TypographySketchbooks

Typography,thedesignofletters,isattheheartofvisualcommunicationandgraphicdesign.Nodesignissuccessfulwithoutsuccessfultypography.Anartfulcraftsincethedaysofmoveabletype,today'sdigitaldesignershaveanunimaginablearrayofpossibilitieswhenitcomestochoosingtypefaces.Whetheronpaper,screenorine-ink,legibilityandexpressionareparamount.Wheredothebestcontemporaryfontscomefrom,andwhodesignedthem?Fortunatelyforus,typographyformostdesignersisanobsession,oneofthepurestformsofdesign,onethatcanalwaysbeimprovedandrefined.Selectedbytheworld'smostknowledgableandwell-connectedgraphic-designcommentator,StevenHeller,thissurveygetsintothemindsofdesignerswhocreatetypefaces,word-imagesandlogosthroughtheirprivatesketchbooks.Thiscollectionoftypographicexplorations,arrangedbydesignerintimatelyrevealshowover90ofworldsleadingdesignersandtypographerscontinuallystrivetofindnewandexcitingwaysofcommunicatingthroughlettersandwords.Establisheddesignerandup-and-comingtalentsincludeIvanChermayeff,CarlosSegura,MiltonGlaser,MairaKalman,BobAulfudish,MatthewCarter(US),JavierMariscalandPatrickThomas(Spain),ErikSpiekermann,ViktorNbel(Germany),PeterBilakandEnkeling(theNetherlands),JeanBaptisteLeve(France).Theresultofthesewide-rangingtypographicmusingsprovidefascinatinginsightsintotheexpressivequalityoflettersandwords.Aimedatallthosewhousetype,whetherbyhandoronscreen,thispleasingcompendiumstressestheimportanceofgoodtypographyatatimewhenreadinghabitsarechangingandcelebratesacraftthathasenduredforcenturies.