TY - JOUR
T1 - Fonts of potential
T2 - Areas for typographic research in political communication
AU - Billard, Thomas J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Thomas J Billard.
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - As the prevalence of digital technologies has increased, so too has the prevalence of graphically designed content. In particular, typography has emerged as an increasingly important tool for visual communication. In recent years, political actors have seized upon the expressive potential of typography to communicate their messages, to support their campaign efforts, and to establish viable brand identities. However, researchers have been slow to address the new role typography plays in the processes of political communication. Therefore, this article both synthesizes and proposes key areas for research on typography in political communication. Drawing on extant literature across the fields of design, communication, and political science, this article identifies the ways in which typography contributes to the communicative and organizational aims of political actors, demonstrates these contributions with examples from recent political campaigns, and concludes by pointing toward unanswered questions for future studies to address.
AB - As the prevalence of digital technologies has increased, so too has the prevalence of graphically designed content. In particular, typography has emerged as an increasingly important tool for visual communication. In recent years, political actors have seized upon the expressive potential of typography to communicate their messages, to support their campaign efforts, and to establish viable brand identities. However, researchers have been slow to address the new role typography plays in the processes of political communication. Therefore, this article both synthesizes and proposes key areas for research on typography in political communication. Drawing on extant literature across the fields of design, communication, and political science, this article identifies the ways in which typography contributes to the communicative and organizational aims of political actors, demonstrates these contributions with examples from recent political campaigns, and concludes by pointing toward unanswered questions for future studies to address.
KW - Branding
KW - Campaigns
KW - Graphic design
KW - Political communication
KW - Typography
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M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85029541398
SN - 1932-8036
VL - 10
SP - 4570
EP - 4592
JO - International Journal of Communication
JF - International Journal of Communication
ER -