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THE NON-DESIGNER'S TYPE BOOK

Wdtildwick's First Axiom of Communication: t

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vocative

Evocative typography refers to a choice of typeface that reinforces the
message of the words, type that evokes a desired response. Designers have
always been very careful about their choice of type, and I know you have
been through that process many times. You have a definite idea of which
faces would be appropriate for different projects. You wouldn't make a
Garage Sale sign in German blackletter. You wouldn't do a brochure for a
construction company in a delicate script. What I want to accomplish with
this chapter, though, is to encourage you to push the concept of evocative
typography even further than you have been, and also to take a closer look
at what you are evoking. If the first thing that comes to mind for a Japanese
tea garden festival is a typeface made out of little pagodas, toss it. Corny.
Consider what symbolizes the festival—grace, beauty, tradition? Perhaps
try a lovely oldstyle with graceful curves, set large so you can enjoy its
beauty. Do some research, discover that the most popular typeface in Japan
for many years was Baskerville, a transitional oldstyle—try that. Maybe
you need to do a flyer for the children's museum. Your first thought is to
use a hand-scrawled typeface with backwards characters. If the flyer is for
kids, try using real letters instead of cute lettering that reinforces backwards
letters. Try New Century Schoolbook, which was designed for children's
books, or a clean sans serif that emulates the way children write their
alphabet. You can always use picture fonts to add playful illustrations all
over the page.

Next time you need to decide on a typeface that reinforces the text, think
it through carefully. Don't always go with your first idea. Since we are on
computers, it is so easy to play with all of our options, to change faces with
the click of a button. Typefaces are cheap now—invest in a variety!
Remember, you can never have too much money, too much ram, or too
many fonts.