Design360°Magazine No.89 Typeface Experiment

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No. 89 Type Experiment 丨字體實驗

Text is a unique part of graphic design. It covers all visual related content like brand logos, product packaging, event posters, etc. However, designers’ desire to explore the possibilities of typefaces are not easily satisfied by merely catering to the needs of the clients. During work and daily life, more and more designers are collecting their “funny” ideas as inspiration, with which they will then find proper time to experiment, using open and various design thinking.

In these typeface experiments and activities, typeface has surpassed its original definition. Stepping out of its job to accurately convey information, it has become a way for graphic designers to observe and think. While these type forms and discoveries may yet to be put into actual use, the results of these attempts may inspire the birth of other experiments, and thus further broaden the definition of graphic design. Meanwhile, when designers extract certain content from experiments and gradually form a systematic logic, they will become a direct and powerful “weapon” for self-enhancement. As for what a typeface design experiment should be made of, there is no authoritative explanation or accurate answer. However, with the growing of the industry and more and more designers start to involve in the delicate art of “experiment”, its boundaries will be constantly reinterpreted. Experiments in this sense may also provide designers and readers with a new way to interpret things.

文字作為平面設計裡特殊的一環，涵蓋了品牌標識、產品包裝、活動海報等一切與視覺相關的內容。但僅迎合商業項目的需求並不能滿足設計師探索字體可能性的慾望，越來越多設計師將設計實踐或日常生活中冒出的“奇奇怪怪”的想法作為靈感收集起來，在適當的時機通過開放、多重的設計思維對它們進行實驗。

在這些字體實驗和活動中，字體已經超越了它原本的定義，跳出了準確傳遞信息的本職工作，成為平面設計師對事物進行觀察和思考的一種方式。或許這些字體形式與發現並不能立刻被投入實際應用中，但這個過程的結果可能會激發其它實驗的誕生並進一步拓寬平面設計的定義。與此同時，當設計師從實驗中提煉出一定的內容，逐漸形成一個系統的邏輯，便會成為增進自我發展直接有力的“利器”。而對於文字設計的實驗應該如何構成，並沒有一個權威性的解釋和準確的答案，但隨著行業的發展以及越來越多的設計師開啟“實驗”這門精妙的藝術，它的邊界將不斷被重新詮釋。這種意義上的實驗或許也可為設計師和讀者提供另一種解讀問題的思維方式。