Type Consultancy
We had a nice session with Caroline Archer regarding the Longwill website. We brought the schools concerns about legibility and stuff and Caroline helped us to show that you dont need it set in comic sans at 48pt.
She had done some research for her PHD regarding childrens typography and how they respond to it. So you think kids find it easier to read sans serif fonts?
FAIL.
Kids acctually can’t tell the difference. They’re growing up in a world with the biggest variety of type and exposed to it like never before in history, go figure!
Think children need fonts set at huge sizes to be readable?
FAIL.
Can you say MTV? We’re dealing with kids that have digital screens everywhere. Ever heard of a Nintendo DS? What’s better is that Longwill has a partnership with Sony, so that every child has a PSP with a Go!Cam installed for transmitting video messages to and from school. I think it’s safe to assume that these kids are more than familiar with type for screen. Everything on a PSP is not set in Comic Sans 48pt. Why? Because there’s no need for it, and these kids are probably better at reading from a screen that you are. Also, this could probably appear very patronising. Not great.
The one thing that did stop me in my tracks is that children read longer line lengths easier than shorter ones. Keyword; ‘easier’.
I rest my case.
I'm a twenty-something creative type. This is my online journal in which I collect and share links, images, thoughts and sometimes reflect on current work.
