We’re so used to the visual pollution that surrounds us that we seldom stop to think about it. Studiosmack smartly calls this out with Kapitaal, a video that shows us the world with almost everything but type blacked out. And most objects are still quite discernable, highlighting the multitude of messages that we’re bombarded with; so many, in fact, that those messages become ineffectual and easily ignored. Adbusters would be proud.
The flip side is playfully presented by Mark Callahan in I.S.P., a selection of popular (and often cluttered) websites with all their internals removed, leaving them textless wireframes. The degree to which they remain identifiable speaks to the strength of the visual layout…and the depth of the site’s soul. An essentialist interpretation of websites? It’s entertaining stuff, but it also helps us think about the role type and images play in creating a brand’s identity, and how far you can get without them.
Together, these two work opposite ends of the text spectrum: overloaded vs. absent — hinting that the middle may ultimately be the best place to be. Not a profound observation, but it would be nice if it got more respect in the wild.
We last talked about type in Found Time and Ransom Notes
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