Conclusion of Investigation & Possible Practical Synthesis

Conclusion of Investigation & Possible Practical Synthesis 

Plan of action

To provide ideas of how to synthesis my essay findings an analysis on my conclusion will be made, highlighting key points to investigate into further to spark potential synthesis ideas and also begin to looking at further research to strengthen ideas around a given concept that derives from the synthesized conclusion. 

Conclusion

To conclude on all arguments, theories and research there has been an obvious impact on the way typographic communication has grown in terms of its distribution and production through the development of technological innovation from the visualization of verbal eloquence to the introduction of cyberspace technologies and prediction of future theories.

The impact technologies have had have all been with a focus on the streamlining of how effectively information is digested regardless of the distribution method be it physical or digital, evidence within the research investigated on mass communications suggest that the development of typography was a visualization of spoken language into a visual system as a means of placing verbal eloquence into an organized system that then developed into physical reproduction and repeatability within the introduction of letterpress typesetting and the Guttenberg press as the method mass distribution. What is interesting though is how typography began to introduce a literate society but as technology developed this literate society began to become lazy with less sensory participation becoming more and more common as cyberspace technologies became introduced, the ironic aspect of this been is that these cyberspace technologies are all repurposed elements of pre typographic and pre mass communication mediums. The most iconic evidence within the investigation has been the development of phonetic technology bringing back the focus on communicating spoken language across the mass’s and how this gave birth to mobile phone technology and text messaging. Text messaging has been the pinnacle off streamlining of typographic information with it developing into Emojis as a way of connoting emotion and information through pictorial references. Emojis been a technological reinterpretation of Egyptian hieroglyphics suggesting a potential resurgence of cold media’s with less sensory participation within these technological distributions taking influence from pre typography communications before the introduction and importance of signs for sounds. A concluding key point within the investigation of mass communication distributions suggests that the use of tools to produce the typographic visualizations develop accordingly to technology to aid quality ergonomic digestion of information, from the sable brush, to the chisel to form serifs to aid legibility to the introduction of pixel based fonts that can be repurposed across print and digital format the use of tools and materials will always be one of the key considerations and results of technological innovation and maintain to be an extension of our senses.

Looking into Mass communication theories historic, current and hypothetical future oriented theories show the true potential of cyberspace technologies and there influence on distribution of typographic based information. Research suggest that mass media and communications will always react to social and cultural boundaries, and with a western society completely revolved around the over reliance of technology and innovation its obvious there will be a continuous growth of distribution methods that really fully immerse themselves with technological innovation. Hypothetical but potential future methods of communication-discussed outline how the need for traditional typographic information could potential become redundant as talks of brain transplants and direct biological information exchanges are discussed. Although this discus’s the transfer of pure theoretical information it does in fact support arguments made on the streamlining and effectiveness of how information is digested that could be seen as a farfetched development of how the spoken word was placed into organized systems and then developed and refined into pictorial elements. A continued reliance on pure cold media with little and soon to be no sensory participation required when digesting information. Cyberspace technologies themselves aren’t a physical technology like the development of the Guttenberg as a form of distributing mass media, so it could be suggested that a development towards an over reliance of cyber and digital distributions will arise. This statement becomes stronger when you consider the instant access internet allows when it comes to accessing typographic information but also the rise of more visual outputs like YouTube as a technological development and re interpretation of classic cold visual medias like television.

Brand identities have really taken on board technological innovation when it comes to solidifying a brand mantra, in essence a pre-typographic pre-digital medium of communication that still takes strong influence from classic verbal eloquence’s when it comes to the communication with the end user. The essence of branding is to communicate the organizations personality to a focused target market, so with the development of digital font design software a strong core focus on effectively digested logotypes have been developed, these logotypes lead onto another point that solidifies the argument of streamlining through the condensation of logotypes into letter form marks for digital and cyber application across internet and phone apps as a reaction to cyberspace and phonetic technologies which in themselves are the essence of mass communication and what typographic systems where developed for. Research into signage would be the final brand touch point that outlines points made that technology aids the re-purposing of historic principles with evidence suggesting that computer oriented design methods and digital printed often replicates classic signage production before the introduction of digital print, a technology that from 1969 changed the accessibility of print distributions from something that specialist tradesman to something that is now accessible for home business’s all the way to large corporations.

The final investigation into contemporary and traditional font foundries supports and concludes all repeated statements that technology and development has regularly contributed to the repurposing, refinement and streamlining of traditional principles and practices. Ease of access, ergonomic effective communication and cross compatibility and appreciation seems to be the iconic result of this investigation and subsequent investigations. Analyse on the shift from physical to digital within music and typography show a reaction to social and cultural needs but there remains appreciation for the quality and craft obtained from physical ownership of these medias, this tradition physical appreciation relates perfect to the overarching result of the investigation relating the repurposing, refinement and streamlining of traditional principles. A key concluding theory to contrast and support ideas of appreciation and acceptance of progress yet maintained consideration to tradition is obtained from the merged investigations of Monotype and The Designers Foundry where there manifesto of type production and distribution supports the repurposing of traditional typefaces and print and there joint consideration to outputs that support digital, print and future oriented communications.

