This research forms the basis of my PhD study ‘Designing Typography for Screen – A Critical Examination and Exploration of Design Principles in Relationship to Contemporary Practice’ at the University of Arts’ London College of Communication (formerly LCP) under the supervision of Professor Teal Triggs. This site will be updated with material as my research progresses. It will comprise a combination of written theoretical material and practical visual experimental work. Primarily the blog/site will be used as a place to centrally locate the many disparate and relevant strands of material that I discover through the course of my research and to catalogue them in some way. It also facilitates the recording of critical insights and ideas as they occur in tandem, often in an adhoc manner, which can easily be retrieved and further developed at a later stage. Having examined various other research tools/database type applications etc, it seemed that a blog/site was more empathetic to the nature of both this research and the infinite growing, changing intellectual pool of knowledge in this area as it emerges online.

Overview
Developments in digital communication technologies have led to a transformation within the discipline of typography. The prevalence of screen based design contexts including broadcast, desktop and mobile platforms present traditionally trained designers with unfamiliar challenges that incorporate motion, sound and interactivity. This research centres on the need for a better understanding of the nature of screen-based typography and the requirement for new design principles and practical methodologies for designing type on screen.

Recent literature suggests that current design practice for screen is still largely dependent on print based models and only addresses considerations for screen as a small extension to a traditional perspective. There already exists a plethora of published research, both historical and contemporary, on traditional principles and methodologies for print typography.

In comparison there is a shortage of in-depth material dedicated to screen typography. This may be due to the diverse nature of disciplines from which current research is emerging, coupled with the newness of screen typography. The canon of practical examplars is small in comparison to print and has not yet formed a critical mass that practically explores design principles and methodologies for type on screen.