# data[].attributes.headline
Entry 26 - HUNGER CAN BE HARD TO RECOGNIZE

# data[].attributes.subject
Entry 26 - HUNGER CAN BE HARD TO RECOGNIZE

# data[].attributes.body
HADESTOWN also embraces the massive blocktype phenomenon. Though, for a musical with themes of industrialization and commodification, I do think it was a smart design choice. If anything, I would suggest slightly altering the typeface of TOWN, as it would be nearly identical to the typeface of HADES if it weren't for the bright red. Adding a minor serif or variety in cap height could aid the logo in giving it some more visual interest.

Findspot: Altria Theatre

# data[].attributes.body
This tag has a link to a spotify account! I didn't imagine that I'd have to listen to music to best contextualize a typeface for this class, but here we are. Silico, as an artist, seems to fit within the alternative rock/screamo genre. From this typeface, I would have gotten the alternative rock portion- as many alternative artists prefer a handwritten type with imperfections. The screaming surprised me, perhaps because I'm more used to screamo bands using gothic-esque fonts. I think if they were to embrace that aspect of their design, it would become clearer what they were advertising.

Findspot: Floyd Avenue

# data[].attributes.body
This piece is spray painted onto the sidewalk of W Main Street. Despite the rain, snow, and wear-and-tear of foot traffic, the main text is still completely legible. The typeface mimics a handwritten, if not freehand spray painted style. Descenders and Ascenders reach the same bounds as the capital, while the baseline for x-height letters is pushed up. This creates a sense of balance and weight in the text that lends itself to its role as a title or logo. I think what impresses me most is that this text is still legible despite the kerning and weathering over time. Really the only aspect of this piece that doesn't work is the text at the top. The content of the thin serif font is lost to time; honestly, I think a serif font is an interesting choice, but if they wanted legibility and duration, the line weight needs to be thicker.

Findspot: W Main Street

# data[].attributes.body
Chalkboard calligraphy astounds me for its ephemeral beauty- how can you work so hard to make something aesthetically pleasing when you know you're going to get rid of it so soon? That being said, while I find this board aesthetically pleasing, the typeface for "Starbucks" does not do a satisfactory job. The baseline is inconsistent throughout the word, and no rules can be made to find out why. At first I theorized that the baseline was one height for the S and lettters with stems, and another height for letters that only go up to the x height, but the b, k, and lower s all diverge from that rule. The typeface doesn't exactly fit the branding of Starbucks, and the legibility is poor. Really, I had to slow myself down to read "Starbucks" initially, and I was only able to fill it in fast because I already knew I was standing in one. This may go back to what I mentioned in an earlier post about how a typeface's environment may also affect its message. Maybe the reason they haven't had to change the typeface is because this sign is located inside of the Starbucks, so you would only see it once you already know what the building is. Furthermore, this Starbucks only accepts online orders, so most people intentionally look up Starbucks in order to get an order here. This means that for this sign, the legibility of Starbucks is not as important as the additional information (Order Online, Pick up here). Still, I do think that legibility need not be sacrificed for aesthetics.

Findspot: W Main Starbucks

# data[].attributes.body
This tag fascinated me. It follows the convention of having wide letters, but diverges in the fact that it is read top to bottom and is a serif font. The o is significantly smaller than the rest of the forms. I have rarely had a chance to talk about texture in this class, so I am very excited to talk about the means in which the tagger made this. Other tags on this post seem to be metallic sharpie, or some other permanent marker. This tag seems to be less liquid or ink based than those, as it would otherwise have seeped into the texture of the pole. Regardless, I think it brings interest to the type where it otherwise would have lacked appeal. The serifs definitely add interest, though the consistency between them leaves much to be desired. Overall, this tag is extremely unique and one of the most original designs that I've seen since I've started this project.

Findspot: Cary Street

# data[].attributes.body
I've grown really tired of blocktypes, and wanted to challenge the preconceptions of typography that I've developed the past few weeks. I decided that I wanted to dissect this tag. In all honesty, I don't know much about tag culture or graffiti, but it definitely is far more fascinating than another brand trying to seem modern again. This tag has a baseline and cap height which slant to the bottom right. The x-height stays largely the same. I would characterize this typeface by its dynamic curves whenever there's a bowl. These wide curves stretch the letters out horizontally, so a tag which wouldn't take up much space now is much more visually interesting than it was before. I keep going back and forth on whether or not the "op!" was a part of the original tag. The o, or possibly 0, is written stylistically different than the o in Roma, but at the same time, they seem to be written with the same marker and still with similar styles. Overall, this typeface is very dynamic and refreshing.

