1.Do you think designers coming out of colleges have a good understanding of typography?
No. The trend for a lot of designers nowadays is to use images to convey. There is no actual thought when choosing a font. Designers have forgotten that typography is a visual element as well and can be used to convey messages. I love Horizons, British Airways in-flight magazine, as typography is used effectively as a visual point of interest.
2.What should young designers be taught in your opinion?
That typography can be used as a visual element. You can make images out of text. There needs to be a focus on how typography can be integrated with visuals in order to create an outstanding design.
3. What is your most important ‘rule’ of typography?
If its not readable and legible, start over again. Design is about conveying a message and if the message gets lost, then clearly the design has failed. Let’s take a billboard – you have five seconds to grab somebody’s attention and even they design looks good you got them, but you lose them if they cannot make out what you are trying to convey. The MiWay billboards are a prefect example. At first glance I cannot read their message.
4. How important do you think the rules of typography are to creating a good design?
All rules are meant to be broken but within reason. If David Carter did not break the rules I would be doing some pretty boring magazine design. So I still go by my design mantra “if its readable and legible go with it”
5. How would you distinguish between Readability & Legibility?
I do not think that there should be a distinction. Legibility and readability should be viewed as one. A typeface needs to be legible in order to be readable. Otherwise it just another ‘picture’
6. What would you consider an unconventional typeface?
I have used many in my designs but I stick to my design mantra.
7. How do you experiment with type and different layouts?
The magazines I work on do not allow much experimentation, however when I was doing the redesign for The Media I tried various designs. It is important to create visual interest with type so you need to look at various typefaces that work well together. A different headline font paired with a different blurb and body copy font creates that visual interest as the reader will not feel like he is looking at a solid block of text. You will be surprised what can be created with a drop cap.
8. How do you think the typographic meaning is affected when an unconventional type or an unusual typographic application is used?
I not think it is affected.
9. How influenced is your design work by typography?
Working on magazine layouts, very. Every layout needs to be of visual interest to readers and I sometimes only have text to work with. A pull quote works wonders and The Media uses different text sizes in the pull quote to create that visual interest.
10. How aware to you think the general public is of typography and it’s various applications?
They are aware but they do not have the tools to effectively communicate their thoughts. They will not like something but they cannot explain exactly why.
11. Any last words on unconventional typography and unconventional typographic applications?
If it is readable and legible, bend the rules.
