Recently, I have had the typical design student habit of overanalysing every typeface I see, whether it be on a sign, a menu or even on a crisp packet. I also have started to look at the different types of typography that are available through creative social media and online artists. 

I have set up my own Pinterest page which features different ideas and mood boards which will help to inspire my own original typeface. 

———-https://www.pinterest.com/BethL2design/ ————–

When looking at the type that is found in mainstream and alternative media, I particularly noticed the difference between the functional and the experimental typography.

For example, some mainstream brands use very structured typefaces similar to that of Helvetica or a standard serif font. These are clear and stand out amongst other branded shops/magazines or products. Supermarkets are an example of this. 

These supermarkets use very a bold and structured typeface, mainly using the brand colour which is clear to the customer. The designer of the Tesco font is Dalton Maag, International type designers who design for local and Global businesses such as Lush and Samsung. These typefaces are built for a purpose of being able to recognise the brand name as a function, they are bold and structured for this purpose. I like the idea that there are bold fonts which stand out for a specific reason to help the customer become familiar with the distinctive brand. 

In Lincoln, there are a number of independent businesses with interesting typefaces which attract an audience in similar ways but with different styles which reflect the independent, small business and the products they sell. 

These have a very different style to that of the supermarket brands in that the type in the smaller independent shops has a very homemade or experimental style to it. The antique store uses traditional handwritten type that would have been with handmade painted type which suits the style of shop. Handwritten fonts are a common theme in the typography of Steep Hill and reflects the type of shops which use them. 

I would like to explore the use of handwritten and independent shops to see how they are used as a way to create a specific type of brand opposed to the commercial supermarkets and businesses.