Findspot: Cary Street

# data[].attributes.body
This sign appeared overnight in front of the exit to my apartment- it is now impossible to leave without having to look at this sign. When I first saw this sign, I felt it was so passive aggressive. I think the reason why I felt that was due to the simplistic typeface used: the ubiquitous, if not cancerous, blocktype, the 3/4 x-height, and the tall length between the cap height and baseline. If I'm honest, I almost feel exhausted of seeing this kind of type everywhere. I feel like everywhere I go, another building, corporation, or product is trying to show off how sleek and modern they are. It's legible, but with everyone using it, it's starting to lose personality. Much like sans serif fonts like arial did once the internet became such a hotspot for culture. I digress. The passive aggression I feel from this sign likely stems from the aforementioned simplicity and "neutrality" of the typeface, juxtaposed with an aggressive position that cannot be avoided. The bright contrast of the colors may also be playing a part, but largely, I think the typeface and location make up a large part of the feeling. This sounds kind of ridiculous, but I'm realizing that the feeling behind type doesn't exist in a vacuum- the positioning of whatever the type is on matters just as much to the perception of the message as the type itself. You would think that as an artist I would have realized this sooner, but hey! Sometimes it takes a passive aggressive lease renewal sign to show you what you take for granted.

Findspot: Outside my apartment... Ramz Apartments on Broad. [Is it smart for me to put that out here?]

# data[].attributes.body
This sign is seen as neutral and commonplace- most people wouldn't give it a second glance. I, personally, felt that it was so obvious that it wouldn't even be worth taking a picture of. I think it's exactly for that reason that I should take a moment to dissect it. The School of the Arts Building seems to have a fairly neutral sans-serif font. Unlike the previously seen examples of blocktype, the School of the Arts Building sign uses standard capitalization and has an x-height 2/3 of the way in between the baseline and cap height, with the ascenders only reaching up to the cap height as well. This maximizes the legibility of the text, but also lacks emphasis or substantial impact. Most of the hierarchy in this design comes from the point size of the type, as opposed to the typeface used.

Findspot: School of the Arts Building

# data[].attributes.body
I've noticed a trend as I've done this, and that's that we, as a society, seem to be moving towards a sans-serif blocktype standard when it comes to non-corporate titles or text. WICKED VALLEY U.S.A is no exception. When I first saw this sticker, I wondered if it was an advertisement for a... gentleman's club,  but upon further research, I found that it was another alternative artist. I wonder what it is about sans-serif blocktypes that attract alternative artists? Is it the lack of serif, and therefore, lack of of tradition? Is it the boldness of the text that appeals to the alternative style? I can't say for sure. What I can say, however, is that the alternative style of WICKED VALLEY U.S.A would be better reflected in a more erratic and less unified typeface. Something inspired by the Metal band logo fonts of Slayer and Metallica would better reflect the twisted and alternative style they were going for.

Findspot: W Main St

# data[].attributes.body
This sign looms in front of my apartment. Every time I see it, I can't help but laugh at how the most emphasized and eye catching element of this sign is "FISHER'S TOWING & RECOVERY", as if it is more important or relevant than the parking hours or phone number. The tilt, color, gradient, and outline all ensure that this text is read differently than the rest of the sign, which I feel is counterproductive toward a warning. What's the point of issuing the warning if the part you're going to emphasize is what you do when you don't heed  it? If I were to redesign this, I would get rid of the gradient and italics and maybe implement the color in other aspects of the design.

Findspot: Shafer Street

# data[].attributes.body
This text is not especially eye catching, but the kerning of the letters caught my interest. The kerning of the G's spur into the A in "GARE" were small enough blends that it didn't especially distract me, but the kerning between the V and O compared to that between the O and Y bothered me greatly, as the O feels closer to the O than it does to the Y. In case you don't know, Gare, Voyer, and Koma are all individual taggers, whose tags are ubiquitous across Delmarva. In terms of tagging, the typeface has no style semblance to other tags I've seen, nor does it resemble the other tags the group are known for. This is likely computer generated kerning, as the letters seem to be squished together without regard for their legibility- especially between the E and R. If I had the chance, I would love to meet these taggers and ask them why they chose such a font that doesn't seem to reflect their style- or any style for that matter.

Findspot: Shafer Street

# data[].attributes.body
This striking pink sticker caught me off guard. The black bold block text echoes previous themes I've recognizes as concocting firm, unwavering, and confident imagery. This one seems to differ as it lacks any declarative punctuation. The tall cap height shifts the meaning of the blocktype from sturdy to assertive, which goes along with the message of the sticker.

Findspot: N Cherry Street

# data[].attributes.headline
Entry 8 - Please clean up after your dog

# data[].attributes.subject
Entry 8 - Please clean up after your dog

# data[].attributes.body
While I almost want to focus on the juxtaposition of these two typefaces together, I will focus on the top text. The typeface is a serif font which has an x-height 2/3 the height of its cap-height. Each stroke widens in a slight diagonal. For example, in the letter "o", the bottom left and top right parts of the stroke are thicker than the top left and bottom right parts. This is consistent in each character that has bowls or counters: the e&c have an emphasized bottom left, the a has an emphasized bottom left bowl while the shoulder of the a acts as the emphasized top right. Strokes are thickened in characters that have them- whether vertical in P or diagonal in y. After analyzing this sign's typeface, I can't help but wonder why they picked such an intricate, nuanced, and formal typeface. Part of me believes its to counteract the topic of the sign- pet waste is not exactly a very pleasant topic, so they may want to avoid bold or abrasive discussions of it- but the other part of me just thinks it was a poor a choice in type. If I were to fix this, I would keep the serif if they want to make it more pleasant, but I would remove the variation in linewidth to help with legibility and assertiveness.

