Old School vs. New School 2: Typography

Hey there! Second Blog for Clikz… here we go! Although, I’m working relentlessly to integrate the Old School/New School worlds, I find myself still blown away with the lack of thought that many Millennium designers put into typographic solutions.

Now, I’m not saying all Millenniums view typography this way. However, from recent encounters with many millennium designers, typography is not something they truly understand. Perhaps I’m a typographic Snob? I guess whether I am or not, isn’t really important. What personally matters most to me is that I view typographic elements as an integral aspect of design. When approaching any design communication project, I put a great deal of thought into what font will best express the communication vehicle. So, I’m talking Typography with one of my Millennium team members. I ask… “how many points in a Pica? How many picas to an inch?” They looked at me as if I were speaking a foreign language. If you didn’t guess by now, “I’m a real typography lover! I grew up in the tiffany times of typographic design. Being inspired by such greats as Herb Lubalin, Tom Carnse, and Ed Benguit to name a few. My Father Herman Aronson, was without question my greatest teacher when it came to understanding and setting typography… from counting characters to kerning, and everything else in between! My Dad was exceptional! He started as a mail courier for CBS Television Network back in 1957. A senior employee asked if my Father would be interested in working in the production department because of his typing ability. (he learned to type while serving in the army overseas)… The rest is history. Every job my dad had thereafter was created for him. He climbed the corporate ladder to become the VP of Advertising and design on the East Coast. He worked for Lou Dorfsman for 18 years and then broke away to run the CBS entertainment division. Tonight, I happened to have had dinner with my mother, and I told her what I was blogging about. Now, you want to talk about “Uber” Old School! “What’s Blogging” … she asked? My Mom happens to be a pretty smart and savy young woman for the age of 77 but, there are some terms she is not yet up on. Although she’s read many articles and blogs, the concept of what they are and how articles and blogs relate to SEO and what it means from a SMM standpoint she lacks. “Philly, did I tell you about the time I went to a football game with your Dad, Lou and Herb? ( yes, Lou Dorfsman and Herb Lubalin!!) Well, that was my first professional football game… and also my last. You know, I much prefer the game of Tennis….” We laughed.

“Typographers do it Tight and Touching”

That was a slogan on a Tee shirt my father gave me one evening when he came home from work. I must have been 8 or 9 years of age at that time. I didn’t quite understand what the slogan meant or how it related to anything, but, what I do remember is that slogan meant everything as I grew to love the field of communication design. Fast forward. I’m in High school working on the School Newspaper. I’m cutting galleys of type and I created what I thought was a pretty cool logo. So, I ask my Dad what he thought. He said “Son, I could drive a truck between those two Characters. Bring those to letter forms closer together.” I replied, “it’s fine dad, no one will see it.” His reply was… “I see it!” Now, you know why I hold the Slogan “Typographers do it tight and touching” so close to my heart. BTW, you might ask why I chose to use Gill Sans Bold every time the word typography comes up… Ha! I was just being a little millennium minded no reason at all other than I like that font! Until next blog, this is Old School Phil signing off.