Typographia

[rooker1]

Hello etherian,

I see that you have asked Dustin (thundercrack83) for his opnion on how to get more people in here.....I thought about it for a second and than looked over your MD one more time and took down a few notes.

First let me tell you that I have been lurking in your MD after everyone of your updates right from the first day you started.

Secondly, for someone who is new to the site and not very well known, I'd say you are doing fantastic.  You even got Dedgren to take a moment out of his busy schedule to comment.

The rest of this will be my humble opinion, so don't take it too hard.
I don't like the way you started your MD.....a little boring.  If you want some attention up front give us a huge bang.  If no pics are going to be shown try to peak our curiousity with some really cool information.  It does look like you tried to do that though.
Your following updates were very good especially with the mosaics.  Everyone loves a good mosaic.  You are showing the right number of pics, not too few and not too many.  So why aren't people posting in here like crazy.  Well no one has the perfect recipe for such an answer.  But what I can tell you is, update on a regular basis, give us more of those great mosaics, show us something new (something just released)  get more custom content and most important, keep your patients.  Page one and two are always the hardest.  Once you gst past that I'm sure you will start to pick up some regulars.  I'm sure Dustin and myself will be here. 

Out of all your updates, I really enjoyed the last one.  The long land bridge, not sure if it goes over water eventually or not, but it looks great.  The docks and the curved transit networks all look fantastic.

I will be back....lurking maybe....or maybe I'll post something.  All depends on what you have for me. 

EDIT:Ahhhh, one more thing I forgot to mention.....post some of your pics in the Show Us threads and take part in the SC4 Picture Contest.

Robin 

[paroch]

Hi Etherian,

You've made a nice start to your MD.  I like the style you lay out the updates - very nice headers.  I'm not sure I totally get the link between fonts and cities - I agree that each font is different and each city is different, but struggle to see the link between a font and a city. 

Highlights for me so far are:

Garamond - like the mosaic, particularly the corner junction at the football pitch.
Didot - The mix of ped malls and SAM texture is really good.
Lucida - The El-Rail stations work really well there.  The high tech industry zone is very good and the "apple" building fits in well.
Grotesque - The ferry terminal peninsular is unusual and I like it.  The patchwork grass is also very good.  The tower blocks with bright blue edges are very nice there.  But many of the pictures are not showing.  Maybe that's an image shack problem.

As for your question about how to attract more people to your MD.  Keep posting updates that have a mixture of good pictures and an interesting story.  Every MD is different and your style is a good one.  But it never hurts to throw in something a bit different every now and then.  Explain to us what you are doing and what you are trying to achieve and we'll feel that we are along for the ride.  And of course by commenting on other people's MDs and being visible on the forum never hurts.  The more people who see the link in your sig, the more chance of a click!

You'll soon build a core group of regulars - just make sure you give them what they want and support their MDs and projects and they'll stivk by you and before long they will be good friends (I have made quite a few friends here for sure).

But don't get too worried about the number of comments.  Even when your MD has been around for nine months you still get some updates that pass by with barely a whisper 

Good luck with the rest of your MD,

Paul

[rushman5]

Loks very interesting, a unique building style and road ayout present here indeed.  I am also interested in the intriguing transportation lots and BATs you have there.  You have me hunting!ß

[jmdude1]

i think its a good start. i like how youve followed rookers advice, i got here from your post in the 'show us your ghettos' thread. you posted an interesting pic of your roads there (it caught my attention more than your ghetto. hehe) and was hoping to see more here. keep the updates coming.

[penguin007]

Wow some awesome pics there. Your use of retainer walls is awesome and your city looks so realistic with the SAM streets adding that bit of realism. The only thing I see wrong is the maxis stuff but thats only personal preference for you

Cant wait to see more

Will

[thundercrack83]

Congratulations, etherian!



- The Staff

[dedgren]

This unique MD well merits the "of special interest" recognition it's getting this month.  While there's plenty of fine diaries out there, it's not every day that an author comes up with a unique approach and sticks with it.  etherian, I think you've got a great thing going here- it's easy to make the mistake of thinking that fewer comments than you would expect means you're off track somehow.  Trust me, you're not.  My guess is that you and Typographia are in this for the long haul, and the folks who hang on for the ride from the start will be very, very well rewarded.

