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Individual letter forms have unique
parts which have changed in visual form
over the centuries. A nomenclature
helps identify major elements of their
construction. The evolution of lettering
styles over time is a result of optical
adjustments to the basic components by
type designers over the ages.
Anatomy of Type
The different families of type display
innite variability from one font to
another. This displays the importance of
recognizing that the different typefaces
exhibit their own purpose and personality.
Among these differences, the only
similarities they share are the baseline and
crossbar, apex and terminal for the capital
Overlap
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Agapanthus
Agapanthus Agapanthus
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Capline
Baseline
Meanline
With Fill
Without Fill
Futura
Gil Sans MT
Bodoni
Baskerville Old Face
Fundamental to all typographic design
is the interplay between letterform and
background. Every letterform denes
a particular counter form. Form and
counterform are reciprocal values and
completely interdependent and integral to
a letters completeness as a design. The
counterform is not just what is left over in
the background. The counterform is a new
entity that emerges through interaction
with the form.
Anatomy Cropping
Which is more legible when covered, the
bottom half of the word or the top half of
the word?
Words with their top half covered, arent as
readable or recognizable as words with the
bottom half concealed. This demonstrates
the subconcious function that humans
have built around reading and writing
conventions, commonly from left to right,
and from top downwards.
Legibility Letter
Agapanthus
Agapanthus
Agapanthus
Typically, these counterforms are either
geometric or organic in quality depending
on the structure or style of the letter.
An awareness of this inter-relationship
of form and counterform is essential in
typographic design.
When creating a visual hierarchy in
typographic space, a designer balances
the need for harmony, which unies a
design, with the need for contrast, which
lends vitality and emphasis.
As in music, elements can have a
counterpart or a counterpoint relationship.
Typographic counterparts are elements
with similar qualities that bring harmony
to their spatial relationship. Elements
have a counterpoint relationship when
they have contrasting characteristics,
such as size, weight, color, tone, or
texture. Counterpoint relationships bring
opposition and dissonance to the design.
Counterpoint
Anatomy Cropping
Counterform
Every letter has a personality you can
identify. Fragmentation is not the goal in
and of itself. Everything is adjustable and
its a case-by case decision of how far to go.
Typographic Kinetics Counterpoint
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The form you seek is one that to be able
to read the word. So this determines the
degree of fracture. Its the part(letterform)
towhole (word). Both must be juggled
to value. You cant use the same element
over and over just because it worked in
one place. Every example should change
somewhat. Because range is a persistent
goal of design, you want to invent in each
example. Expect some noble necessary part
of any assignment.
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The most elementary forms of letters are
a visual code of simple strokes that is
recognizable through our experience
with handwriting.
Each of the upper and lower case letters
is distinct in structure. All are built by
combining vertical, horizontal, slanted,
and curvilinear strokes. Letter forms derive
their character from combinations of these
basic strokes and not from being light or
bold, wide or narrow, Roman or italic, sans
serif or serif. An entire alphabet can be
categorized using only six basic underlying
visual combinations of strokes as the
example illustrates.
Structure of Letters
While upper and lower case letters are
distinct in structure, they all are built by
combining 4 strokes; vertical, horizontal,
slanted, and curvilinear. These elementary
strokes form the foundation, a visual
code that is recognizable through our
long experience with reading and writing
regardless of style. Therefore, letter
forms derive their visual character from
combinations of these basic strokes and
not from being light or bold, wide or
narrow, Roman or italic, sans serif or serif.
An entire alphabet can be categorized
using only six basic underlying visual
combinations of strokes as the example
illustrates.
Stroke Categories
EFHILT jlt
KMNY k
VWX vwxy
AZ z
BDGJPRU abdghmnpqru
COQS
ceos
Using the initials of your designer, impose
the letterforms in a typographic study
that interprets a relationship to the form
of the chair they designed. The goal is to
discover relationships in form and division
of space. Then, using the designers name,
the name of the chair, and the date of its
manufacture, impose the words in
a typographic study that demonstrates
relationships to the chair.

Typographic Page a Chair
Size + Width
Size + Weight
Size + Weight
Weight + Face + Size
Size + Case
Weight + Width
1983
Size + Width
Size + Tone
Size + Slant Size + Slant
Type generally falls into two primary
categories; informational and or
expressive. Its not uncommon to have
a strategy for both present in layouts.
Informational text is more common and
the form responds to long traditions
and conventions of size, spacing and
established habits of organization on the
page.
In a book or website it is information
design that takes the lead. On a poster or
motion graphics expression could lead.
The ratio is determined by the designer
and the needs of the communication. An
emphasis or hierarchy must be clear and
decisive so the roles each plays in the
communication are clear. In design things
are not equal.
Chair Hang Tag
Its no longer all about selling a product,
but about selling the idea of a product!
Michele De Lucchi was
born in 1951 in Ferrara
and graduated in archi-
tecture in Florence.
During the period of
radical and experimen-
tal architecture he was
a prominent gure in
movements like
Cavart, Alchymia and
Memphis.
Michele De Lucchi was
one of the cofounders
of the Milan designer
group Memphis, which
emerged at the end
of 1980 around the
central gure of Ettore
Sottsass. The groups
very rst exhibition
unleashed a frenzy of
enthusiasm.
Since then, the shrill,
sensual, and playful
designs produced
by Memphis have
exploded all academic
convention and
substantially inu-
enced the world of
design.
First by Michele de
Lucchi was one of the
few designs intended
for the broad public,
and quickly became a
bestseller. Although
the construction is
extremely stable, the
reduced elements radi-
ate a strong impres-
sion of lightness.
The restrained use of
decorative elements
gives First an almost
classic air among the
Memphis objects, mak-
ing it suitable for fur-
nishing conventional
interiors.
1983
B a c k
1983
Its no longer all about selling a product, but about selling the idea of a product!
M
ichele De Lucchi w
as born in
1951 in Ferrara and graduated in
architecture in Florence.
First by M
ichele de Lucchi w
as one of the few

designs intended for the broad public, and quickly
becam
e a bestseller. A
lthough the construction is
extrem
ely stable, the reduced elem
ents radiate a
strongim
pression of lightness.
2014
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