Emily Ryan: Chapter 3 Reading Response

Chapter 3 is titled syntax and communication. I have previously taken a linguistics course so I am familiar with the idea of syntax in spoken and written language as the way words have rhythm and are put together. What I learned is that typographic syntax is similar but different idea, because it is arranging elements of the letter into a cohesive whole. It talks about how the letters are not only the black form of the letters, but also the white space in between. This chapter also says how we can use type to not only be words but they can be representative and expressive as well. It discusses how the line of type also has a relationship with the space around the type. “The smallest change in point size, weight, or line length controls the overall emphasis given to a line of type.” This chapter is all about what is referred to as, “activating the space”. This means the different aspects of type you can change and design in order to create a dynamic and interesting composition with type. This chapter then talks about not only the spaces in between the letters themselves but also the spaces on the page. “Functional clarity and visual beauty are established in the harmonious relationships of these spaces.” It’s important to take into consideration the natural movement of eyes when reading, and in the way different cultures read. This can all be controlled by type and by spacing of margins and columns. Basically this chapter can be summed up by saying that we need to look at type, and look at the visual space we are working with, and make thoughtful decisions as designers on what to do in order to achieve the feeling we want to portray.