Kerndown

In today's session we took part in an exercise, or game if you will, based on the televised word-puzzle game show Countdown. We were first required to decide on the amount of vowels and consonants we would like to generate a 5 letter word, as well as whether they were upper or lower-case, or a mix.

As a group of four, we asked for two lower-case vowels, two lower-case consonants and one upper-case consonant. We received a capital B, the vowels a and o, and the consonants t and w. From these letters we began exploring the possibilities of the words we could generate. These are documented below:

Although we were able to identify many three letter words using out set of characters, we wanted to find a word that used at least four letters. We carried on shuffling the letters until we found the word boat.

After establishing our chosen word, our task was to optically kern the spacing between the adjacent characters three times, each time attempting to communicate a different context via the selected style of kerning.

1. High Class Seafood Restaurant 

A slightly more than "standard" kerning spacing communicated the exclusivity of the restaurant, whilst still maintaining a visual of formality and refinement. This kerning is not boastful of luxury, but instead remains dignified in its aesthetic and connotation. 

2. Children's Toy Range.

Kerned tightly together in a playful and informal setting, this treatment features slightly rotated characters positioned to mimic a wave and the sea, playing on word association through which children learn.

3. Dock Signage. 

This kerning treatment shows a standard spacing in attempts to make the word as easy and clear to read as possible, important in a setting where the purpose is to inform, direct and notify. There is no conceptual styling here, simply distinct deliverance of the word. 

Following this exercise, our task was then to arrange/kern the letters to correspond with six companies / shops / products in 30 seconds. 

1. Pest Control Company - Kerning between each letter increasing and letters ascending to represent escalation of pest-problem leading to requirement of pest control.

2. Condom Brand -  Extremely tight, condensed kerning to enhance the communication of intimacy and interconnection of forms.

3. Student Night Club - Arranging letterforms to form an stylised visual applicable to different promotions and merchandise. We felt the limited kerning could allow the characters to be read more like symbols meaning it would be quick and easy to spot in its context. 

4. Luxury Car Manufacturer - Wide-spread kerning to communicate confidence and luxury, each letter individually distinct and strong.

5. Children's Animation - Relatively tight kerning with differentiating levels for each letterform to communicate energy and excitement.

6. Quentin Tarantino movie - This arrangement was created to correspond as best it could to the existing movie titles.  Their setting is compact and condensed giving a high impact and bold aesthetic.  

These exercises playfully provided an understanding in the importance of kerning in communicating specific messages, sectors and identities. How we position, arrange and space type is crucial to the desired deliverance of the word and how we want it to be perceived. Type is most commonly the first visual we see of a brand or product, and so the significance of its importance is unquestionable. Kerning allows for us to understand and interpret type in many different ways. It is another design decision to consider when producing work, key to the success of an identity.