TYPOGRAPHY TYPOGRAPHY Knowledge of all fonts In the vehicle safety world, high-tech appears to rule supreme. A recent MIT study, though, has proved how er Ky Pictures optimising typeface characteristicseiM couldDer s be a simple and hun ryan rG & t aGIN effective method of providingPe iM a significant reduction in ruce Mehler & b , MONOTY ELAB interface demandIT a G and associated distractions Jonathan Dobres,F M b AUTHOR COURTESY o IMAGES e have a strange relationship New Roman or clownish Comic touchscreen by the reader. At the same time, differences between the two typefaces. with typography. Every day Sans. More to the point, few people mounted in the letterforms must not become too Where Frutiger is open, leaving ample we see thousands of words realise that the design of typefaces simulator, with constrained or monotonous, lest the space between letters and the lines composed of millions of – and the way in which their strokes eye-tracking reader’s eye confuse a ‘g’ for a ‘9’. This of individual letterforms, Eurostile is letters. These letterforms and terminations play off each other cameras, an IR tension between legibility, consistency tighter and more closed. Eurostile also Wsurround us, inform us, and entice from letter to letter and word to word illumination pod and variation is at the heart of all enforces a highly consistent squared- us. Yet in our increasingly literate and – can have a significant impact on and the face typographic design. Consider Frutiger off style, while Frutiger allows for information-saturated society, we our ability to read and absorb what video camera – a typeface crafted in the ‘humanist’ more variety in letter proportions take them for granted, and rarely spare they are trying to communicate. mounted on tradition, and Eurostile, a ‘square (note Eurostile’s nearly identical a thought as to how they got there, the dash grotesque’ typeface (p42). Both of zero and ‘O’). or why they look the way they do. Typographic design these are sans serif, meaning they lack Typographers have long addressed Few people ever bother to appreciate The design of a typeface is a subtle the added spikes, flourishes and ‘feet’ these issues as they pertain to long- the myriad of differences in shape, art, within which all of the letters must found in the typeface you are reading form, static texts such as books, thickness and style that define the dance to the same tune, unified by now. As a result, at first glance they magazines and newspapers. But times difference between typefaces such as a consistent stylistic rhythm that allows might appear to be quite similar, but a are changing, and we increasingly the austere Helvetica, fastidious Times them to link together when scanned closer examination reveals substantial read not in long stretches from printed 040 VISION ZERO INTERNATIONAL JANUARY 2013 VISION ZERO INTERNATIONAL JANUARY 2013 041 TYPOGRAPHY TYPOGRAPHY pages, but from digital screens in brief on light-on-dark signs (such as spikes and flourishes that would be glances. This is especially true in motor white on green or brown). difficult to render on a relatively coarse vehicles. Where it was once the case Although the adoption of Clearview in-vehicle display (as opposed to the Distraction guidelines that the numbers on the speedometer has been relatively slow, the adoption of much finer resolution of traditional comprised the beginning and end of text-based interfaces in motor vehicles print). Either typeface would therefore The 2006 Alliance driver demand and distraction. the driver’s in-car reading material, open shapes ample intercharacter unambiguous Varying has been rapid. It therefore seems seem to be an adequate choice for the of Automobile Findings from the Massachusetts today drivers are faced with an array spacing forms proportions important to ask what effects – if any interface, and Eurostile – with its ›› Manufacturers Statement Institute of Technology AgeLab of ever-shifting screens that present – typeface might have on the driver’s Batmobile-like aesthetic – has a certain of Principles, Criteria and Verification suggest that the inclusion of more them with information on their fuel ability to successfully complete psychological appeal. Results from Procedures on Driver Interactions detailed guiding principles related with Advanced In-Vehicle Information to typeface design and other display efficiency, traffic conditions, directions common information-based tasks MIT’s Agelab, however, show that the and Communication Systems and characteristics should be considered and favourite playlists. As the use of quickly and accurately while driving. deeper design characteristics of each the draft NHTSA guidelines released for inclusion in future updates. these systems becomes increasingly The Monotype Imaging type foundry typeface create pronounced effects on in March 2012 cover a number of Indeed, the auto industry may wish popular, it will be crucial to understand ways, most notably the generous (Above) is strongly interested in this question, glance