Possible Synthesis Concepts & Ideas
Visualise the transition between spoken words to organized language systems to pictorial references, this will provide a circular concept deriving around a starting point that references pre typographic communication (Verbal), to the pinnacle of communication (Typography developments) too the introduction of pictorial elements (Emojis) but in fact is just a repurposing of communication that was around in pre typographic periods. 

Play around with the transition between textual and pictorial visuals, morphing of typography to digital hieroglyphics to represent re-purposing of pre typographic visuals, but dont use emojis as this is too literate create a new kind of pictorial reference that has textual aesthetics or principles? 

Expand on current practical investigations (Screenprint's) using new technology’s to create typefaces.

Look into how I can use new technologies and contemporary process’s to create physical 3D typefaces.

Research typeface designs that embrace new technologies but also look at more traditional typeface design principles and figure out ways of replicating them into contemporary process’s.

Create rough ideas as a reaction to key quotes and sections of research, these can then all be compiled and focused down into one outcome that ties together all important pieces of research.

Create a useable typeface that exists physically but the design and concept behind it embraced technology and contemporary process’s (software, 3D printer, laser cutter, CNC machine etc). There should be no digital presence of the typeface remaining once it has been physically made, a good way of referencing how typefaces used to be physically owned rather than been a digital replica with no essence of uniqueness and ownership.

Dissect a traditional typeface changing the way its communicated using digital techniques, place it into a print format printed digitally at home to show insurgence of easy to access publishing/distribution mediums. Start off with using layouts influenced by traditional principles coined from the Gutenberg press but again manipulate it with digital techniques.

Create type specimens of deconstructed traditional typefaces, use traditional print type specimens as a basis starting point then add a digital vibe too them but the end result is still print to reference a transition and equal appreciation to physical and digital.

3 separate type specimens visualizing current digital, traditional and future oriented typographic distributions all laid out to reference the origins of mass communications from the Guttenberg.

Reference traditional Guttenberg style printing (layout) but use completely digital process's and experimental typography to show a transition between tradition and digital but also show how the purpose of  how typography is communicated is changing.

Visualise the progression of a literate society too a less literate society through typographic and pictorial references using digital and traditional principles that show how digestion of information went from hot to cold in terms of how much sensory interaction is required. As technology and communication developed mass media got more streamlined with how it presents information to the end user but visual requiring less sensory participation to digest the information. 

The essence of communication will always pre date typography and digital eras, represent this in a visual outcome. 

Show the easy to access technology, print distributions and modern innovation in design and publishing but emulate traditional mass communication principles through the use of experimental digital process's as way of repurposing classic distribution methods like Gutenberg and how typography designs like black letter where made to aid digestion of information. 

Bring back appreciation of quality and craft that was lost within the digital transition, but emulate this appreciation of quality and craft through the use of digital design techniques and accessible home print techniques to show the surge of accessible softwares and print methods making specialist print tradesman's redundant. Appreciate progression but realize it had an impact on industries. 

Refined Synthesis Concept & Rationale 
Based on thorough analysis of key points in the conclusion and refinement of elements from the above possible ideas a refined concept has been defined. 

"repurposing, refinement and streamlining of traditional principles and practices. Ease of access, ergonomic effective communication and cross compatibility and appreciation seems to be the iconic result of this investigation and subsequent investigations"
"outputs that support digital, print and future oriented communications"
"appreciation for the quality and craft obtained from physical ownership of these medias"

Create a series of self published type specimens using traditional black letter fonts and roman fonts and there Gutenberg influenced distributions as a reference to traditional principles when it comes to the visualization of the spoken word. Deconstruct and produced these using experimental accessible digital softwares and printing hardwares to show the introduction of cyberspace technologies as experimentations that have caused a transition of how information is communicated and distributed from something that was a hot media that was digested slowly creating a literate society. Today the development and streamlining of communication systems as a reaction to technology and cultural conditioning has caused a decline in slow digestion of information turning it into something more visual and hot requiring less sensory participation much like it was in pre typographic movements. 

To place this theory into context evidence suggests that these ideas of repurposing could be visualized through the digitally recycled emojis that could be seen as a technological development of hieroglyphics, something that predates typography. The secondary purpose of the outcome is to show how even with technological innovation there has been a repurposing of pre typographic and traditional typographic communications showing that we accept progression but still always take influence from historic communication strategies to streamline how effective information is digested within a fast paced society.