Author Archives: Type Tasting

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About Type Tasting

Sarah Hyndman is a graphic designer, author and public speaker.

How Punk changed Graphic Design

SexPistols

How Punk changed Graphic Design
Sarah Hyndman on Punk, which first exploded in the 1970s and, at the time, looked like youthful rebellion.

In actuality it was part of the Postmodernist movement which began as a reaction to the rigid restrictions of Modernism. Its DIY ethos encapsulated the anti-establishment mood of the mid 1970s, a time of political and social turbulence. The former British Empire was dissolving and a new era in British music, fashion and design was beginning.

Taking the stage to articulate the feelings of a dissatisfied generation calling for change were the Sex Pistols, who played their first gig in 1975 at St Martins College of Art. Their outrageous behaviour and contempt for established conventions announced the beginning of Punk. The DIY ethos and uncontrolled, home made style was revolutionary at the time and launched a new era in British music, fashion and design.

sex pistols 1 sex pistols 5

(A side-note from the author: Be more Punk, a call to action in 2016.)

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What Music am I?

Print

We are surrounded by fonts in our everyday lives and we use them to navigate our environment, understanding instinctively that they communicate a great deal of the information before we’ve even read the words. We choose typefaces to express our personal style or to demonstrate our allegiance to a philosophy, music style or band.

Which type of music would you expect to hear when you play each of the records above?

Book a Type Tasting if you would like to find out more…

Virtual Type Safari: Record Shop
Take a virtual tour of the Type Tasting record collection and hear the stories behind the typography on the record sleeves.
(Studio based talk with slides)

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Typography is the new Rock ‘n’ Roll

typography is the new rock n roll

Type Tasting has been touring the streets of Dalston exploring the signs that illuminate our social rituals, rummaging around in record shops* looking at type on album covers, and next year we’re off to take part in SXSW in Austin, Texas. Typography is the new Rock ‘n’ Roll. We’ll tell you more soon…

*Read the article in the next issue of Artrocker Magazine

Top 5 spots for a typographic day out in London

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Top 5 spots for a typographic day out in London
By Sarah Hyndman

1. London Transport Museum
This museum in Covent Garden is crammed with the informative typography that we have used every day for almost a century to navigate our way around the city. The buses and signage date from the 1920s to the present day and sit side by side, enabling us to compare the lettering and how it has changed over the years.

Photo ©TfL, from the London Transport Museum collection. http://www.ltmuseum.co.uk

©Kath Tudball

2. Highgate Cemetery
The inscriptions on the gravestones in this beautiful North London cemetery give a view of London’s social history dating back to 1839, with many prominent figures buried there. The lettering to be seen ranges from ornate Victorian script to the typographic simplicity of Patrick Caulfield’s headstone (above). Tours are open to the public all year round.

Photo by Kath Tudball

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London = ‘25 Hr City’ built by Edward Hill

25HCITY final
25HCITY 1b 25HCITY 10b 25HCITY 6a

London = ‘25 Hr City’ built by Edward Hill

Process: Brainstorming / Exploration / Destruction / Preparation / Outlining / Heart / Crane / Building / Expanding / Pausing / River & Trees / Lettuce and Watercress / Conclusion

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Type Tasting’s Sarah Hyndman on the BBC’s The Arts Hour

me on arts hour

Type Tasting’s Sarah Hyndman on the BBC’s The Arts Hour

“We hear from Sarah Hyndman about how new sign design in London is reflecting the cultural and economic changes in the city.” Interviewed by Nikki Bedi. Listen to the interview.

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Type Tasting with the London Design Festival at the V&A

LDF workshop 053**_LR

Type Tasting with the London Design Festival at the V&A

It was a weekend of Type Tasting drop in workshops at the V&A beneath our impressive collection of creative London words. The room was buzzing with chatter as people came in and looked at the collection, especially as the new words were added throughout the weekend and covered the walls by the end.

We’ve been posing the question “what’s your creative London?” and the collection overhead inspired participants to sit down and create their own responses. Many arrived looking determined and announcing “I’m here to make my word”. Our corner of the V&A became the hive of creativity and messy activity. The tables were filled with faces of concentration and the sounds of cutting and scribbling with the occasional “pass the glue?”. See portraits of the participants with their completed words.

LDF workshop 024_LR

We’re also delighted to have welcomed those who traveled from far afield to join us having listened to me being interviewed by John Humphrys and Justin Webb on BBC Radio 4 on Saturday morning.

The day was documented by Oli Frape who set up his easel for Live Lettering throughout Saturday, we played lively rounds of Typography Karaoke and covered much of the remaining wall space with the newly created words.

And most importantly thank you to the Type Tasting team who you all met at the weekend who briefed, encouraged, photographed and cheered everybody on.

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