Typography assists in the legibility of a body of text. More specifically, it focuses on the flow of text, like a guidance of content. It moves away from the idea that text is a solid, and looks at it more in a fluid motion.
Originally, a piece of writing had character, whether it was hand written or simply full of mistakes. It was technology that took the uniqueness out of the text, creating new conformities. Text was standardised and there was a certain appearance to it that people would expect to see. Text needed to be able to speak for itself, as a flow of information, as apposed to a solid block of words. Type was placed on a page with purrpose and relation the subject matter itself, rather then the standardised type that conformed to these supposed new rules. As Ellen Lupton states, "The written word loses its connection to the inner self".
This individulatity of text is perceived with several qualities of typography. Firstly you've got the spacing between words. It was the philosopher Jacques Derrida who stated even the alphabet doesn't function without spacings and marks. If you listen to speech itself it's very fluid in sound. People dont tend to pick up of the breaks and gaps between words. These spacings in text have become highly important in every day text. An example of this from 'Thinking with Type':
"Tryreadingalineoftextwithoutspacingtoseehowimportantithasbecome"
Typography wanted to enhance the readers experience, showing them that they're not trapped within the linear rules of text. They wanted to create an escape to the supposed perfect and fixed text, whether its the fixed pages in a book, or the text that runs along the bottom of the screen when watching the news. Although most web designs tend to stick to these linear 'rules', many are more inventive and nowadays you're getting software that encourages one to be experimental and inventive.
Database and narrative are natural enemies. Competing for the same territory of human culture, each claims an exclusive right to make meaning of the world. Lev Manovich, 2002
Nowadays, there's a push for space driven type rather then type driven by line. It creates a higher importance with the reader then it does with the actual writer, as it focuses more on the meaning of the text itself, like an interpretation of a piece of music.
One of the main points to make from it all is that the medium isn't necessarily as important as the message itself. The modernist designer is aware that the 'white space' on a page can hold just as much significance as the printed area on a page. It's how you look to use the space when relating to a specific piece of type that creates an interesting page design aswell as an interesting read. Typography therefore highlights the indiviuduality of a page or product. There are no set rules or boundries but simply guidlines when it comes to speech and type and as a graphic designer, communicating effectively is of the upmost importance.
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Ed Fella (1938), poster for Cal Arts Anniversary
http://butdoesitfloat.com/44995/Reduce-to-the-Max
Graphic Designer, Ed Fella (1938) was highly influential in typography. This piece of design displays the qulaities of deconstruction, with lack of standardised order, fluidity, type that expresses the creativity of the subject itself, attention to the space on the page is also apparent. Like with deconstruction, the typography mirrors the purpose.
