by Jon Dowling
200 pages, softcover, $29
Published by Counter-Print Books
counter-print.co.uk

As designers and lovers of design, we can all recall a moment when a piece of type really moved us. Whether a punch in the gut, a scratching of the brain or a feeling of satisfaction, they are signals that we have emotionally connected to what the type is attempting to express. By UK-based publisher Counter-Print Books, Expressive Type Today offers a rich compilation of expressive type across industries and countries. The book is organized into seven categories: moving type, illustrative type, curvy type, serif type, condensed type, 3-D type and custom type. Flipping through the pages creates opportunities for inspiration as well as reflection on how designers may have approached their creative briefs and whether the type is effective in its expression.

While there are no universal rules on when or how to use each style, I would have liked to see some general analysis introducing each section. Some projects could have fallen under more than one category as type is multifaceted. As a result, I am curious to get insight into how the editors sorted the projects and what they found as a throughline that connected them altogether. Why is moving type effective? What is an effect of condensed type? What is the value of custom logotypes?

In an era where new designs are constantly uploaded onto our feeds only to be quickly swiped past on our screens, this book offers a physical space to contemplate what expressive type looks like in our contemporary moment. —Florence Fu ca