Running head: TYPOGRAPHY CHOICE AND PERCEPTION

Typography Choice and Perception of the Written Word: Sample APA Style Paper Students Full Name Herzing University Madison, WI

A Note about this Sample Paper: This sample paper was assembled by Beth Huwe, librarian at Herzing University. The purpose of the paper is to illustrate the formatting and citation conventions of the APA style for the Herzing University community. For corrections or suggestions regarding the sample, contact Beth at bethhuwe@msn.herzing.edu

TYPOGRAPHY CHOICE AND PERCEPTION Typography Choice and Perception of the Written Word: Sample APA Style Paper Expectations about the effect of typography on the messages conveyed through print media vary, though strong opinions about it do not. Designers, consumers, educators, and scientists have examined this topic in order to ascertain just how much the look of letters on the page can alter how written communication is received and understood. Although readers may rarely consider the choice, typography has the ability to affect how the message is perceived. The documentary film Helvetica illustrates this through interviews with practitioners in the field of graphic design by examining the effects of a single typeface. Some explain that the Helvetica typeface has become so commonplace that it is as ubiquitous as air and that with such wide exposure, its impact on the reader is minimal. Others in that same film attribute more significant meaning to the typeface. For example, graphic designer Neville Brody explained,

The way something is presented will define the way you react to it . . . The choice of typeface is the prime weapon (Grady & Hostwit, 2007). Strong reaction to the recent decision of retailer IKEA to change its typeface illustrates the power of typeface to affect readers emotionally. In reviewing the reactions to the IKEA change, one journalist observed, there are many people who care deeply about the ways letters are given shape, how they descend below the line, where they get thicker or thinner and how elaborately they are ornamented (Rothstein, 2009, p. C1L). The idea that typeface choice has an impact on readers perceptions is supported by more than the opinions of designers or consumers. Focusing on the role of typeface in technical communications, one study sought to evaluate the impact of typeface on comprehension, reading time, and perceptions of the authors ethos. A key finding of the research indicated it is important - even in technical communications - to be aware of the visual rhetoric (typeface) in addition to the verbal rhetoric (Brumberger, 2004).

TYPOGRAPHY CHOICE AND PERCEPTION With acknowledgement that typeface has the power to affect perceptions of the written word, how typeface is introduced in texts regarding the preparation of communications is

interesting. While one text stresses that type choice should be chosen first to achieve maximum readability, the authors also note in addition to aiding readability, type should help suggest the voice of the message. The type should help reflect the tone, attitude, and personality of the communication (Ryan & Conover, 2004, p. 110). Further, research by Wehr and Wippich (2004) found that use of unusual type can result in a more detailed memory of the material read. Examination of professional materials intended for practicing graphic designers further supports this recognition that the typeface choice affects the perception of the message. AIGA: The Professional Association for Design, recently featured an article about the typeface Archer on its website. The popularity of the typeface was reviewed and questions posed regarding why the typeface has become so popular. The author suggested, Archer boomed right when the U.S. economy went bust. With unemployment continuing to soar and businesses declaring bankruptcy, with newspapers and magazines folding and personal savings accounts shrinking, Americans more than ever, crave trust, comfort, friendliness and other fuzzy feelings. Companies are responding and Archer may be part of the solution. (Adams, 2010) Such a conclusion imbues the typeface with significant power to affect the perception of the message. Typographers, consumers, graphic design educators, and practicing graphic designers agree that typeface is a critical element in message communication. While not all will agree on the degree to which typeface affects the perception of the message, the potential for typeface choice to affect perception is broadly recognized.

TYPOGRAPHY CHOICE AND PERCEPTION References Adams, L. (2010, April 10). Is Archers use on target? Retrieved from http://www.aiga.org /content.cfm/is-archers-use-on-target Brumberger, E. (2004). The rhetoric of typography: Effects on reading time, reading

comprehension, and perceptions of ethos. Technical Communication, 51(1), 13. Retrieved from http://www.stc.org/pubs/techcommGeneral01.asp Grady, M. (Producer), & Hustwit, G. (Director). (2007). Helvetica [Motion picture]. United States: Swiss Dot Ltd. Rothstein, E. (2009, September 5). Typography fans say IKEA should stick to furniture. The New York Times, p. C1L. Ryan, W., & Conover, T. (2004). Graphic communications today (4th ed.). United States: Thomson Delmar Learning. Wehr, T., & Wippich, W. (2004). Typography and color: Effects of salience and fluency on conscious recollective experience. Psychological Research, 69(1-2), 138-146. doi:10.1007/s00426-003-0162-5