Typography and Expression

Expression starts from thoughts, which takes shape of words.

Spoken word is very different from written. Having said that, all of us would agree as to how the closest form of verbal expression is written. Does this arise from a mere lack of choices (our ancestors and their developments to the field of language), or is there really something that despite of all its negativities, is as effective a tool as Text?
Linguists and minions alike strive to revive the Art of Conversation, one where two or more people are in each others’ vicinity so as to not miss out on nuances of facial expression, that further reinforce what someone has to express; because that to them is expression in its purest sense. Though it is not always possible to face the person you are talking to, voice alone acts as expression; thus making it somewhat difficult to assume what someone is doing while a deep conversation is in progress over the phone.

Where a verbal conversation is not possible, people prefer to write what they want to say. (Chat, mail, the lot) Literature also acts as an effective carrier of culture in the form of language; whether it is as efficient as dialogue or not, is debatable.

Language : the ease with which a person expresses him/herself in a more tangible format than thoughts. Language as we now know, keeps us from being savages because of how effortlessly and naturally we use it, both in vocal and written form to emote. Language over the years has come to be a lynchpin in the machinery of communication altogether.

Verbal expression is suave; it is the ultimate mark of an educated and cultured human being.

All of us lead lives with emotions; and we very well express these emotions at our own convenience whether written, vocal or through art. We have almost no idea what a life without language or verbal expression is. What can we do? We have come to believe what keeps us civilized is these languages and our expertise at them. Emotions keep us from becoming savages. A life without emotions might not be bad, but since our predecessors have worked so hard towards being human, we take it a step forward and emote the way humans do. Ultimately, the medium of expression is the only difference and I firmly believe even savages had emotions.

Man and his undying need to communicate, to himself and to ones around him.

Developments in languages were most certainly simultaneous.
The idea to represent language in a non-spoken format gave birth to art; the abstraction of which resulted in the creation of signs and symbols, which became different from how man once knew pictograms to be. Eventually evolution in this field gave birth to scripts. Though it is fairly obvious that vocal languages were devised way before their written counterparts came into being.

Typography is closely linked to the Human Evolution. It can never be stagnant/constant. It has to remain dynamic, in a constant state of flux, evolving to current needs and contemporary relevance.

Type spreads knowledge mostly by homogenizing the flow of information. It has the capacity to highlight information to attract attention to it. It can empower content by giving it a voice and a character; by giving it hierarchy and a tone.

Letters represent language. Type is a manifestation of spoken word with direct relation to the content and form of knowledge. Typefaces, like people have a face, that their voices can be friendly, rough, cold, angry or demanding. The visual form of the typeface is able to provoke in the reader, a whole range of associations before s/he actually knows the context of the text. Although type designers can hold no responsibility for what their fonts are used to communicate; Fonts acquire meaning through use and we judge fonts by how they refer to our previous experiences. One of the biggest problems I face as a person who uses type almost on an everyday basis, is to pick something with less character (to not let it empower content) yet contemporary and new (following modern ideas of the present).

There is a general impression about linguists knowing in depth about the origins of a language and its usage. They would though know little about the structure and proportions or anything to do with the physical form. Their dilemma is also justified since language to them bears a vocal relation. Spoken word corresponds to language a lot more than written because a true vernacular is only complete with its twang and slang. Conversely, typographers know more about the structure and the skeleton of Type, which is in their view the best manifestation of language. It is quite debatable a subject as to whether true expression is spoken or written. Can typography solve this paradigm? Can language be treated such that its written expression is not alien to spoken? Can words make the same associations when spoken or read from somewhere? Ultimately, if it means for one to communicate through language, it should happen effortlessly, written or spoken.