Typography is a very important technique to keep in mind when designing on any platform. I chose to analyze some album covers which I found to display type in a very effective way. First, I will be analyzing GTA’s new album cover, “Good Times Ahead.” The title of the album is displayed in two sections of the cover. Your eyes are drawn to the hand, so the most emphasized text is the “tattooed” text. I didn’t like the “tattooed” text because it isn’t very legible. I wouldn’t have been able to understand what was written if the other text wasn’t there. But, the “tattooed” text was effective for being a tattoo. That would be the only thing that would make sense in the context of what the text is written on. When looking at the other type, it is more effective and legible. The outline of the words fits the overall theme of the artwork and so does the font (sans serif). Overall, I think this artwork was well done, but the artist should make sure that all text is legible to the viewer.
De La Soul is a hip-hop music group that has been known for using very interesting comic artwork for their albums; and they have continued to do so. There new album, “And The Anonymous Nobody,” uses typography very well. They used sans serif font, which is commonly used in comics. They created contrast between the letters by bolding some of the important words in the title of the project. Also, looking at the design through a “CRAP” lens; there is a good use of alignment. The title of the album is grouped together and is separate from the other text on the piece (proximity). On the other hand, their is another group of text on the left half of the cover which seems to be a hand-drawn font. This is a conversation happening, which presents the viewer with a piece of a story. The font works well with the theme of the character who is saying the phrase because the character is illustrated in a similar way as the font. Overall, I think this artwork was very well designed and the typography stood out a lot.
Danny Brown’s upcoming album, “Atrocity Exhibition,” has a very dark and almost digital theme. I’ve listened to his singles off this album and it really reflects the artwork. The lyrical content is very explicit and the beats are dark and eerie. The frame of the artwork is the text. But, the type is manipulated in an interesting way to add character so that it relates to the theme. If you notice, the words “Danny Brown” are on the vertical axis and “Atrocity Exhibition” is on the horizontal axis. There is contrast between the light tone of the text and the dark tone of the background. Also the effects used on the figure in the artwork were also used in the typography. This creates unity within the artwork. From listening to his previously released music, I can assume that his target audience is the hardcore rap listeners. These people don’t mind a lot of explicit language and subject matter. I think this album cover does a great job at appealing to that audience (I am one of those listeners).
Our third lecture in digital media this week really changed the way I look at typography in media. For example, I’ve already started analyzing ads posted on streetcar stops. Seeing how they manipulated the type, but also glancing at the other aspects to the piece. In our upcoming graphic assignments I will try to come up with unique ways of manipulating type to create a more engaging piece of art.
Levi Linton 