Design: Type

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nalism.

New traditionalism:

Bethany Heck.

The decision to use “vintage” typefaces,

techniques, and aesthetics can come

from a variety of motivations. Designers

tend to be collectors and lovers of

informational miscellany and minutiae,

and vintage type is the perfect outlet to

express those carnal desires in an

effective and acceptable way.

Vintage designs are a celebration of their

times, their economies, and their

progress. They come loaded with history

and meaning and tend to be obtuse in the

way they go about their business. It is

refreshing to look at design that has such

a clear voice when you are searching for

the right direction in your own work. There

is a joy in historical design; A freedom to

use a dozen typefaces in one design, the

eccentricities of a typeface designed on

the fly by a worker in a wood type factory,

and the bold, straightforward language

used to sell a bottle of soda are all

cathartic to us now, free from the burdens

we can feel when doing our own work.

These pieces have a special sense of

emotion, evoking places and moods on

top of their visual aesthetics. Vintage

designs have reminded designers to take

risks, to mix more typefaces and break

more rules.

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It’s easier to separate yourself from

historical design work than that of your

peers. The technology standards and

conventions were vastly different than

they are now, and it enables you to look at

the work objectively and closely study its

formal attributes. The limitations of the

time often forced unique solutions for

dealing with type and composition. Now

that we are separated from the context of

those earlier works, we can look on them

with our own set of tools, rules, and needs

and reconfigure them in fresh ways that

retain the charm of the original while

fulfilling the needs of modern day. The

gaudy, superfluous typefaces of the

Victorian period can be given new life

when put in a controlled setting, and the

surprisingly complicated composition on

a baseball ticket from the 1930s can be

revived with careful typeface selections.

The goal is not rote reproduction of

vintage designs; it is to reimagine them

in a new age.

The right selection of a historically inspired

typeface can bring your work an extra

layer of meaning and importance. Older

designs have an added weight to them,

an importance and meaning that goes

beyond the formal aspects of the face

that comes from decades of use and

exposure. We can connect with a typeface

without knowing why because it

subliminally references the careful craft

of a sign painter or the stylized geometric

shapes of the Art Deco movement.

It’s refreshing to look at a physical object

for a spark instead of a computer screen.

Seeing something physical that’s still

around decades after its creation is an

inspiration in a multitude of ways. It’s

design out of its original context, free from

comparisons of whatever trends were

popular at the time, once again fresh and

new. It’s also a reminder of the importance

and longevity of design. Design can be

timeless, cherished, and treasured, and

that’s an exciting thing to remember.

I think there is more to looking to past

designs than just seeking a spark of visual

stimulation. There is an element of

reverence and respect tied to it as well.

By resurrecting a design element from the

past, you are honoring it and proving that it

was a worthwhile endeavor in a way you

hope your own work will be respected in

the future.

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Traditional:

Type

Extra Credit

Projects:

USA

Project: Chow by the

Tracks P.O.P. poster

campaign. Art Director:

Joshua Best. Client:

Choo Choo Grill.

Fuszion:

USA

Project: The Georgetown

French Market. Art

Directors: Rick Heffner,

Greg Spraker. Designer:

Dan Delli-Colli. Client:

Georgetown (DC)

Business Improvement

District.

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Traditional:

Type

I Love Dust:

UK

Project: I Love Dust meat

packaging promo. Art

Directors: Mark Graham,

Ben Beach. Designer:

I Love Dust. Client: I Love

Dust.