Thank you for Typing

By Angela Vuong

On Monday, November 9, 2009, the OCAD faculty of design presented TyPOLOGY, it’s first ever exhibit featuring selected typography works from it’s second, third and fourth year graphic design and advertising students. Projects at the exhibition proved that the function of typography is much more than being simply reader-friendly, with projects varying from arranging text into an expressive self-portrait to interpreting lyrics to a song. Highlights include a more-than-cool lyrical interpretation of John Lennon’s song Instant Karma! by third-year graphic designer Michelle Cortese and fourth-year graphic designer Justin Morris’ politically charged poster, which by imitating a Snellen chart, commands a closer look with the size of the letters on each row growing progressively smaller. It goes without saying that the competition in the graphic design industry is immense. But the designers of OCAD have a lot to say (and type) and their talent, as displayed, makes it that much harder to ignore.