In the realm of design, where innovation often lags behind, the question of whether we are stuck in the typographic principles of the 20th century is a thought-provoking one. Personally, I think that the answer is a resounding no, but the journey to break free from these established norms is an intriguing one. The German design studio Matter Of, with its new design book, "New New Typography," is at the forefront of this revolution, challenging the status quo and pushing the boundaries of what is considered 'new' in typography. What makes this particularly fascinating is the studio's bold attempt to unsettle the established paradigms and expand the vocabulary of type design, all while maintaining a minimalist aesthetic that is both playful and thought-provoking.
The book's design is a testament to its title, with its use of black-and-white print and a searing cerulean cutting through the page in disruptive squiggles or blocks of highlighted text. This is a conscious effort to make the book look like a textbook blasted with felt-tip markers, and it works. The use of six different sans-serif typefaces that alternate across chapters raises questions in ironic and subtle ways, such as 'when is a typeface considered new or different?' This is a reflection on the evolution of Helvetica, Helvetica Neue, and Helvetica Now, and it is a clever way to engage the reader and challenge their perceptions.
One thing that immediately stands out is the book's smorgasbord of collaborators, nearly 100 of them, including Adel Faure, Bye Bye Binary, Dinamo, Farah Fayyad, Man Ray, Source Type, TienMin Liao, and Words of Type, among others. The book educates on Renaissance-era design ideals and takes us back to 1925 by quoting László Moholy-Nagy: 'The emphasis must be on pure clarity since this distinguishes the character of our own writing from that of ancient pictographic forms.' This is a reminder that old writing prioritized beauty, while new writing is all about malleability and style.
However, what many people don't realize is that the book is not just about delivering an answer. It is a messy and unstable anti-manual for typography, with 243 figures and six theoretical proposals. This is an overview of the impossibility of an overview on typography, and it is adventurously speculative, blending high design theory with a modern irony and cheekiness. The book challenges the reader to imagine the future, and in doing so, it dares to break free from the established norms of the 20th century.
From my perspective, the book is a testament to the power of innovation and the importance of challenging the status quo. It is a reminder that design is not just about aesthetics, but also about pushing the boundaries of what is possible and exploring new avenues of expression. The book is a call to action for designers to break free from the constraints of the past and embrace the future, and it is a fascinating read for anyone interested in the evolution of typography and design.
