Font Review Journal: Designers Review Fonts For Designers
The inception of a font is a tedious task that requires hundreds of hours spent on conceptual design and creation. On the web, we'll find the font described in half a paragraph of text. The Font Review Journal wants to change that.
These are the areas Bethany covers in the reviews on her "Font Review Journal." She started up her magazine with a bunch of five reviews which are packed with information and supported by lots of images. Each review is a design piece in itself, regardless of the content.
Reviews Follow One Consistent Structure.[/caption]
When creating the reviews, Bethany sticks to the same pattern, making it easier for readers to compare the different fonts. Personally, I find the historical classification with pictorial evidence, as well as the application examples in recent designs to be especially interesting.
She's not holding back on criticizing the presented fonts either. So this is not some sort of shrine for the glorification of fonts, but rather a nuts-and-bolts display of the pros, cons, and peculiarities of the reviewed fonts.
Designers should definitely add the "Font Review Journal" to their bookmarks.
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash
Why Does the Font X Exist and What is it Used For?
The new digital magazine "Font Review Journal" (FRJ) is a must read for any fan of typography. Founded by the US-American designer Bethany Heck, the FRJ aims to be a typography magazine made by designers for designers. Currently, Bethany is the only author. This might change very quickly, though. Bethany, who values typography in her designs a lot, got the idea for the FRJ while searching suitable fonts. Why does the interested customer not learn much more about the font than the fact that it exists, and the price it's being sold at? Why doesn't the type designer explain how he got the idea to develop this style, what has inspired him, or what purpose he thinks the font is best suited for?
These are the areas Bethany covers in the reviews on her "Font Review Journal." She started up her magazine with a bunch of five reviews which are packed with information and supported by lots of images. Each review is a design piece in itself, regardless of the content.
One Detailed Review a Week
For now, Bethany plans to present one font a week. This doesn't seem like a lot, but it's a big promise considering the massive research and writing effort, which takes up twenty hours per article, according to Bethany. The FRJ doesn't have a business model as of right now. In the long run, Bethany aims to at least cover the basic cost via some kind of revenue. However, she does not want to offer sponsored posts or banner advertisements. [caption id="attachment_102969" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Reviews Follow One Consistent Structure.[/caption]
When creating the reviews, Bethany sticks to the same pattern, making it easier for readers to compare the different fonts. Personally, I find the historical classification with pictorial evidence, as well as the application examples in recent designs to be especially interesting.
She's not holding back on criticizing the presented fonts either. So this is not some sort of shrine for the glorification of fonts, but rather a nuts-and-bolts display of the pros, cons, and peculiarities of the reviewed fonts.
Designers should definitely add the "Font Review Journal" to their bookmarks.
Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash