A History of Typography: Connotation, Denotation, and Context — Perrin Stamatis
Channel: TypeCon
Date: 17/08/2020

Recorded during TypeCon2018: Xx in Portland, Oregon

Viewers tend to regard all forms of artwork through a cultural lens, within a social context and have an emotional response to it regardless of the creator’s intentions. Designers tend to have specific intentions that drive the development of their typographic work, or specific reasons why they select or specify type for a project — this tends to come from a functional, formal and historical perspective.

It is fascinating how both vantage points are true and provide valuable ways to view typography. Non-designers have become adept at “reading” meaning from the typefaces they see in this connotative manner. How might this gap be bridged to reinforce the denotative side while not losing the valid connotative experience.

In this presentation I’ll explore some experiences and research that led to the development of a resource for students and experienced designers alike. This resource organizes historical information in a contextual manner while emphasizing important relationships between seemingly unrelated elements.