A Practice-led Study of Design Principles for Screen Typography — with reference to the teachings of Emil Ruder

This research proposes that traditional typographic knowledge does not sufficiently address the design aspects specific to screen typography such as 3D space, motion, time, sound and interactivity, and that traditional design principles require adaptation and expansion for screen.

This practice-­led study presents a broad critical review of the emergent field of screen typography spanning screen media technologies, traditional typographic knowledge and contemporary practice. Its findings contribute a definition of the field of practice including an overview of the history, origins and properties of screen typography, a classification of practice areas, and key practical principles used in related screen-­native disciplines such as film-­making, animation and human computer interaction design.

Due to the rapidly changing technological environment of the screen, obsolescence is a key concern for this research and highlights the need for sustainable typographic design methodologies not aligned to specific technology. In this context, and following a literature review of traditional design principles, the work of Emil Ruder (1914-­‐1970), a Swiss modernist typographer was identified as distinguishable in the field and particularly relevant to screen typography because of his holistic design approach underpinned by conceptual principles and systematic practical methods. This thesis provides a detailed analysis of Ruder’s methods set out in his book Typographie: a manual for design (1967) and uses the findings to develop an experimental practice methodology for screen typography.

The developed methodology sets out a matrix of the constituent parts of typographic design practice that include: typographic elements, typographic properties, and design principles, which can be combined to create practical exercises in screen typography. The practice matrix was evaluated through peer review, then tested and applied in practice to the design of a series of experimental practical samples and online repository type4screen, and to an iPad app of T.S. Eliot’s 1922 poem, The Waste Land.