{ Typography }

Many of the local designers fail to see the importance of Typography, something that may seen insignificant and small as to compare with VISUALS. Me, myself was once the same as the rest, till my study in RMIT where i met my typography lecturer, Stephen Banham. An internationally-known typographer who perhaps is the only person in history to have been recognised in the street as a campaigner against a typeface (HELVETICA). *LOL....

* Stephen Banham is an Australian graphic designer, writer and founder of Letterbox, a typograhic studio in Melbourne. Born in Melbourne in 1968. He studied graphic design at RMIT University from 1986-88. In 2003 he completed a Master of Design research from RMIT.

His design work has been covered in Emigré, Baseline and Eye, in most international type annuals and featured in many international type exhibitions earning him many typography awards. He has lectured in typography at RMIT University since 1991. He has also guest lectured at most Australian design colleges as well as in New Zealand, Barcelona, the United Kingdom, and has spoken at the New York Type Directors Club.*

Having him as my lecturer actually let me realised how much i sucks in typography... Kerning, Leading, Widow, Orphan..... all sorts of small details that designers should have taken note when doing their design... Headers & Logotype aren't just about choosing the right font type, spacing in between letters are important too.... Don't just type it out without look twice at it and the fact that 1 is always standing far away when placing together with other characters. Manual kerning is essential in this case... Because he made me realised how bad i am in typography, i began to read up more on typographic books.... After which, it shone some lights in me, in fact, i think it is a whole new world waiting to be explored by designers.

Many of us are always using Helvetica or Futura when laying texts, it had became a default to just click and select them. Which in long run is a very sad thing, you will never break away from the same look because you had been always using the same font.

I told myself i have to learn more and break away from the default so as to grow stronger as a designer. This should be the case for every designer, to find your own weakest point and face it bravely and you will grow eventually.....

P.S: do visit Letterbox for more knowledges about Australian typo happenings and stuffs that Stephen had done!