Typography : Introduction

Typography: The art and science of letterform for effective instructional design.                       This site uses Flash technology. You will need to download the Flash Player from Macromedia if you do not already have it installed.

Introduction Although we like to trace our origins to our Greek ancestors, the Greeks point to their contemporaries, the Egyptians, as being inspirational in many things. One of the most powerful and influential inventions the Greeks brought back from their travels to Egypt was "letters" - words forever etched into papyrus. Even then, our Greek ancestors recognized the power of the characters printed upon the page and argued over who ought to control this power that conveys knowledge and meaning. While we are no longer limited to papyrus as the medium, we still work very carefully with the message of "letters." The study of typography is the study of how to effectively manage the visual aspects of message design. There is beauty and meaning in the form of letters, and understanding that form gives us control over how we create meaning and provide direction. We welcome you to a series of lessons on Typography - a subtle, useful tool in the message design aspect of instructional design. Each lesson features information and interactive sessions to help you learn how to effectively use typography in the design of your instructional materials. As each piece unfolds a different aspect of the anatomy of typography, we hope you learn how both form and function help you achieve strong aesthetics in your instructional designs. This site is presented by the Educational Technology department at the University of Northern Colorado. For more information, please contact Dr. Linda Lohr. Colophon : Credits : Main Menu

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