Utilising psychophysical techniques to investigate the effects of age,typeface design,size and display polarity on glance legibility

Psychophysical research on text legibility has historically investigated factors such as size, colour and contrast, but there has been relatively little direct empirical evaluation of typographic design itself, particularly in the emerging context of glance reading. In the present study, participants performed a lexical decision task controlled by an adaptive staircase method. Two typefaces, a ‘humanist’ and ‘square grotesque’ style, were tested. Study I examined positive and negative polarities, while Study II examined two text sizes. Stimulus duration thresholds were sensitive to differences between typefaces, polarities and sizes. Typeface also interacted significantly with age, particularly for conditions with higher legibility thresholds. These results are consistent with previous research assessing the impact of the same typefaces on interface demand in a simulated driving environment. This simplified methodology of assessing legibility differences can be adapted to investigate a wide array of questions relevant to typographic and interface designs.

Practitioner Summary: A method is described for rapidly investigating relative legibility of different typographical features. Results indicate that during glance-like reading induced by the psychophysical technique and under the lighting conditions considered, humanist-style type is significantly more legible than a square grotesque style, and that black-on-white text is significantly more legible than white-on-black.     

The evaluation of guidelines to aid the information designer

This study was concerned with a comparative evaluation of students who used procedural guidelines (developed to help them cope with new technology) and those who did not. Typographic students from six colleges were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (who used the procedural guidelines) or to the control group (who were not exposed to the guidelines). All the students carried out the same design task. Each student's completed design was assessed by independent designers and compositors, who were unaware of the research intention or methodology or the particular students they were assessing. The students' work was evaluated in terms of 10 criteria variables by the designer and 10 different criteria variables by the compositor. In addition, the students were asked to fill in a 20 item self report user satisfaction questionnaire on how they felt about the design task. Data were also collected in respect to timekeeping, students' background and demographics, the particular courses they were following, etc. The data were analysed by t-tests for significant differences between the means and standard deviations of the experimental and control groups.     

Comparison of several styles of typography in English.

"Five styles of typography—spaced units, vertical, square span, and arrangement of one phrase per line, and conventional—were compared using untrained subjects. This paper reports two fairly independent series of experiments: a series using a tachistoscope presentation, and a series in which the subjects read passages of about 1500 words… . The tachistoscope series suggests that there are advantages to the new arrangements, but the reading series suggests that subjects must be trained to read these new arrangements before the advantage will be fully realized." From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4LM62C. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Recent studies of eye movements in reading.

Grouping the studies under the general topic headings of techniques of measurement, analysis of the reading process, training to improve eye movements, typography and eye movements, and eye movements and fatigue the author reviews the relevant research literature which has appeared since January, 1945. In general there has been a dimunition of interest in this area. However, there has appeared a large amount of work on visual fixation, speed of eye movements, reaction time of the eye, oculomotor efficiency, and vision during eye movements. There is a need for more basic research. 72-item bibliography. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

一处浅丘基地的记忆——四川美术学院虎溪校园地志解读

从地志的角度对一处浅丘基地——位于重庆市沙坪坝区虎溪镇的四川美术学院新校区建设用地——进行了深度解读,通过对“场地记忆”的关注发现了305m标高、原有山路、民居、植被、山顶、灌溉渠在未来校园中的意义,阐述了对山地的地形完整性、方向感、建筑群选址、地貌肌理以及山地人文记忆的理解,探索了基于场地记忆而采取的设计和建造对策。     

中英文字可视化信息与形态编排设计比较研究

目的 中英文字字形构造不同,各自有其发展规律。文字可视化信息与形态是研究文字编排的重要维度。方法 以中英文字体为研究对象,以其可视化程度与形态比较为研究中心,分别从文字的大小、密度、构造、形态、识别特征及认知特点6个方面展开研究,探寻其各自编排设计特征与优势,以求合理借鉴及从中得以启示。结论 调节文字密度、笔划粗细、内部结构比例等因素,可使汉字编排更为统一规整;借助弧线改变关键词下端笔划形态可使词语流畅,语义重点突出;强化汉字边缘特征,是其快速认知的方法之一。对汉字进行减法设计时,文字的中心部位是其首选位置之一;英文字母上端及左端识别性较强,便于快速阅读。可借鉴其特征优势,强化汉字上端及左侧汉字部件特征,起到快速阅读 的作用;在中英文组合编排时,可参照中文或英文任意一种文字内部比例,统一调整,使两者搭配更为协调。     

从近现代中文文字变革与活字排印发展看现代中文版面肌理的形成

目的 梳理现代中文版面肌理的成因,从不同角度对近现代中文版面肌理进行质性分析,为当代的更广义的基于规则的文字设计提供基础和依据。方法 在现代铅活字中文排印法诞生于中国并发展成熟于东亚三国的一百多年时间里,中文版面肌理受到语言体式变革、正文字体与字形变化、中西文混排、新式标点符号的采用以及标点行内化、直排书写转为横排书写等方面因素的影响,从而逐渐演变为当今的样态。在这种演变过程中,现代中文版面与古典版面有了极大差别,版面肌理以及基本组版逻辑都发生了本质性的改变。结论 对上述因素的分析论述,总结出现代中文版面肌理具体体现为一种等高、等宽、等距的汉字为主体的文本,其中包含了变高、变宽、变距的非汉字字符;在两端对齐的总体格局下,为了保证标点避首尾禁则,根据标点符号占宽进行有规律的调整而达到一种动态平衡。     

实验性字体设计方法研究

目的 在平面设计中,字体设计一直是最受欢迎和最重要的部分。对于字体设计的探索层出不穷,总结这些作品背后的方法对未来设计方向的寻找具有启发性。方法 在收集了大量案例的基础上,梳理总结了字体设计的切入点和方法,从字体设计必不可少的几个方面入手,从工具与书写、材料与手工、自然与发现、标准与网格、软件与技术、综合与当代等角度,阐述了实验性字体设计的方法。结论 实验性字体设计是指质疑、推翻、颠覆已有形式,并预测、实践、改造、探索字体设计可能性的过程以及带来的结果。纵观这些实践,它们的背后都或多或少显示出受到某种风格和思想的影响,以及显示出时代的特征以及同时代作品之间的内在的联系性。探索的角度也逐渐呈现出一些清晰的线索,通过分析将设计方法梳理罗列出来,为设计思路提供理论支撑。