The Typographical Solution
Morla Design pairs wit and elegance with typography for projects that move beyond marketing.
Jennifer Morla poses the question to herself at the onset of a project “Can I solve this with typography?” It’s one of her 25 Designisms, guiding principles learned over time (and download-able from her website: http://bit.ly/designisms).
“Oftentimes, approaching a design challenge through typography really gives the viewer the DNA of what you’re trying to establish, without the baggage that can come with other graphic or photo-graphic elements,” says Morla.
And she has the experience to back up her state-ment. With more than 300 awards of excellence, Morla was the recipient of the 2010 AIGA Medal and has over 50 pieces in the permanent collections of MoMA, SFMOMA, the Smithsonian, the Denver Art Museum and the Library of Congress.
Morla Design was formed in 1984 as a multi-disciplinary firm encompassing branding, Web, packaging, print, retail and trade environments. Its integrated marketing approach has produced solutions that translate smoothly across a variety of mediums, coupling design excellence with brand objectives.
In its projects, the studio pairs wit and elegance on everything from motion graphics and branding to retail environments and textiles for clients like Levi Strauss, Apple, Wells Fargo, Herman Miller and Design Within Reach.
“Design that isn’t in service to an idea isn’t design,” says Morla. “You have to not only be responding to a problem but selling it—making sure your idea is relevant enough to clients that they believe in what you’re doing.”
And that starts with typography.
By Clay Hamilton