The History of Type

Lettering is everywhere and chances are that you, dear Gizmodo reader, have at least some idea of what font it's all written in. But the typographical arts have a long, rich history, full of subtle changes and evolutions. And the devil's in the details. This neat little stop-motion primer by Ben Barrett-Forrest will help you brush up on all jazz, or maybe learn about it for the first time. Strap on your serifs

TYPE: Rider- EN

Type:Rider - TRAILER - EN from Cosmografik on Vimeo.

Do you like type? Did you go see the movie Helvetica and break out in tears of joyful satisfaction at the end credits? Do you have a graphic designer cousin who taught you what sans serif meant, and did you think it was fascinating? You're going love Type:Rider. This new game for iOS and Android takes the history of typography and transforms it into a beautifully mesmerizing game. The basic concept should be easy to grasp for anybody who's ever playing Super Mario Brothers. You just run across the screen jumping over holes and collecting objects until you reach the end of the level at which point you level up. Except your character is a bouncy little colon instead of an Italian plumber and the sparkly objects are asterisks instead of coins. Then there's the typography. For each asterisk you collect, you unlock a piece of the history of typography from cave paintings to Comic Sans. Each level represents a different period in human history starting with "Origins" followed by "Gothic" which jumps in around Gutenberg's time. The design of the level itself is modeled after a typeface that originated—Times takes you to the Roaring Twenties, for instance—and the levels incorporate actual architecture from that time. All this might sound a little bit academic, but it's not. The game, independent of the interesting typography lessons, is actually super fun and intuitive. In many ways, the history of type is the history of civilization. And you know you want to learn about that.

UPDATE on Final Critique: Tuesday December 10th at 2:30p in 468

I was contacted by members of your class over this weekend asking if the final critique deadline could be moved to Tuesday December 10th.  I am in agreement with this change of deadline thus giving you another full weekend to get the work ready. It also gives us 2 more class days to work in class and do any preparation necessary for the redesigned bottle and box/container.

Again, the final deadline will be moved to Tuesday December 10th.

Happy Thanksgiving

Master Plans for Art and Design Bldg: Very Cool Design

The side view of the greenway shows the various additions and changes to the existing infrastructure. The master plan calls for the addition of a tier of new laboratories for the arts in the Arts and Humanities building and improved pedestrian connections between campus buildings in the campus core.

Day and night illustrations of the proposed greenway entry from Peachtree Center Avenue show a landscaped courtyard where Kell Hall will have once stood. The landscaping calls for the construction of porches along the back of the Arts and Humanities Building and Sparks Hall.

FREE Drawing/Draftsman Table

A brand spanking new drawing table that folds up quite nicely is FREE to the first person who sees this on the course blog and emails me. I can drop it off at your place during the holidays or when we return back to classes. 

The table is 42.5" x 32" wide and has adjustable legs for height.