Congratulations and good luck!


David

[threestooges]

I don't think I have commented here yet (and that surprises me as this is a great MD and I have lurked through here often) but let me attempt to make amends. I love the style of presentation. I like learning the history behind the the fonts you have displayed and their citified personifications are really interesting to look at. Each city you have shown has really achieved its own personality. It's also helpful that you explain some of the intricacies of the relationships between the pics and the typefaces. Congratulations on OSITM, and I will certainly be keeping an eye out for developments during the month.

[JoeST]

Very very very well done etherian!

your  MD definitely deserves to be OSITM, and I am sure if you continue with this same quality, it will be entered many times

Joe

[bat]

Some wonderful updates there, etherian!

And congrats on your award! Looking forward to more...

[Manny]

Congratulations for your reward  ! Your Md is just fantastic  !

[Shadow Assassin]

It definitely hits the right keys.



Like what you've got going here.

[rooker1]

Congratulations, etherian!

It's great to see your MD in the OSITM. 
Very unique idea got you here, so take advantage of it and give us a very special month.  Everyone visits OSITM, your posts and views could go through the roof. 
I agree with everything David has said in his post, so let's see what you have for us.

Robin 

[flame1396]

One of the few unique CJ/MDs around. Many use a "unique" delivery system that has been done before. Clever way of showcasing fairly interesting work. I like it.

[CasperVg]

Congratulations on winning the well-deserved Of Special Interest award. I think I've never commented here before, but I'm quite sure that instead of lurking around, I should've posted way earlier, as this MD has an unseen quality in both presentation and city-building!

[etherian]

This will undoubtedly be a rather large post, I should endeavour to reply to your replies () as thoroughly as possible and I do have something new-ish to show. My absence in this Diary was partly due to some rather hectic weeks at work, but mainly because of Spore and the release of the creature creator (as you can tell from my avatar!) Not to mention simply enjoying sitting down and playing games (Mass Effect!) without having to think about much else.

I was quite surprised to see that my humble 2-page diary () was given the honour of OSItM, thank you very much for this generous gift! I hope to use the time in the spotlight "wisely" as suggested, if time permits, a few more updates than would normally be possible. Will be looking forward to some excellent feedback this month!



I never got the chance to thank everyone who took their time to answer that little question of mine, I have taken some of the comments aboard - I will try and keep the images (after the update in this post!) lower than 200kB, just to  improve the loading times a little. And as for a better starting post, there is something in the works, but it may not appear for a little while yet as it requires some additional work in game before it can be finished. But do look out for it, hopefully it can add a little something else to Typographia.

vester: Hello, thank you for the links and taking the time in showing what you meant. Once I can get the "system" going in editing the pictures for the updates, they should load up a little quicker.

JoeST: A just observation Joe sir (regarding the first comment) and thank you for compliments! (regarding the second comment)

thundercrack83: Thank you Dustin for pointing me in the right direction and always being around, not just to help me, but everyone else who has a question!

rooker1: Hi Robin, I'm going to be lazy and reply to both your comments at once! I would like to thank you for the sage and lengthy advice, its good to hear the good with the bad, otherwise improvements can't and won't be made. Hopefully what I'll have to show can compel you to comment more often than not

paroch: Hello Paul, thank you for the detailed reply and raising an excellent question - which I currently do not have an answer to! But hopefully, through Typographia, I can bring to focus something that always seems to fade away into the background - mainly because "when good design works, you don't notice it". But I will certainly think a bit more on how to show this link between typography and cities!

rushman5: Thank you! Anytime you see something in here and want to know what it is, leave a comment or give me a PM and I'll reply ASAP - I usually know what it is that I have used

jmdude1: Thanks for dropping by with the kind comments, hope to see you in here again.

penguin007: Hi Will, I actually like some of the Maxis things. Some of them are quite beautifully textured and also appeals to my design senses

dedgren: Thanks David, you are too kind with your words, but I will accept them nonetheless

threestooges: It is of utmost importance that I can keep adding little bits and pieces to help differentiate all the different typefaces that is to be showcased, I'm glad that you find them interesting - as it seems to be doing its job. I have to say that as you are learning about the histories of these typefaces, so am I, as I have to keep a step ahead in knowing exactly what I am talking about when I introduce a new city

bat: Thank you, more is coming your way right now!

