One of the very few things I remember from my College Typography class, is my Professor, Clifford Rushe’s, anal attention to detail and his utter disdain for free internet fonts – which, at the time, I thought were the greatest thing since canned Spam.
At the time I merely dismissed it as him being old fashioned…but it’s something that has always stuck with me over the years.
Ironically, what really changed the way I approached and viewed typography was my fascination with Wildstyle Graffiti…which, due to its counterculture roots, is an art form often frowned upon by the majority of veteran industry professionals.
Despite the fact that I usually have no idea what any of it says, trying to read and make sense of the abstracted shapes and letterforms really made me start to notice and appreciate the composition of the design, finally understanding what my College Professor was trying to teach me all along:
Typography is, more or less, a collection of images/symbols that, when properly combined, have the power to communicate complicated thoughts, ideas and emotions.
- What instantly comes to mind when I look at this font and what does it say about my business?
- Can I read it in 2 seconds or less?
- Have I ever seen this used anywhere else?
- What type of feelings arise when looking at this?





