Hunt, Richard G. Decolonizing typeface classification. In: 2022 Design Communication Association (DCA) International Conference, October 5–8, 2022, Auburn, Alabama.

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Abstract

Students studying typography in graphic design programs are often, early in their education, exposed to typeface classifications and vocabulary that originate in the European history of printing, and to use these to categorize the typographic styles they use, and are given exercises that focus on roman alphabetic letter forms. Projects are often contextualized in terms of particular movements such as Constructivism, Futurism, Swiss Style, the New York School, and as well as in more general terms such as Classicism, Rationalism, Modernism and Postmodernism.
While learning and using typographic categories such as Vox-ATypI, and studying the history of typography in design in Europe and America may make appear to make sense in the current practice of printing in those parts of the world that use scripts of the latin tradition (and the need to have a common vocabulary with others who have the same education and understanding), it excludes other scripts, and reinforces a Eurocentric approach to considering typographic form. Should we forget the European history of typography in our contemporary use of it? Or should we contexualize in terms of other movements of history and cultural hegemony? While current latin script has its origins in Rome, and European typographic technologies have their origins in the Renaissance, many of the letter forms we use are directly traceable to the Middle East, while the technology of typography was developed in China and Korea centuries before it was developed in Europe. And as the alphabet and printing are technologies that can be and have been adopted by many other cultures as useful tools.
This paper considers the relationship between the European dissemination of typography and how it has been both impose on and adopted by different cultures; alternate approaches to the classification of typefaces; and the potential benefits of taking the focus on typography away from European history and moving it to a more objectively visual and cultural theoretical approach. It also considers the differences between culturally-based perceptions, and universal visual/cognitive perception, both of which are essential qualities of typography, and finally, how typographic form has to some degree been colonized by cultural imperialism, while originating scripts have been ignored or subsumed by Western conventions and aesthetics, and how we may consider this in the design classroom.

Item Type:	Conference/Workshop Item (Paper)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	typography, cultural hegemony, design pedagogy
Divisions:	Faculty of Design > Graphic Design
Date Deposited:	17 Jul 2024 13:51
Last Modified:	17 Jul 2024 13:51
URI:	https://openresearch.ocadu.ca/id/eprint/4595

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