Studio Brief 2 - Typeface part 1 (initial research)

Studio Brief 2 is to create a typeface that effectively communicates your chosen adjective.

I will be creating the typeface by repurposing the letterforms from our list of Joseph Muller-Brockmann's classic typefaces - Garamond, Caslon, Bodoni, Baskerville, Clarendon, Berthold, Times, Helvetica or Univers.

I have begun to brainstorm adjectives: 

clumsy
awkward
fragile
authentic
comfortable
distorted
dramatic
elaborate
even
fluid
formal
gentle
grand 
linear
powerful
shameless
sparse - a thin stroke, sans serif
unfinished
vibrant
villainous- in my opinion if I chose to continue with this word, the resulting typeface would appear too decorative
whimsical

My chosen adjective is grand. Initially I was going to choose villainous but decided to steer away from creating a decorative typeface, favouring instead one that would be more versatile. Grand to me brings to mind riches and poshness as well as a sense of superiority. Other words that spring to mind are: classic, regal, lavish, impressive. 
By researching typefaces and their personality and characteristics I will be able to find a typeface I can manipulate to reflect my chosen adjective.

Garamond was created by French Renaissance punch cutter Claude Garamond around 1540. The typeface is referred to as 'old style' - meaning that it resembles hand written text, but has been adapted to be more structured. 
Garamond features a low 'x height', meaning the capital letters appear larger in comparison to the lower case letters, as well as bracketed serifs (a primary feature in old style typefaces) The eye of the 'e' is small and the top right of the bowl in the 'a' is a sharp point. 
The serif typeface is popular and used commonly in body text and books, due to its legibility. It can also be described as elegant. In popular culture, the Guardian Newspaper used Garamond for 'The' in their title.

Caslon was designed by William Caslon, and similarly to Garamond, the serif letters are created in old-style, resembling handwriting with a pen. Characterised by the high horizontal crossbar on the letter 'e' as well as the long arm on a capital 'L' and long serifs on the capital 'T'. It is used for body text/books and is rarely inappropriate. However it is not particularly suited to modern or futuristic designs. It can be described as friendly and homely, with a pleasing appearance. Robert Bringhurst called Caslon 'the typographical epitome of English baroque.'

Bodoni was created by Giambattista Bodoni. Classified as modern type, it contains flat unbracketed serifs, extreme contrast between thick and thin strokes and overall geometric construction. It is usually used as display type, as opposed to text type. Often used in fashion branding for example, Calvin Klein and Elizabeth Arden, and fashion magazines and advertisements as the type looks great in bigger sizes. Massimo Vignelli is quoted as calling Bodoni one of the most elegant typefaces in the world. The appearance of the type can be described as precise and the vertical stress almost makes the type appear superior architecturally.

Baskerville was created by John Baskerville in 1757. The serif font is considered more transitional, as it is a refinement of the old style typefaces typical of the period. John increased the contrast between thick and thin strokes and made the serifs sharper, breaking away from the old style characteristics. The rounded letterforms also feature vertical stresses, and there is a large x height - making the typeface easier to read. Baskerville is popular in book design and its serifs and classic appearance gives a more serious note to a piece of text.

Clarendon is a slab serif typeface created by Robert Besley, inspired by the typeface Antique, and is considered the first registered typeface. It is most popular with posters printed using wood type. Its most iconic use was for wanted posters in the Old West.
The slab serifs are softened well by the curved brackets and the short ascenders and descenders as well as the low contrast in thickness of stroke make the letterforms look strong and substantial.

Times was designed especially for the Times Magazine, created by Victor Lardent in 1931. A replacement for the dated font Didone and an improvement upon the font Plantin - the stroke contrast was increased to make the type crisper. Times New Roman can be described as transitional and is perhaps one of the most widely used typefaces in history due to its legibility and being a default font on desktop publishing software such as Microsoft Word.

Helvetica was created in the 1950's by Max Miedinger and Edouard Hoffman as an improvement of the typeface Akzidenz Grotesk. It is the most predominant typeface following the International Typographic Style/ Swiss Style, and widely used in branding. Its neutrality means it can be used successfully to brand many different companies. Characterised by its monotone stroke weight and slight kick in the leg of the R.

Univers is a typeface designed by Adrian Frutiger in 1954. Also based on the typeface Akzidenz Grotesk, a few defining characteristics include the tail of the Q running along the baseline, the tittle on the i being a rectangle rather than a square and the kerning between letters tends to be wider than other fonts - giving the typeface a splayed look.

Berthold, or Akzidenz Grotesk is similar to Helvetica in its monotone stroke width. Lowercase letters have a folded up appearance with strokes curled up towards the vertical.