"Typeface and Document Persona in Magazines"

Nida M. Stewart

Nida M. Stewart is currently a senior at New Mexico Tech where she is pursuing a Bachelor's degree in both Technical Communication and Psychology. Nida's interests include editing, document design, user interfaces, and instructional writing. She currently works as an editor for Policies and Procedures for New Mexico Tech. 

Contents

Abstract and Introduction

Literature Review

Research Methodology

Synthesis of Results 

Discussion 

Conclusion

Works Cited

Appendix A: List of Magazines Used in Research

Appendix B: Comprehensive Heading Magazine Listing

Appendix C: Comprehensive Body Text and Blurb Magazine

Abstract

We are constantly exposed to elements of typography in our daily lives, yet we rarely pay attention to the implications of how it is used.  Although numerous studies have been conducted about proper uses of typeface, effects of typeface on a document, and the possibility of typeface affecting the tone or personality of a document, few (if any) studies conducted observe the use of typography in published media.  The goal of this study was to observe various magazines to determine whether there are typographic trends within magazines themselves as well as with magazines oriented towards specific demographics.  Two issues of each of twelve magazines (for a total of twenty-four individual issues) were obtained for this study.   Criteria were made based on previous studies to categorize the various typefaces observed.  The results showed that headings were mostly in bold typefaces, articles were in serif typefaces, and other miscellaneous blurbs were generally in sans serif typefaces.  Although these results cannot encompass the hundreds of magazines not observed, we can assume from the data obtained that the magazines observed follow general typographic trends.  As suggested by the trends observed in this study, the similar strategies for font types used by magazines may reflect awareness of font effectiveness within print media.

Introduction

In a world where we place considerable emphasis on document design, a significant amount of research focuses on finding the most efficient means of effectively creating an appealing document, especially in the field of technical communication.  Research in the field of visual rhetoric focuses on design elements such as page layout, appropriate color usage, as well as effective utilization of typography.  An extensive amount of research focuses on both page layout and color usage while a lesser amount of research spotlights the latter, typography.  Based on the limited findings in previous research, there is certainly a compelling need for more study of the various utilizations of typeface in documents.  Understanding typographical elements gives us a better understanding of how to design effective documents geared toward appropriate audiences.

This study focuses on the use of typeface in a specific medium: magazines.  The majority, if not all, of the recent studies of typography focus on pre-tailored documents with typefaces and document contexts formatted by the researchers.  From the research I conducted, I was unable to find observations of published media not modified by researchers.  My study revolves around seeing if magazines utilize typographic trends and if typographic trends are influenced by the demographic they are targeted toward.

This study will discuss some of the research that has been conducted on the matter of typography and show the impact typography can have on a document.  Following a comprehensive literature review on the topic of typography, I will describe the methodology behind my own research study, outline the observations I made while conducting my study, and analyze the results of my study.