in style. Although it may be thin, the title is large and centered, creating an elegant look. The extension of the letter “G” in “daughter” into the “H”, as well as the extension of the letter “R” add to the wispy and fantasy feeling of the cover. I also like the addition of the slanted bridge on the letter “A” and the letter “H” in the word “the”. The author is included and centered, but not too large to overpower the title, and not too small to be left unnoticed. There is a quote of praise at the top of the cover, and unlike the bad example, it is centered, easily read, and straight to the point. It also includes a cited source. In small text above the title is the words “Book One of the Celestial Kingdom Duology”. This informs us that there is more to this story, and you will have more to read if you enjoy it. It also lets you know that you are starting out the story on the right book. Overall this book cover’s typography flows very well and is well thought out.

My good example was also found in my roommate’s bathroom. The packaging of this product as first glance is very clean, smooth, and modern looking. The use of only three colors is simple and easily understood. The brand, purpose, and product are clearly legible and to a point. The typefaces used go together very nicely. For the first half of the typography a typeface with a serif is used. The sizing is not too large for the composition, and it decreases as it transitions from the brand name, to the product, and finally to its purpose, stated in English and then French. All but one letter in all of these words are under-case. The elements of the serif typeface, its sizing, and even the French, give an elegant and tranquil feel to the packaging. For the last half of the typography the product is explained in further detail in English and French, along with details of the bottle size and its contaminants. This typeface is sans serif, and displayed in all caps with tight kerning. It is packaged tightly and to the bottom, important enough to be on the front of the packaging but not too bold and spaced to take up too much space. Overall the feel and purpose of this typography and product is clearly expressed and well thought through.

Good Examples Week Four

Good Examples

Good Examples

Week Five

Week Five

My good example for this week was found in my local target in the frozen food isle. This packaging caught my eye through the freezer door. Its bright neon colors and funky design were compelling to look at. The green and red-orange colors compliment each other fantastically, literally and visually. The orientation of the words “Chef Bombay” are interesting and fun to look at. This orientation of these words could easily be butchered, but it is displayed perfectly. Although the word “Chef” is vertical it is easily read for its bold typeface and vast contrast in color from its background. The orientation and typeface of those two words give a retro vibe. The contents of the box are displayed visually through imagery, and iterated with words in the bottom left corner. The words “mini vegetable samosas” and the words underneath are in a thin but bubbly typeface, it takes the rigid lettering of the brand name and softens the packaging. Throughout the packaging each typeface is without serifs, giving a more modern feel. Through visual hierarchy the contents, brand, and details are shown. Overall this packaging and its typography gets across all of its information smoothly, in an amusing and almost cyberpunk feel.

My good example for this week was found in my local target in the frozen food isle. This packaging caught my eye through the freezer door. Its bright neon colors and funky design were compelling to look at. The green and red-orange colors compliment each other fantastically, literally and visually. The orientation of the words “Chef Bombay” are interesting and fun to look at. This orientation of these words could easily be butchered, but it is displayed perfectly. Although the word “Chef” is vertical it is easily read for its bold typeface and vast contrast in color from its background. The orientation and typeface of those two words give a retro vibe. The contents of the box are displayed visually through imagery, and iterated with words in the bottom left corner. The words “mini vegetable samosas” and the words underneath are in a thin but bubbly typeface, it takes the rigid lettering of the brand name and softens the packaging. Throughout the packaging each typeface is without serifs, giving a more modern feel. Through visual hierarchy the contents, brand, and details are shown. Overall this packaging and its typography gets across all of its information smoothly, in an amusing and almost cyberpunk feel.

My good example for this week was also found in my pantry. I have always favored this type of cereal, which might look bland in taste, but is actually quite good. I find that the typography on this box is very captivating. The words “family size”, the type of cereal, and its flavor are all in the same typeface. This allows for the packaging to flow nicely as each of them respectively section off different segments of the box. Throughout the design the color scheme is analogous, apart from the bold blue at the top. The colors are made up of tints and shades of yellow, orange, and red. The blue at the top is to indicate the box size from other boxes that may be around it on the shelves. The words “honey bunches of oats” are in all caps besides the word “of”. This is an interesting design choice but I believe it is done well and breaks up the typography to keep it feeling from too monotonous. This text is curved around in a circle, and though this decision can be a disaster at times in this example it is portrayed well. The designers broke it up in a way that you do not have to tilt your head or the box to understand what is written. Overall the typography on this box is bold, to the point, and pleasing.

