Raul Renner Grids

IMPORTANT - CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT EXPLAINED

While completing some of my dissertation research into the design of typefaces I came across thse principles of Raul Renner the designer of the infamous geometric sanserif typeface Futura. In his autobiography his principles are explained from the basic development of a typeface - constructed using circles, squares and triangles, the most distinguisible geometric shapes. 

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He believed that for a design to be timeless there needed to be an underlying adherence to primary geometric shapes, the simplest and most contrasting forms.

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This lead me to think about my type sketchbooks and how I can create conceptual and considered methods of creating grids. I took this research and created simple geometric shapes and made different grids using basic squares of patterns. The squares provided an interesting space to create letter forms but creating longer strips created more variety in the grids therefor more variety in the forms that people create. 

"Renner based the proportions of Futura capitals on 'circle, triangle, and square'. He did not consider the circularity of the round letters to be as intrinsic to Futura's charachter as the forms of E, F, L, T and P. Renner made E, F and L half-square in width and, more importantly for him, the horizontal strokes of E were all the same length."

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Burke (1998 p.96)

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"He believed that a designer had to consciously apply standards of aesthetic quality in order to make an object an artistic success. In his view the 'time-bound' aspect of design was the response to the material and functional demands of any situation. This provided only raw material, 'technological form', which, in order to become good design, required the addition of a 'timeless' aesthetic quality."

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Burke (1998, p.68)

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The 'timeless' rules, then, were an underlying adherence to primary geometric shapes - the 'simplest and most contrasting forms'.

The artistic worth of simplification does not lie in a mysterious magical power emanating from circle triangle and square; instead the artist simply designs so that the consistent variation, the logical differentiation from these highest categories is apparent, because we only understand such forms.

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Burke (1988, p.69)

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