New Typography's Influences on Page Design

During my studies of Chapters 16 and 17 of Meggs' History of Graphic Design, I became most intrigued by the section on the New Typography movement. I was inspired that this movement focuses so much attention on strong design principals, especially in print media and how information is conveyed. The one who started the New Typography concept was Jan Tschichold, who was inspired by the Bauhuas movement when he visited an exhibit in Weimar, Germany. He took on this new design approach, combined it with the Russian constructivist style, and developed his own new innovation that became New Typography (Meggs, 335). 

I've listed below some of the essential elements I've read about New Typography that Jan Tschichold first advocated that I thought were interesting:

• Asymmetry to "express the spirit, life, and visual sensibility of the day" (Meggs, 337)

• "Functional design by the most straightforward means" (Meggs, 337)

• Delivery of the message in the most simple and straightforward way possible without sacrificing aesthetic appeal

• Rejection of any decoration that may distract from conveying the message. No embellishment

• Type being "set in motion rather than rest" (Meggs, 337)

• Sans-serif type only

• Grid-like patterns in design

• Use of proper white space

• Rules, bars, and boxes used for emphasis, structure, and balance

• Objective photographs rather than abstract illustrations

And here are my own thoughts on what I think these design principles do and why they're so effective:

• Messages are conveyed very objectively. The reader/viewer is not distracted by anything else. It does what it is supposed to do.

• The reader/viewer is allowed to connect with the message directly. He is not encumbered or bored by the design. He is fulfilled by it.

• Form and function are unified. There is not more of one than the other. Both are connected.

• There is still aesthetic beauty in the design even though it lacks ornamentation or decoration. But this beauty does not distract from the message; it only enhances it.

• The placement of the type and visual elements (such as bars), the colors, the weights, and the sizes of the elements serve a purpose to create harmony or help emphasize a certain message. Everything is intentional, yet done eloquently.

I just love these design principles and I still see them advocated to this day in many design schools of thought. For example, in page layout and design, the rule-of-thirds is advocated. It creates a balance in weight and produces harmony that is aesthetically pleasing. I wonder if there is any connection to New Typography principles since the effects are similar.

Source: http://desktoppub.about.com/library/graphics/qt-rule_of_thirds.gif

The use of grids and balance in page layout design that are recommended today are also very similar. The below layout is a example of proper use of design advocated by an About.com website on how to produce good layout design. Seems very similar to the grid pattern designs shown in Meggs' textbook on page 336 designed by Jan Tschichold. Was Tschichold the first person to advocate for this technique and do we still follow his principles today? My answer would be a "YES."

About.com's recommendation for good layout:

http://desktoppub.about.com/library/01art/s2c2-asymmetricalbalance2.gif

Looks similar to Tschichold's design from the pages of his "Elementare Typographie," 1925:

Source: http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m04nyixWsw1rnrg56o1_1280.jpg

Another unique principle I found interesting was Tschichold's use of diagonals that were found aesthetically harmonious on a page because they created pleasing proportions. Below is a diagram called the Van de Graaf canon often used in book design. It divides a page in "pleasing proportions," and was popularized by Jan Tschichold in his book The Form of the Book. I thought it was interesting that there is such a strong use of mathematical principles and a classical approach to design, even though New Typography is considered a modern movement.

Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Van_de_Graaf_canon_in_book_design.svg/499px-Van_de_Graaf_canon_in_book_design.svg.png

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Tschichold

http://desktoppub.about.com/od/designprinciples/l/aa_balance4.htm

http://www.jaddesignsolutions.com/thistory01.html