Johnston

Like Helvetica, Johnston is in my opinion a neutral typeface. It has similar uses as Helvetica although it is not as widely used.

Above: Johnston. 1.

One of the main uses of Johnston is the London Underground. Tube Maps and signs are all set in Johnston.

Above: Photo taken at Piccadilly Circus in London showing the tube signs-photo taken by Natasha Hale 2009

It appears to be that neutral typefaces are used for areas such a transport so that the content is clearly the most important thing. If a more expressive typeface was used such as Broadway designed by Morris Fuller Benton would the content the become secondary ? Would the reader get a different impression of what is being said? In this case would the tube system offered not appear professional compared to when the signs are set in Johnston?

Why couldn't each station have their signs etc set in a different typeface to express that particular area of the city?

1. Johnston Underground [Online], Available: http://www.identifont.com/samples/p22/JohnstonUnderground.gif

Helvetica

Helvetica designed by Max Miedinger in 1957 is one of the worlds most widely used fonts. Having watched the Helvetica movie it was interesting to see how different designers comments about the typeface.

Wim Crouwel said "The meaning is in the content of the text not the typeface"(Helvetica Movie)- from this I took it that he thinks the typeface should be neutral and that the words should express something not the formal aesthetics of the typeface. I feel that is why Helvetica has been /is widely used throughout the world on city signage and in the transport area.

Above: NYC Subway Sign set in Helvetica.1

Massimo Vignelli designed the 1972 NYC Subway Map using the typeface Hevetica. Again he said that he did not think type should be expressive. I agree with these designers to a certain extent and think that typefaces designed for body copy. But typefaces that are purely display faces I feel should be expressive in someway or another. What the typeface is expressing doesnt have to be completely obvious though. See below for the map he designed.

Above: 1972 NYC Subway Map designed by Massimo Vignelli.2

In a way this subway map is a snapshot of the city with only the relevant transport information display. So the city is viewed from a simplified Lookout point.

1. Helvetica Sign NYC [Online], Available: http://nosleeptill.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/nst_subway_entrance.png

2. Helvetica 1972 NYC Subway Map [Online], Available: http://www.nycsubway.org/img/maps/system_1972.jpg

Frutiger

Frutiger was designed by Swiss Typographer Adrian Frutiger. Frutiger was commissioned in 1968 by Charles du Gaulle Airport (France) to design a typeface for the sign system within the airport. The typeface was finished in 1975 and released to the public by Stempel Type Foundry in 1976. Below is the typeface he designed.

Would designing a typeface for a french international airport be any different to designing a typeface for an American International airport? Or would the fact that its an international airport mean that the typeface needs to be quite universal? By saying that I mean very easy to read.

Delirious New York Text

Below is the Delirious New York section I read by Rem Koolhaas. The text below is what I refer to in my previous Delirious New York Post.

1. Koolhaas, Rem 1994, Delirious New York: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan, The Monacelli Press Inc., New York.

Google Maps Typography

Earlier I commented that I liked the idea that a designer can use existing designs/elements as the basis of their work. I came across an image of the letters A-Z designed by Rhett Dashwood, who used satellite images of landforms or buildings from google maps to create the letters of the alphabet. See images below. This ties together the idea of lookout points and designers using existing elements as the basis of their work.

Above: Google Maps Letters designed by Rhett Dashwood.1

1. Google Maps by Rhett Dashwood [Online], Available: http://rhettdashwood.com.au/#16575

Industrial Alphabet by Kalle Hagman

Kalle Hagman designed a typeface based on industrial pieces such as machines, pieces of metal and pipes. From what I can tell the typeface has been made by photographing existing industrial pieces. I like that idea that a designer can use existing designs/elements as basis of their work.

Above: Industrial Alphabet designed by Kalle Hagman in 2007.1

1. Industrial Alphabet [Online), 2007, Available: http://www.behance.net/Gallery/Alphabetical-industrial-typography/51062

Lookout Points-Part 2

Coming back to my post on look out points (click here to read the original post), I started to question if a lookout point has to be elevated?

Could you not be standing at street level and still seeing a number of different points in the surrounding area? (in particular you would see points they are more elevated that where you are) Would this be considered a lookout point though?

Personally I say yes it is still a lookout point, but what you are observing is only a small area in comparison to what you would see if you were much more elevated.

