characters & calligraphy

Fonts that I used on my macbook used to seem like mundane characters that I utilized to get my points across - black scribbles on a white piece of paper - nothing special. But after the reading and class lectures, my font world has opened and I now view calligraphy and typefaces as not merely characters, but accessories to the world that surround me.

The beauty that I find in typefaces and characters is the story that it tells. Never before have I ever analyzed a logo without putting in so much thought and effort. San serifs and serifs have made me more observant, but most importantly, present in the current social media limbo that we are all actively taking part in. Never did I imagine that there could be "good" and "bad" typefaces, and like many minute details in the world, I have often overlooked the construction and history that goes behind these characters and fonts.

I do agree with the other students that the first 20 or so pages in the reading were not as interesting that I imagined or hoped it to be. But what is so fascinating about this subject is the fact that we can finally apply something we're learning right here and right now into the real world that so desperately awaits us. The transformation of fonts and typefaces has transcended just beyond logos and brands, but it has slowly sneaked into our daily lives, bombarding us.

One of my favorite logos is by a shoe company based out of Los Angeles that aims to provide shoes for children in Argentina. Its logo TOMS speaks of the simplicity beyond this concept. The company's One for One campaign gives buyers the reality of giving one pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair that they purchase themselves. The idea is simple and direct, and the logo conveys the idea.