Customer Reviews

Dot Font Talking About Design

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John D. Berry continues his publication of essays in this second in the series of thoughts on the influence of fonts ('typeface' for those of us who grew up in an earlier time!), this time extending his thoughts on the effect of the appearance of letter formation on the eye as pertaining to design. In many ways this second volume excels over the first in ease of reading and in appeal to the non-typographer student: more visual information and less didactic facts that can be head-scratchers.

This series of essays are grouped into categories that truly help the reader absorb all the information Berry and friends offer. After a lucid introduction the examination of fonts' influence on the way we perceive information (indeed, whether we take the time to read it or just pass it by), the book is divided into 1) Practice and Ideas, 2) Real-World Effects, 3) Design All Around Us, 4) Design On The Page, and finally 5) Design and Culture. In these wisely organized (and beautifully illustrated topics Berry presents his views and evidence on how the mixing of new and old fonts, traditional and radical fonts, and even the bold versus italic versus whisper thin fonts combine to make an impact. There is much psychology shared here and reading Berry's essays helps us to think about and notice the way newspapers grab our attention for some topics and defray attention from others: information presented to our eyes penetrates the page-brain barrier chiefly because of the way the information is designed typographically.

Berry extends his discussion to relate to the manner in which museum exhibitions are influenced by font and graphic design to enhance viewer understanding, how book design on covers influences reads whether to buy or not, and how important design elements are in influencing public consumption of products. All of this information is shared in a jovial manner of writing that allows the reader to learn while maintaining tongue in cheek! Few writers are able to convey this kind of information beyond the purview of the immediate intended audience of graphic designers to embrace any reader fascinated about factors that influence our perception of the world. This is another book that deserves a wide audience. It is a very fine read. Grady Harp, March 07

Great reading material for anyone who believe in aesthetically followed design. Even if think of yourself as the most experienced graphic designer or typographer, you aren't if you haven't experienced this book.