Findspot: Shafter St

# data[].attributes.body
RIVET uses a thin stroked block text with two additional strokes forming an arrow with the V. The width of each letter is wider than the cap height. The horizontal strokes of the R and E lay directly in the middle of the cap height and baseline. The font's geometry feels technological and scientific. Upon further research, I found out RIVET is an advertising agency directly targeting college campuses. The typeface establishes that its target audience isn't toward students, but instead toward corporations- which is the direct opposite of the advertisement it would display below it. The geometry and apathy within this design help separate the audiences while these messages are only a few inches away from each other.

Findspot: Cabell Library advertising panels.

# data[].attributes.headline
Entry 6 - Make eyes pop. See doors open.

# data[].attributes.subject
Entry 6 - Make eyes pop. See doors open.

# data[].attributes.body
The most eye-catching element for this sign is the color, but the bold white text underscores the message of the design. It is fitting for an advertisement that promises to teach you how to make "stunning slides" to be stunning itself. I puzzled for a moment on why, if the advertisement is promoting its ability to be eye catching, that the text is so simple? After some consideration, I think that it may be due to its confidence in its abrasive and bold color choice that it opted for a more conventional typeface, as if to create balance in the composition. Of course, the text is still bold, so the eyes will be drawn to it regardless, but the conventional nature of the text elicits a feeling of confidence in its message and design. This is only furthered by the low cap and relatively high x-height, which makes the text seem stable. The bod periods at the end of each line add a matter-of-fact feeling to the slogan. It is fair to say that this advertisement exudes boldness and confidence, with the former due to the color and the latter due to the typeface and text content.

Findspot: Compass Bus Stop

# data[].attributes.body
Borrowing from the psychedelic fonts often used in the 1970s, the typeface of Week of Havoc is warped and bubbled. The baseline of the words "Week of" is diagonal, and the W and f are on two separate, lower baselines altogether. Each vertical aspect of the letters in "Week of" seem to radiate from the center, while the vertical aspects of "HAVOC" all seem to converge toward the center. The legibility of the sign is greatly sacrificed due to a tight tracking, but is redeemed slightly by the thickening of lines which act as counters or eyes in this typeface. This helps the amorphous letterforms regain some of their characteristics through stroke-like qualities.

Findspot: Shafer Food Court

# data[].attributes.body
The logo for Good Uncle is in high contrast with the background, and uses an all capital block-type. This makes it feel sturdy and reliable. The G and U are elided into one letterform, only distinguishable due to the vertical spacing between "OOD" and "NCLE". When I first saw this logo, I asked myself "Why does this work"? I believe it has to do with the fact that the distinguishing parts of the G (the bowl on the top and the horizontal stroke) both sit on the baseline or higher of the line that reads "GOOD"; while the distinguishing parts of the U (the lower bowl), sit on the baseline of the line that reads "UNCLE". If the horizontal stroke that made up the G were to be lower, the legibility and distinguishable lines would be sacrificed. This is an example of good simplification of letterforms while still maintaining legibility.

Findspot: VCU Commons

# data[].attributes.body
Cabell Library, the hub for VCU students, uses a simple yet effective way of distinguishing itself from the other buildings nearby- beyond architectural style. Cabell's sign is black and backlit with white light. This effectively gives the text a rim light, helping up the contrast against an already light background, overall increasing its legibility. The sign also has a tall cap and overall thin letter-width. This may be to help counteract the perspective of looking up at the sign when nearby, or maybe to emphasize the difference in the letters "l" and "i". The use of a sans-serif font solidifies Cabell's status not of a traditional Library, which would usually use a serif font, but as a modern, sleek, innovative, and future-driven one.

Findspot: ...Cabell Library

# data[].attributes.body
Starry used to be known as Sierra Mist, but has completely rebranded. The text is now tilted, as if italicized, and made of nearly all geometric shapes: circles make up the S and the lower curves of the a and y, while blocky rectangles make up the stems, spine, terminals, and underline. Even the spurs are geometric- they just incorporate multiple circles or rectangles. The geometry of this design allows the logo to be recognizable and timeless while still characterizing it whimsical yet corporate. The black outlines and white text, along with the kerning, optimize its legibility. This design exemplifies a corporation's desire to maintain personality while still being recognizable, distinct, and versatile.

Findspot: VCU Commons

# data[].attributes.body
"RENT" sits boldly on the flyer, contrasting with the low saturation photos and all-black background. RENT is in a block font, the text is white with a black outline and each letter is set atop a different highly saturated color. The rectilinear text is contrasted with the lack of a unified baseline, with some letters even at different angles than others. The text is emboldened by the saturation and outlines, yet informalized by the lack of uniformity. These two ideas are in line with the message of the show, and are successful uses of typographic elements to convey meaning.

Findspot: Cary & Belvedere