Sydney Airport

I just arrived in Sydney and couldn't help but notice the markings/lines on the runway. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera on me so I don't have a photo. Below is a photo from the Bahamas which gives an idea of what the lines look like.

Above: Photo of Nassau Airport runway area taken by Natasha Hale 2008.

The lines reminded me of something Ryan Gander talked about in the Loose Association text. He talked about trauma lines in hospitals then goes onto to talk about navigation lines and how they are used to help guide the public. These lines on the runways aren't for the public, but for pilots. Not all the lines on the runways are the same, some are broken, angled, or different from the regular yellow lines. Just that fact that I didn't know what each line meant is what got me interested.

Lookout Points-Part 1

Thinking back to the idea of lookout points and what you see from these points. Some questions that keep popping up in my mind are; What is there first thing some one looks at? Do you at the furthest point first? or do you look at points where are more in the foreground?

Personally I tend to look at the furthest point first then scan from there back to where Im situated. (usually when I'm looking I look from left to right)

With modern technology we now have a number of different ways in which people can survey/observe the land, or as Rem Koolhaas said "inspect their domain."1 Satellites images allow the viewing of land from a birds eye view (similar to a regular map) but with a huge amount of detail shown. With satellite images though you loose the ability in some cases to see how elevated certain areas are. With these images unlike what I said above there is not one particular point I look at first-as everything appears to be the same distance away.

Above: Satellite image of San Francisco from Google Maps.2

Google Earth is another form of technology which allows us to observe the land from above but also get down on street level and experience a place in 3D (through a 2D computer screen) without even being there. In saying that I really dont think you get the full idea of what the place is actually like.

Airplanes are another way of viewing land from above. Below are some photo taken of Miami, Florida from a plane. You will see how the closer the planes gets to ground level the more 3 dimensional the land appears while the higher in the sky the plane is the land appear much more like it does in a satellite image.

Above: Series of 4 photographs taken from a plane over Miami, Florida. Photos taken by Natasha Hale 2008.

1. Koolhaas, Rem 1994, Delirious New York: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan, The Monacelli Press Inc., New York. (pg 25)

2.Google Maps: San Francisco [Online] Available: http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=san+francisco&sll=-41.244772,172.617188&sspn=38.346014,75.9375&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=San+Francisco,+California,+United+States&ll=37.795203,-122.427435&spn=0.039541,0.074158&t=k&z=14

Yonkers Line by Jonty Valentine

Jonty Valentine designed a typeface called Yonkers Line, based on a LCD system/grids. See below.

Above: LCD Grid with Yonkers Line typeface designed by Jonty Valentine.

The typeface was designed based on the LCD grid seen on the left, Jonty did add in some extra lines seen on right which enabled him to design a complete set of characters. The idea of using a system to design is apparent in this. The system designs the font but in case there is still some room to play around. Jonty talked about there a scale between fully systematic and subject and figuring out where you are placed on it.

Twin Typeface

Twin- is a typeface designed by Letterror (Just van Rossum and Erik van Blokland) which is based on the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St Paul, Minnesota, USA). The typeface was designed to reflect the characteristics of the cities, in particular the weather. Having lived in Minnesota myself I know that the weather is very extreme. Very hot in the summer and very cold in the winter. This typeface is capable of changing according to the current weather conditions in the twin cities. The colder it is the more serve the character look, the warmer it is the more smooth and friendly they look.1

It's interesting how something like the climate can be reflected in such a way that it strongly reflects a certain city. I wonder how other cities could be shown using the same idea of taking a strong characteristic of the city and reflecting it in a typeface.

Above: Twin Typeface designed by Letterror in 2002.1

1. Twin [Online], Available: http://www.letterror.com/portfolio/twin/index.html
2. Is it about to rain? Check the typeface [Online] Availale: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/24/technology/is-it-about-to-rain-check-the-typeface.html

Delirious New York by Rem Koolhaas

I read a section of the Delirious New York text by Rem Koolhaas. He talks about the idea of a lookout point, in this case the Latting Observatory (350 feet high) and how it allowed the residents of Manhattan to "inspect their domain."1 This idea of being able to survey the land is something that people are continually drawn to. The Latting Observatory constructed in 1853 was the tallest tower in New York City at the time 2 and has seen been described as New York's first Skyscrapper.3

After thinking about cities I have been to I realized that I always go to a lookout point. In a way it puts the city into perspective, it allows me to get my bearings right and figure out where certain point are in relation to each other. This goes back to what I mentioned before about experiencing something in 3D opposed to 2D(2D in this case being a map).