Manny: Thanks!

Shadow Assassin: Thank you, but unfortunately I can't play the piano - I wish I could, but I can't.

flame1396: Thank you! I would like to be able to call the Diary unique one day

caspervg: Thanks for the compliments, be on the look out for goodness very soon!





It would be incompetent of me to introduce Joanna as a typeface with introducing its creator Eric Gill. Like the name Adrian Frutiger (which I have dropped once before in this Journal), they are designers which hold a great deal of influence in typography and thereby, a great influence on the design world. Even 70 years after Gill's death, his work continues to be of importance to the communication mediums.

Perhaps this would be a good start to discuss how the designers come up with names for their typefaces, most are derived directly from the name of its creator, others may have historical and/or categorical meaning. A lot of that information is quite hard to find and in obscure places, so I am unsure of how a majority of the discussed typeface are named. However, this typeface was named specifically for one of his daughters - Joanna. (For once, I did not find this out on Wikipedia, it was one of the more interesting facts that we were given while studying).

As for the design aspects, it is one of the most aesthetically pleasing typeface with its simplicity and slight contrast of strokes. The defining character of Joanna is the narrow italics, put side by side, normal characters generally have more width than their italicised cousins. Contrary to popular believe, simply slanting a character does not mean it is italicised. In well-made faces, every letter is redrawn so that proportions are correct and sometimes a different design approach is adopted - the easiest way to recognise whether a typeface has a proper italicised weight is to look at the lower-case a, especially in serif faces.

Although I may be unduly focusing on the aspect of the name, I think it is a homage to try and build a city that can express the simpler beauty that is apparent in the typeface as well as in the name.







A small hub consisting of small businesses and residents that lie closer to Joanna's farmlands.




Another view of the out-of-town township with the surrounding farms.




One of the more scenic routes leading to outlying developments.




Joanna's residents have spread themselves across the rolling hills, dotting the landscape with sporadic developments.




A road bridge stretches across the shallow valley that's perfect for agricultural use.




The colours of industry.




The mayor's residence is located atop a hill overlooking a small valley and the main town centre below.




A look at the resident part of the town centre, Joanna prides itself on living close to nature.




The commercial centre that is a little further up the road, horticulture is also a thriving part of the community with many green thumbs calling Joanna home.




Local school bus drivers are some of the happiest in the country, with great scenic routes to traverse everyday and stunning views at the destination.




Flat land may be best for agriculture, but the residents wouldn't give up Joanna's gentle rolling landscape just for economic gain!




The local hospital that services the entire population, its scenic location has been touted as an enormous benefit to its patients.




With fresh local produce always at the ready, Joanna has been labeled a city of a thousand cuisines. The Gourmet Galleria is especially successful with creating graduates with exceptional culinary skills.

[thundercrack83]

What a way to start off your time in OSITM, my friend!

Joanna looks wonderful, just wonderful! Your work with the farms, fences, and flora is simply stunning--excellent job!

I'll be around to see what else you'll have for us during your time in the spotlight...and beyond!

Dustin

[threestooges]

The OSITM category is by no means a gift, you have worked to create a fine work of art and you have earned this spot. Simple, rural, beauty. I think you achieved your goal with this update, and it is, as Dustin already mentioned, a great way to start the month in OSITM. This may just be me reading too much into the pic, but in your first shot, do the narrow rows of flowers, paths, trees and roads have anything to do with the narrow italics you mentioned this typeface having? Either way, great use of the rural/agriculture elements in this city.
-Matt

[bat]

Fantastic new update there! And your city is looking wonderful! Looking forward to the next update...

[rooker1]

Wow........What an awesome start to your special month. 
I was very impressed with this update. 
I really love the bridges, fantastic job. 
Your use of SAM looks just as good and your farms look great. 
My only suggestion would be to move the Fence LOTs one square away from the street, to get rid of the sidewalks.  In some cases it doesn't look very good, IMHO.
I can't wait to see what you do next. 
Robin