Project 3 & 4: Miller Analysis
The Brief
11/19/2019
For the next project in my communications studio, we are creating a magazine spread and a motions graphics video about a specific typeface that we have been assigned. My typeface is Miller.
Miller Facts
Some facts I discovered about Miller through my process were:
Descriptions
- Playful but clean
- Rounded yet still Geometric
Founders:
- Primarily by Matthew Carter
- With help from Cyrus Highsmith and Tobias Frere — Jones
Published
- In the United States by the Font Bureau
Type Classification: Scotch Roman
- Suitable for both body text and large text such as headings
- Small, neat letters
- Modern touch for their large ball terminals, horizontal serifs, sharply vertical axis and high stroke contrast
- Still traditional though as serifs are bracketed, and stroke weights are modulated
- Brings Scotch-Roman back into use after a lapse in its popularity, is a modern revival of the Scotch Roman genre
Has many variations within the font family itself: Text, Display, Banner, Headline. Each of these fonts was designed for a specific purpose in mind.
Used for newspapers, magazines, and publications
Developing an Essay
Upon coming up with all my content through my research, I developed a 1 page essay about the typeface. I focused on the history of the typeface and its importance as a revival of the Scotch-Roman classification. I also focused on its place as a transitional typeface.
Planning my Spread
Creating my Elements
With my spread, I wanted to isolate specific letterforms that work to convey the messages that I am showing with my essay, so I decided on three adjectives that I wanted to associate with a description and letterform, that would help push forward the points in my essay. The words I was deciding between were versatile, transitional, earnest, authoritative, and comforting.
The final words I settled on were comforting, authoritative, and versatile, and added descriptions that corresponded with both the letter and the caption of the image.
Collecting Images
11/22/19
For collecting images that I wanted to associate with the typeface Miller, I decided to focus on the words that resonated the most with me, comforting yet authoritative. The font itself is a typical serif font, which brings it authoritative quality, but with its rounded bits, and large terminals the font softens itself, feeling a little more comforting. The first place I associate with this feeling is coffee shops, so I began to collect images in this realm, and made spreads with these images.
While these images worked to an extent, I decided to play more on other types of spaces that also had this feeling of strong yet soft. I also wanted to incorporate the colors red and green as it fit the Scotch Roman style that comes with the font classification. I went into looking for industrial living room spaces and found two images that worked well with my theme.
Looking over all my images, I decided to work more with the image to the above left, the strong architecture with the soft furniture worked well with the feeling of Miller. In addition, the red and green color scheme alludes to the Scotch Roman classification.
Working through Spreads
Having settled on all my elements I began playing with the placement of these elements on my page, changing scale, color, width, and different signals.
Focusing on the Micro
11/24/19
Once I figured out the general structure of my page, I worked on looking at the micro elements, specifically the part where I draw the viewer into read the text. I played with typeface color, choice, and size as well as graphic elements.
I wanted to incorporate some sort of signal to indicate the beginning of text, and if I was to use a geometric character, a circle would fit for the properties of Miller I am trying to highlight.
Spread Presented for Crit
I played around with colors for a little while longer and played with the details of the introduction point. I also changed the text to fit into two long columns, because my spreads elements are playing on a look of long and skinny elements. I also added in my caption, footnotes, and page numbers. I also incorporated more of the typeface Avenir into my spread.
Beginning my Video
When I started my video, I worked with first creating a general script of the elements of Miller that I want to highlight.
Miller, A serif typeface
Released in 1997 by the US Font Bureau
Designed by Matthew Carter
A modern revitalization of the Scotch Roman Type
The family features variations: Text, Display, Banner, Headline, and Daily
Featured in multiple publications, notably Washington Post and Glamour
The typeface is described as
comforting, authoritative, versatile
With this first iteration, I realized that I had no emphasis on the actual characters of Miller itself, which would help with the analysis of the typeface, and create strong type moments in my video. So I edited my script to give myself moments to play with large type moments.