Good Examples Week Six

Good Examples Week Seven

I found my good example for this week in one of my art bags. I bought this sketchbook at target, they have a lot of products by the brand Mondo Llama. For a long time I have liked this brand and what it sells, and I believe a lot of it has to do with their packaging. Mondo Llama has always has bright and colorful designs, and its always fun to look at. They have a modern and geometric take on what they sell. With this specific example of typography includes a compelling color-scheme. The brand is placed in the center and top, indicating hierarchy. It is designed in a typeface that is bouncy yet angular. Where there might be a counter in the center of the letters “A”, “O”, or “D”, these counters are eliminated and the letters are turned into shapes. It is done so in a way that the brand name is still easily legible. Although there is difference in whether caps or under caps are used, the product name and more information are all centered and all set in sans serif typeface. This groups them together and distinguishes them in a nice way. I also enjoy the text “acid free” and “70 sheets” enclosed in shapes on both sides of the centered text. Overall this typography is interactive, gets across all the valuable information, and has an interestingly modern feel.

Good Examples Week Eight

My good example this week was also found in my dad’s pantry, right behind my good example. I believe this product caught my eye because of how bold and outlined the text was. The word that read “Mrs. Butter-worth’s” are in a bubbly font with some select letters that haves serifs. These words are in a white color with a light yellow shading that is outlined by a bold black against a red background. The stroke of each of these colors go together nicely, there is not too much or too little of these colors, and the colors are repeated throughout the rest of the sticker. Although the text is slanted at an angle like my bad example, this product does it in a way that makes it feel right. I believe it looks more correct because although the words look at an angle, the letters are still upright. They also stagger and fit together like a puzzle piece. Where as in my bad example the letters lean at a weird angle. The same font in different weights is used throughout this sticker, excluding the word “syrup” and the information of the contents at the bottom, which are strategically placed on a clear background out of white text and black border, so that you can see it with either the syrup or nothing behind it. Overall this example of typography is not too simple but not too clustered to be distracting. There is a sense of hierarchy and an understanding of color schemes and typefaces.

Good Examples Week Nine

For my good example this week I found this fun button pin laying around at my dad’s house. Even before reading all of the text on the button I had a general idea of what it might be. The large, red, and bold letter “K” in the middle is centered and as it seems to be targeted towards a younger audience, probably easy to understand, as K-12 signifies different grade levels. The color scheme on this button is primary colors, along with black and white. Of course, the colors go well together and make this button bold and bright. The background, text, and designs all have an outline, keeping a cohesive theme. The outlines emphasize each aspect of this button, and are different enough in color from each of the fills to be distinguishable. The spacing and symmetry is the only thing that might be a little bit off in this design, but even then I didn’t notice until I looked really hard. The word “kindergarten” could be moved slightly to the right, and the spacing between “I’m going” an “going to” is a little different. Overall this design is simple but effective, the typography is bold and pleasing to look at.

Although it might be a little silly, staying in an air bnb this week I found this sign in the bathroom for a good example. With finding good and bad typography examples on my mind, this print out caught my eye. It seemed to look orderly, easy to follow, and easy to read. Although there are a few different typefaces along the entirety of this paper, they are either variations of one, or flow together very nicely. The top text with the bold “flush” is very directive and commanding. Because the text at the top is in a larger point size and includes such a bold “flush” my eyes are led there first, indicating good visual hierarchy. Your eyes are then led over the imagery and to the bottom of the page, which lists what you should not flush, and instead put in the garbage. The words “the following items belong in the garbage” are set in bold, and the items underneath it are listed in a regular font with bullet points. At the bottom is an elegantly crafter and placed “thank you”. Overall this little print out is surprisingly well put together and I’m glad it caught my eye.

Good Examples

Week Ten

Conclusion

Overall, throughout this process of finding good and bad typography, I have learned a lot. From learning typography vocabulary to having to write my own descriptions of the examples I have found and picked out myself, my knowledge of typography has grown tremendously. Not only have I been able to pick out typography in simple things, but I now also know how the designer may have gone about creating it, or even what I might have personally done to change it in some way. More and more I notice typography throughout my day because of this project. This is definitely a class that will stick with me throughout my life and hopefully through my future career as well.