Project 3: Typeface & Meaning

Given the word “contemporary”, I was tasked to set the word in a typeface that detracts from its meaning and in a typeface that enhances its meaning.

The typeface Lucida Blackletter is bold, highly decorative, and evokes a feeling of Medieval Europe. This feeling is further emphasized by the word’s relatively large scaling and center placement. Lucida Blackletter is inappropriate for expressing the idea of “contemporary”.

In contrast, Helvetica Neue Light is simple and clean. Set in this sans-serif typeface and placed off-center, “contemporary” is more effectively communicated here than in the previous piece.