Week 5.2 Commentary (Isabel Báez)
In this article, Spiekermann discusses the different type faces that designers use and the different ways these can be categorized. He explains how the characteristics of many of these typefaces are often based on emotions. In the example of the shoes, however, I attempted to match the different faces with the overall “vibes” of the shoes. I got 3 right and 3 wrong. Although I think some connections are obvious, such as the feathered heels and the cursive font, I think that trying to gauge and vibe of each typeface is very dependent on each person and therefore sometimes yields inaccurate results. This is the same mentality Spiekermann discusses on how categorizations were made: not solely based on emotions.
However, I had trouble understanding how these different typefaces were divided. To me, it seems that the first seven faces shown are very similar to each other. This is especially true when comparing the Garalde and Transitional categories, as their two example fonts (Sabon and Janson Text, respectively) are nearly identical. It is not until the last 4 categories, Script, Display, Blackletter, and Symbols, that I can actually see distinctive differences that define each face.