Modernism and the New Media: Constructing the Crystal Goblet Online by Ollie Briggs 200792765 for Principles of Typography DESN2730 Accompanying materials at olliebriggs.com/projects/typography Modernism and the New Media: Constructing the Crystal Goblet Online Abstract This report first outlines the main philosophies and practice-orientated principles which formed the modernist period in typography, with several key modernist manifestos outlined, including Jan Tschichold’s “Die Neue Typographie” and Beatrice Warde’s “The Crystal Goblet”. Key modernist prin- ciples are identified throughout. The philosophy behind the conception of the internet as a communication medium is then explored and defined, which is compared with the driving principles behind modernism. The report makes the argument that modernist principles are indeed applicable to the new media. Examples of modernist principles are then identified within the development of a case study of web typography, from the early years of the internet to a present day design, identifying online examples which adhere to modernist principles and in what capacity. The report concludes by identifying how traditional principles can be developed into a set of technical guidelines and recommendations for those wishing to set typography online when it is desired that the typesetting should adhere to modernist principles, in doing so presenting a brief overview of online type related technologies. Structure 1.1 An overview of modernism 1.2 “The Crystal Goblet”, a modernist mindset 1.3 “Die Neue Typographie”, a modernist dictatorship? 2.1 New media and modernism, a philosophical marriage 2.2 Modernism online, an overview of typographic practice 2.3 Development of Apple Inc.’s online typography 3.1 An overview of web technologies relating to type 3.2 Conclusion 1 1.1 An overview of modernism In order to fully understand modernism one must consider the social context An overview of during which the ideological1 movement arose: a post-World War I world, modernism [1.1] where designers sought to reject historical unnecessary decoration2, and believed that their practice alongside technological advancement could transform society3. According to Steven Heller, modernism can be defined as an ethic which highlights a designer’s responsibility to “understand, improve, change and refresh our condition in the world”4. When studying the work and teachings of key modernist typographers, a common practice-based ideology emerges: that typography should be designed with a concern for structuralism5 and a responsibility to “clarify and organise information”6 for readers as the typographer’s primary concerns: creating a universal style with little time for individual expression7, in doing so rejecting the “facade-orientation of pre-wartime days”8. Tschichold describes the imbuing of personality into design work as “personal vanity”, arguing for it’s dismissal in favour of “pure design”9, and so the often quoted dictum “form follows function”10 can be used to succinctly express the modernist attitude and subsequently its style. With the introduction of mass production in the modernist period, standardisation was rife, which found a place in typographic practice with the introduction of the Deutsche Industrie-Normen (DIN) standards for stock size11. Typographic modernism is often attributed to have its roots in post-World War II Germany and Switzerland, where typographers such as Tschichold and Müller-Brockman pioneered the use of underlying structural grids to 1 Keedy, J. 1995. Zombie Modernism. Emigre. 34(1), p.161 2 McMurtrie, D. 1929. Modern Typography & Layout. Chicago: Eyncourt Press. 3 Victoria & Albert Museum. 2015. Modernism. [Online]. [Accessed on 28/04/15]. Available from: www.vam.ac.uk 4 Heller, S. 1995. Design Is Hell. Emigre. 33(1), p.48 5 Baines, P. and Haslam, A. 2005. Type & Typography. London: Laurence King. 6 ibid. 7 Gropius, W. 1927. Systematische Vorarbeit für rationellen Wohnungsbau. Bauhaus. 1(2). 8 Tschichold, J. 1928. Die Neue Typographie. Berlin: Brinkmann & Bose. 9 ibid. 10 McMurtrie, D. 1929. Modern Typography & Layout. Chicago: Eyncourt Press. 11 Deutsches Institut Für Normung. 2008. Papier-Endformate - C-Reihe. Berlin: DIN. 2 position all elements of a page 12. Modernism within typography, then, places An overview of emphasis on a minimalist attitude 13, whereby the medium of typography is modernism [1.1] seen solely as a means to convey the information to be typeset with as little friction or alteration of meaning as possible. This attitude is encapsulated in Beatrice Warde’s 1930 speech ‘The Crystal Goblet’. 