Dictionary compilers and designers use punctuation to structure and clarify entries and to encode information. Dictionaries with a relatively simple structure can have simple typography and simple punctuation; as dictionaries grew more complex, and encountered the space constraints of the printed page, complex encoding systems were developed,…

Little historic context is generally provided regarding design phenomena; ideas, names, events and relationships are disregarded in design's typical superficial coverage; it is as though design exists in a vacuum. This paper seeks to put Helvetica, the face, the font and the movie into context by exploring its relationship to Swiss Design…

Western historians working in the first half of the twentieth century established a scheme for writing design history that continues to influence the global histories of today. The historians Douglas McMurtrie, Lucien Febvre, Henri-Jean Martin and Lawrence Wroth believed that the modern history of visual communication began with the advent and…

Outlines briefly the process by which the Fluxus community coalesced. Recounts the birthing of Something Else Press, Inc., and the transformation of aspects of the press' objectives into Printed Editions. Discusses the parallel concerns shared by Something Else Press and Fluxus publication activities as well as their divergent agendas and…

Notes that the term "roman" when used to describe characters of written languages, can be confusing because it is overloaded with four different meanings. Distinguishes among these four meanings and suggests alternative terms for each of them. (RS)

Argues for a multilevel format of written communication that presents ideas in a typographical format allowing the reader to easily choose alternative paths through the material. (HOD)

Describes a prototypical course in concrete poetry offered at Princeton University. (RB)

Takes a look at some of the specific applications of the Chinese system of writing in an attempt to resolve disagreements about the language's relative efficiency. Examines (1) the arrangement of characters in dictionaries and the look-up procedures; and (2) the process of composing and reproducing Chinese texts, including typesetting,…

A critical step toward becoming a fluent reader is learning to recognize, name and distinguish the letters of the alphabet. This difficult task is often a point of failure. The task, however, can be made easier and less prone to failure. This article, based on research by cognitive scientists, provides guides for how to design a font that will…

In lettering education both the application of geometric principles and the study of the past are important. (HOD)

Preliminary findings are consistent with the view that less experienced readers transform graphic to aural input before deriving a semantic interpretation. (RB)

Preliminary theoretical explanations for visual analysis of stimuli are offered in terms of bilateral nervous systems, handedness and reading, and perceptual strategies. (RB)