legibility, and that the humanist- important criteria for ensuring to look further at the basic elements how their design, and in particular internal space given to closed the square and approached the MIT AgeLab style Frutiger typeface is a better, more that in-vehicle interfaces do not of electronic information display as their typographic choices, influences letterforms such as ‘p’ and ‘o’ (this grotesque and New England University legible choice for a quick glance exceed certain thresholds of a means for enhancing usability. usability and safety. maintains legibility when light from typeface Transportation Center to investigate environment. A 470ms reduction in oncoming cars causes the letterforms (eurostile) is using driving-relevant methodologies. glance time could easily mean the Road to clarity to glow and blur), as well as a relatively on the left and A series of menu-selection tasks were difference between avoiding a traffic Some work has already been done on tall x-height, which makes Clearview’s the humanist designed similar to those that drivers accident and having one. “A 470ms REDUCTION IN GLANCE glance-based legibility under driving lowercase letters more similar in size (Frutiger) might encounter using a navigation The gender differences observed conditions. After extensive study, to its uppercase letters. Although typeface is on or point-of-interest user interface. were surprising. Women showed little TIME COULD EASILY MEAN THE the Federal Highway Administration Clearview has been greeted with the right (Top) Participants were presented with menu or no effect of typeface on task (FHWA) commissioned the design of a enthusiasm from the design showing screens in both a square grotesque completion measures, and generally DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AVOIDING A typeface specifically for road signage. community, its uptake on roadways the various (Eurostile) and humanist (Frutiger) performed slightly better than men This typeface, dubbed Clearview, has been slow. Clearview is not characteristics design. Monotype provided customised overall. Whether this is due to intrinsic TRAFFIC ACCIDENT AND HAVING ONE” departs from traditional typographic yet approved for dark-on-light thought to versions of both typefaces to control for conventions in a number of important signage, and is still limited to use improve legibility characteristics such as overall height (Far left) and slight screen-rendering differences. Menu screen The menu-selection tasks were in a square conducted in a driving simulator grotesque font while participants were monitored by (Left) Menu Top to bottom, or eye-tracking equipment, in doing so screen in a allowing variables such as the total humanist font bottom to top? amount of time spent looking at the display versus the roadway to be As information-rich Although much attention has from whether an infotainment measured. Two studies were conducted and connected been given to banning what is centre has physical buttons or that differed only in the relative ›› technologies have perceived to be bad for driving, a touch interface, to the colour brightness of the display, and they invaded the driving space, the not enough attention is being of those buttons – can reduce produced highly consistent results. public has become increasingly devoted to maximising the ease demand on the driver and Across the studies, it was found that concerned about how these of use of what is already there. improve the user experience. visual demand – as measured by the perceptual differences between men the safety of the driving experience, potential sources of distraction A ‘top down’ approach “We keep talking about affect safety. Several states employs laws and policies the headline issues in driver total glance time to the screen – was and woman (colourblindness, for even in something as easily overlooked now have laws prohibiting the to mandate safe driving distraction – should this be 10.6% lower among men when Frutiger example, is common in men but quite as a typeface. ‹ use of cell phones while driving behaviour. On the other hand, allowed, should that be was used as compared to Eurostile, rare in women), or a by-product of – a measure that is perceived a ‘bottom up’ approach allowed?” said Bryan Reimer, or a difference of about 470ms. Men cultural effects (women may be more • Jonathan Dobres, Bruce Mehler and as comparable to mandatory considers how a host of vehicle one of the study’s lead also showed a reduction of total glance cautious drivers and thus are less likely Bryan Reimer are all research scientists seatbelt laws (correct or not). technology details – everything researchers in a recent time and number of glances when to take their eyes off the roadway for within the MIT Agelab in the USA interview. “What we tend to reading Frutiger, and both men and extended periods of time) remains to overlook in this discussion are women showed a 3.1% reduction in be seen, and presents an intriguing Further reading the simple building blocks that task errors.