When we encounter typography, how do we know what it means? How is the tone of type influenced by the way it is set, when it is made, and where it exists? Considering the social, spatial, and temporal contexts of visual language, this text informs and inspires students, educators, and professionals looking to engage more deeply with the letterforms they use and see. Featuring diverse typographic works, “closer looks”, and interviews with practicing artists and designers, Giving Type Meaning serves to inform how and why we understand what type communicates.

The book includes:

- The importance and impact of cultural and social context across the expanded field of art and design

- How to use visual, physical, and gestural space to inform meaning

- The ways time impacts type, such as historical references, recontextualizations, and the use of time as medium

- A range of global examples, including Lushootseed language letterforms (Lushootseed Sulad by Juliet Shen), Arabic calligraphy and type design (Regard Each Other as Brothers by Josh Berer, Mirsaal by Rana Abou Rjeily), American civil rights inspired type (Martin by Tré Seals), Italian concrete poetry (Storia Del Monumento by Mirella Bentivoglio), and animated Chinese characters (Motion Type Project by Ting-An Ho)