A number of cities have man-made structures like the Latting Observatory, but lookout points are always man-made. Often they are natural lookout points. San Francisco is a prime example of a city with a number of natural lookout points. Lombard St, Russian Hill, Telegraph Hill, Twin Peaks (second highest point in San Francisco with 360 degree views of the area) are all points in San Francisco with natural elevation which allows a view of the land.

Above: View from Twin Peaks, San Francisco- Photo taken by Natasha Hale 2007.

Above: View from Hyde St/Chestnut St, San Francisco- Photo taken by Natasha Hale 2007.

Primrose Hill in London another natural lookout point- this isn't a particularly elevated area compared with those in San Francisco but still allows people to "inspect their domain."4

Above: View from Primrose Hill, London- Photo taken by unknown.7

Cities like New York, Melbourne and Paris don't have much natural elevation which could explain why the lookout points in these cities are mainly man-made. New York City is full of tall buildings, the Rockefeller Center is a building which had taken advantage of its lookout and open it to the public as a tourist attraction. This is the same case for Melbourne's Observation Deck and Eureka Tower, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Sky Tower in Auckland.

Above: View from the Rockefeller Center, New York City, photo taken by Daniel Schwen 2005. (6)

Above: View from the Melbourne Observation Deck, photo taken by Natasha Hale 2007.

Above: View from the Eiffel Tower, Paris- Photo taken by Natasha Hale 2009.

When the Latting Observatory was built in 1853 a lot the out lying area was undeveloped and quite rural, so the observatory allowed people to put into perspective how much potential Manhattan had /how much room it had to grow.5 I can understand how a lookout point like this was at the time quite revolutionary and played a major part in the development of the city. The idea that a city could be mapped out not just 2 dimensionally but 3 dimensionally must have been quite a break through.

1. Koolhaas, Rem 1994, Delirious New York: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan, The Monacelli Press Inc., New York. (pg 25)

2. Lankevich, George J. 2002, New York City: A Short History, New York University Press, New York. (pg 93-94)

3. Lankevich, George J. 2002, New York City: A Short History, New York University Press, New York. (pg 93-94)

4. Koolhaas, Rem 1994, Delirious New York: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan, The Monacelli Press Inc., New York. (pg 25)

5. Koolhaas, Rem 1994, Delirious New York: A Retroactive Manifesto for Manhattan, The Monacelli Press Inc., New York. (pg 23-25)

6. NYC Top of the Rock Pano-Daniel Schwen [Online], (2005, Dec 6-photo taken)Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NYC_Top_of_the_Rock_Pano.jpg

7. Panorama of Primrose Hill [Online], Available: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/23175045

San Francisco Map

From my trip to San Francisco a couple of years ago, I have a lonely planet map. This is something which I have held on to because I find the design of this particular map to be really good. The scale of the map is really good because you can see the whole city on the map, the way it is indexed is really well done too.

One thing I find interesting is looking at the different areas within a city and the way the streets are laid out in that particular area. The city area is very structure with a well formed grid while the further out you go the more relaxed the grid becomes. With the San Francisco map the grid is very structure in the city are, becoming more relaxed towards the twin peaks area which is away from the city area. This could be because of the way the land is (towards twin peaks area its not as flat) but in saying that there are areas which do appear to have a grid layout but are quite elevated (hills). Without having visited San Francisco you wouldn't be able to tell all this from the map.

Earlier I commented that maps contain so much information about one particular place. In saying there are certain aspects which maps don't display which can only be experienced by seeing the place in 3D opposed to 2D.

Loose Associations-Ryan Gander

The "Loose Associations" reading by Ryan Gander I found to be quite interesting. Ryan Gander talks about desire lines- "desire lines that have been worn away by people who cut accross the middle. They 're always on the most direct route people want to take, which is why they are called desire lines." This got me thinking about lines within a city which lead me onto maps. Maps to me are quite intriguing- how such a large amount of information about one particular place can all be shown in such a compact manner.

I have traveled to a number of different western cities and found it interesting the way different cities are laid out. American cities are very grid based, we is older cities like London and Paris have more of a free flowing layout.

Above: Loose Associations by Ryan Gander(this is just page 1

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE