The History of Bembo

In 1495, a man by the name of Francesco Griffo who worked cutting letters for Aldus Manutius (an acclaimed typographer, editor, and owner of the Aldine Press in Venice ), created a new serif typeface known today as “Bembo”.  The design was first used in the book  “De Aetna” written by Cardinal Pietro Bembo, whom the typeface was later named after.

In 1929, the typeface was revived through the guidance of Stanley Morison who worked in collaboration with the “Monotype Coorporation”. This revival of Bembo is a slightly adapted take on Griffo’s original design, and is the style of Bembo most similar to the typeface seen in the 21^st century, although the digitalization of Bembo has faced some struggles in recreating the typeface into it’s original beauty.

Bembo was most commonly used as a typeface for books, escpecially book faces, as it was viewed as flowing and being pleasing for the eyes, while still remaining strong and relatively formal. The typeface is classified as “old-style”  due to factors such as the angled serifs on the ascenders, a grander contrast between the thick and think strokes, and the upright position the letters demonstrate rather than tilting or slanting to the side.

The most current digital revival of this font was designed in 2005 by Robin Nicholas and goes by the name of “Bembo Book”.  This version of the digital typeface is said to be more similar to the original metal font than the first digital rendition of Bembo. The digital typeface can be bought from several website that license out the rights to use the type on various platforms. The typeface can be purchased from various websites such as myfonts.com and linotype.com, who sell the typeface and allow it be used for commercial use and promotional purposes as stated in the end-user license agreement.

Bembo is a strong example of a typeface that has been carried through the centuries, succesfully adapting to new technologies and audiences. Bembo is the definition of a true, classic typeface that carries history and tradition as it continues to travel today through literature, advertisements, and pop culture.

 

 

Works Cited

“Bembo.” Typophile. N.p., 16 May 2005. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://typophile.com/node/12480&gt;.

“History of Typography: Old Style.” ilovetypography. N.p., 6 Dec. 2007. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://ilovetypography.com/2007/11/21/type-terminology-old-style/&gt;.

Milbourne, Alex. “Bembo History.” Typography and Graphic Design. N.p., 27 Oct. 2011. Web. 23 Sept. 2014.

“Typefaces as History: Aldus Manutius and The Noble Bembo.” The Book Designer. N.p., 22 Oct. 2011. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2010/10/typefaces-as-history-aldus-manutius-and-the-noble-bembo/&gt;.

Well Designed Board Game

For my well designed piece, I chose this board game that was sitting in my house. I noticed it really stood out amongst the other games in the closet due to the fact it had a strong black background with a variety of words in different fonts and sizes, all in a glossy silvery colour. When I pulled the game out of the closet your eyes go directly to the title of the game (Cranium) because it is the only portion of the box that has a pop of colour. Another addition that makes the box unique are the see-through panels on the top, right-hand side of the box that let the players see the characters they will get to use during the game. This also adds a small touch of colour to the top of the box and your eye is drawn to look in and open the box to see more.

Once you open the box the board is designed in a manner that makes it easy for players to comprehend the flow of the game. It is easy to follow the game because the places your player should go are easily highlighted in bright colours, each colour representing a different category. This game is overall extremely well designed to draw players into the game, and once they have started to play the game is set up in a way that is easy to follow and visually understand.

I also appreciate that this board game goes against the grain of what a typical board game looks like. Instead of being a generic square or rectangular board, the designers worked with a “plus” shape and then used more organic shapes on the board to create visual interest rather than having a straight cut design that would appear more serious than fun and exciting.

This game is a perfect example of a design that is appealing and functional!