Baseline Magazine: Ivan Chermayeff

Hello all!

From Baseline International Typographic Magazine, I came across Ivan Chermayeff's work. 'Hint' is the name of this "playful and experimental" sans serif typeface. Each letter (typeface is all caps) is derived from a solid square and can therefore be arranged easily on a grid.

With simple visual suggestions for counters and corners, only the essential forms of each letter is showcased, giving the typeface very limited usage. It is meant for short and easy-to-read words.

Baseline goes on to suggest how 'Hint' may be best utilized: Ideal contexts for this bold typeface may be when the words are in some way connected to design or the visual arts and perhaps when the act of discovery becomes in part the message it displays.

Here is an example: the title page of the article. The essence of the typeface is displayed perfectly. It is displaying a short word (its name), the squares are arranged to form a bigger square, displaying its grid-like functions, and the fading of the red reiterates the idea of a suggestion of a communication.

 

Here is an example of the typeface in use. This is a poster designed for AIGA/New York 30th Anniversary. This typeface is appropriate in this context for several reasons. For one, it is set in a design context. As designers being the audience, the strong character of this typeface would be more appreciated and understood as the font face is designed with a lot of character and limited function. Also, the grid-like functionality allows for the words to stack and resemble buildings of New York. The bright colors and the contrasting black background add to the feeling of a night sky cityscape.

This work is very interested to me because of its simplicity. The designer really keyed into the vital and distinguishing elements of each letter. It's another example of how letters can go beyond its function and can inhabit certain forms. Examples such as this encourage me to continue to explore the versatility letters' counters and corners.

Hope you enjoyed! 

-Tiffany