In reference to the video “Font Men,” I find it fascinating that so much patience and focus is required to create a typeface. “Every decision has an implication,” which makes this seem more like a science than an art. Or perhaps the perfect marriage of art and science? The final video about Ryman Eco also gave me this impression when Rhatigan went over his process of analysis, experimentation, and evaluation. He even uses the term “hypothesis” at one point.

The short film of Mike Langley is the only video that focuses solely on the visceral aspects of lettering. He prefers small flaws over perfection and values the emotions that can be solicited through hand-painting. It is interesting to think about why a certain practice remains in society even though its more-practical replacement has already been invented & produced. This artform must still be serving a purpose, though certainly not the purpose of feasibility. Somehow it fulfills the emotional (rather than logical) needs of the audience.

On another note, I was very surprised and a little disappointed that all three videos featured only men. I was always under the impression that graphic design is one of the few industries that isn’t male-dominated. After watching these videos, however, I did a quick google search and found that few women in this field occupy the upper tiers. This was disappointing to discover.