Optimum Type

This book features examples of different types of custom-designed lettering - from digital typefaces to printed matter and handwriting - and their practical applications.

When we read, our brain is decoding a series of abstract symbols and synthesising the results into complex ideas. Really, then, we see before we read. We recognise the character of a word before we ascertain its meaning. A tailor-made creative type takes advantage of this effect to visualise a specific brand, deliver its image and message and make it stand out among the crowd. To create an optimum type, a designer must understand the brand's philosophy, communicate with the client, feel with his empathy, and achieve a perfect solution with his professional skills.

This publication features over a hundred custom types created by designers and agencies within diverse cultural contexts. Readers of this book will learn lessons from these creatives' work processes and be inspired to design types that satisfy their clients and wow their viewers.

About the Author

Wang Shaoqiang is a professor at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts (China) and Doctoral Supervisor at the College of Arts and Humanities of the Macau University of Science and Technology. He is a prolific editor whose titles focus on design, art and life. He is also the editor of Design 360 magazine and Asia-Pacific Design yearbook. He has been invited to lecture at numerous universities, design academies and organisations, and he has been a jury member for China's most prestigious design and illustration awards.