1.2 “The Crystal Goblet”, the modernist typographic mindset Warde’s argument in “The Crystal Goblet” presents the idea that “all good “The Crystal Goblet”, the typography is modernist”, as the modernist philosophy prioritises form over modernist typographic function14. Warde herself describes her one main idea as the belief that “the mindset [1.2] most important thing about printing is [conveying] thoughts, ideas and images from one mind to other minds”15, and reinforces the modernist dismissal of ornament with her notion that it is incorrect to label printed typography as fine art, as this implies that it is an expression/work of beauty 16 rather than a purely functional object. This is a mindset shared by Douglas McMurtrie, another modernist typographer, as he remarks that all truly modernist typo- graphic work must foremost “express the function of legibility”17. A recurring metaphor is presented by Warde throughout the talk, in which she describes good typography as being akin to a “crystal goblet”18, from which she draws the title. Warde’s teachings, and their summarisation in her eloquent metaphor, perfectly summarise the modernist philosophy applied to typographic practice. To accompany her speech, Jan Tschichold’s revolutionary 1928 teachings 19 in ‘Die Neue Typographie’ mirror Warde’s philosophies, building upon them to present practice-orientated recommendations. 12 Müller-Brockmann, J. 1999. Grid Systems in Graphic Design. Berlin: Verlag Niggli. 13 Rams, D. 2014. Weniger, Aber Besser. Berlin: Gestalten. 14 Warde, B. 1930. Printing Should Be Invisible. October 7th 1930, St. Bride Institute, London. 15 ibid. 16 ibid. 17 McMurtrie, D. 1929. Modern Typography & Layout. Chicago: Eyncourt Press. 18 Warde, B. 1930. Printing Should Be Invisible. October 7th 1930, St. Bride Institute, London. 19 Kinross, R. 1998. Foreword in: Tschichold, J. Die Neue Typographie. Berlin: Brinkmann & Bose. 3 1.3 “Die Neue Typographie”, a modernist dictatorship? Jan Tschichold’s discussion on the “principles of the new typography”20 “Die Neue Typographie”, begins with an argument in defence of modernist typography, with Tschichold a modernist pointing out that with the increasingly fast pace of living at the time, clarity dictatorship? [1.3] and ease of reading were to be prioritised 21 - an idea also highlighted by McMurtrie, who remarks that nowadays we “must […] read as we run”2 2. This is in contrast to the typographic styles of pre-modernist eras, during which readers (often only religious leaders/aristocracy) had more time to “read quietly line by line”2 3, somewhat excusing the pre-modernist flamboyantly decorative type handling with little attention paid to clarity and readability. Other practice-orientated recommendations laid down by Tschichold include the glorification of asymmetry 24, an emphasis on hierarchy 25, and the rejection of seriffed typefaces 26. Tschichold’s push for the adoption of the DIN 476 27 (later developed to become the ISO 216 international standard) standards further cements modernism’s strive for standardisation and universality. Many, however, including Tschichold himself since, have criticised ‘Die Neue Typographie’ Jan Tschichold’s for being too fascistic 2 8 - the tone of the text Sabon Typeface itself is indeed more forceful that it is merely ABC abc 123 – Regular + Italic ABC abc 123 – Demi + Italic ardent. Most noticeable is Tschichold’s aban- ABC abc 123 – Bold + Italic ABC abc 123 – Extrabold + Italic donment of his teaching of the exclusive ABC abc 123 – Black + Italic use of sans-serif typefaces 29, as he released Sabon, a serif, in 1967 (Figure 1). Academics Figure 1 - Jan Tschichold’s Sabon since have indeed reported that serif and typeface sample sans-serif typefaces are equally legible 30. 20 Tschichold, J. 1928. Die Neue Typographie. Berlin: Brinkmann & Bose. 21 ibid. 22 McMurtrie, D. 1929. Modern Typography & Layout. Chicago: Eyncourt Press. 23 Tschichold, J. 1928. Die Neue Typographie. Berlin: Brinkmann & Bose. 24 ibid. 25 ibid. 26 ibid. 27 ibid. 28 Tschichold, J. 1967. Asymmetric Typography. London: Farber & Farber. 29 Tschichold, J. 1928. Die Neue Typographie. Berlin: Brinkmann & Bose. 30 Lonsdale, M. dos S. 2014. Typographic Features of Text: Outcomes from Research & Practice. Visible Language, 48(3), p.33 4 So it can be seen that modernism’s historic penchant for a dictatorship-like “Die Neue Typographie”, obedience of rules can be dismissed in two distinct manners. Firstly, as a modernist outlined above, many of the practice-orientated teachings of modernist dictatorship? [1.3] typographers can be proven to be false 31, and therefore one could easily refute modernism’s credibility. Secondly, postmodernists’ emphasis on the blandness of a sole focus on legibility marked a fundamental shift from the modernist philosophy, encapsulated in Wolfgang Weimar’s remark of “what’s the use of being legible if nothing inspires you to take