Miller
Released in 1997 designed by Matthew Carter
A modern revitalization of the Scotch Roman Type
The family features variations: Text, Display, Banner and Headline
Despite variation, the typeface consistently features
small, neat, round letters
horizontal serifs
a sharp vertical axis &
large ball terminals
The typeface is
comforting, authoritative, versatile , dependable
Miller
Determining a Color Palette
I wanted to continue playing with a red and green palette for the video, so I created a few palettes that I could play with when creating frames of my video.
The third palette works better with the feeling of Miller. The issue of working with red and green colors is that the color scheme could end up looking like Christmas, which is something I wanted to avoid with this color scheme.
Finding a Song
11/25/19
When finding a song for my video, I wanted to highlight the fun yet calm qualities of Miller, so I wanted to focus on the genre of lofi, chillhop, as that genre tends to have songs with strong beats but an overall relaxed feeling.
In the end, I ended up choosing the song No Way Out, by Gramatik.
Making Storyboards
11/26/19
After sketching out my storyboard, I took my drafts into illustrator, in order to digitize them. I played around with color, scale, and order of content to come up with my second draft of the storyboard.
12/3/19
The biggest thing that I am still struggling with with this typeface is that I do not have a distinct narrative that I want the audience to walk away with. So I restructured my storyboard, to make it so that I start with the adjectives I have defined for the typeface: classic, comforting, and versatile. I decided that the main point I want to emphasize with the video is that the typeface is meant to be used, which will be the last element I end the video with.
classic, comforting, versatile
Miller
Released in 1997 Designed by Matthew Carter
A revitalization of Scotch Roman typefaces (classic)
small round letters
horizontal serifs
large round ball terminals
strong vertical axis
large x height
but made with variation (versatile)
text, display, banner, headline
meant for display, titles, body copy (play with scale)
meant to be used
Miller
Editing the Spread
12/2/19
After the day of our critique, my main critique surrounded my image, both the quality and resolution of it as well as the usage of it. It was also stated that the image was acting as a crutch for my spread, rather than enhancing it. So I decided to try getting rid of my image all together, to see how to enhance the spread.
I decided to increase the focus on my adjectives and the letterforms themselves. This makes the spread more playful as well as allows the reader to see Miller and its qualities more clearly. I liked the connection between the pages on the second draft of the spread, so I played around with color to create a clear contrast and hierarchy on the spread itself.
Continuing the Video
So I chose a song, and made it pretty far into my video, to realize the song was not the right choice for my content. So, I found a different song, and repaced my video. The updated song that I am using is Freedom. by chromonicci, as the feeling better fits the vibe that I was going with my font.
12/7/19
I divided my video up into scenes, where the beginning scenes are my main adjectives that I tie back into the video at the end. My main message with the video is to show the character of the typeface, and its purpose as a usable font that still has a lot of character.
The second scenes are the general history of the typeface, and provides context for the development of the typeface. — Upon critique, realized this scene takes too much time, and isn’t helpful, so I removed the mention of the designer and its time of development from the video. Rather I want to focus on the key characteristics of the typeface, and its emphasis on its ease of use.
Updated script:
classic, comforting, versatile
Miller
a typeface with small round letters
horizontal serifs
large round ball terminals
strong vertical axis
large x height
classic features of a scotch roman typeface
but the modern revitalization is made with variation (versatile)
text, display, banner, headline
made for display, titles, body copy (play with scale)
made to be classic, comforting, versatile, universal
Miller
Finalizing the Spread
12/9/19
After playing around with color and different letters, I decided that another way to create harmony upon the page is by playing with the scale of the type. I also changed the placement of the type to guide the viewers eyes through the type and up to my main title, Miller.
Finalizing the Video
Upon rendering out my video and playing it on screen, I realized my colors were off. So I slightly desaturated my colors, and greatly changed my green color, to more of a grey-blue. This helped the balance of color. With these final edits, I was able to finish my video.
