notes

triggs 12-17: typography and its swiss roots:

what do you think about technology's role in enabling typographic experimentation? what technology is the present-day equivalent to the desktop computer, and how might that be utilized in type design or typography?
design is changed by technological development. More opportunities arise from it. The computer has changed type considerable, and we use that to our advantage.
It is helpful in the interest of originality to use unconventional yet appropriate tools for whatever you do. If you need to make a what looks like a children's drawing, don't do that in illustrator, just get a crayon and some cheap paper. better yet, get get a kid, a crayon and a cheap piece of paper. Sometimes the absence technology is what you want. However new and technology is on the way. Having a touch screen alone for example is a huge step forward. But being able to use the interactive digital technology that we have now opens up an endless amount of new possibilities.



what potential exists for continuing to explore the "second order of denotation" as mentioned in the cranbrook/mccoy sections?
Breaking those boundaries of traditional type setting was definitely a step forward. Considering how the typography is placed on the page (whether it's 'flying' or stagnent is important. and what you add to that to complement it or enrich its meanning is equally important. It's easy for people to forget though that there has to be a good reason for a word to be 'flying' across the page or else that second order of denotation will detract from the meaning of your message rather than enrich.

further, what potential might your area of interest have to "promote multiple rather than fixed meanings" as jeffery keedy mentions? and what role might the reader play in the construction of your typographic messages?
Having layers of meanings can often be more compelling than having only one. But it depends on what you are trying to say.

thoughts? does this spur any ideas for your own work? respond in the comments here.
These passages have reiterated many of the things that we have already learning. We should experiment by whatever means necessary, and always add and enrich our message with imagery or animated typography (making sure that there is a meaningful correlation between the tow) as we design. We should always use a thoughtful and exploratory design process.
I have to say it is interesting that they mention the magazine, Imigre had stopped exploring experimental typography and switched to finding relationships between graphic design and music. To me this is brings a compelling thought — it seems that design is now breaking away from its two dimensional static (print) form and popping off the page into dimensional space dealing with sound, projection, motion, sculpture, or all those things and other things combined.