
The Next Frontier Is in Your Brain - robg
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/opinion/sunday/the-next-frontier-is-in-your-brain.html?ref=opinion&_r=0&gwh=62C63B4F9803E9E155BFCB2A40801A42
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duopixel
I'm a designer and I'm often surprised that current science has not been able
to answer seemingly simple questions such as "what is the most legible
typeface for a printed book?" or "what is the best chair for working on a
computer?". The reason for this, I suspect, is that we are measuring the wrong
things. When researchers study legibility, they measure recall ability, speed
of reading, and other quantifiable stats. The results of these studies often
vary and are difficult to replicate.

A good typographer doesn't aim for style, he/she aims to get typography out of
the way in order to read a text with minimal distraction. Erik Spiekermann put
it succinctly when he said "typography is like air, you only notice it when
it's bad". I think design will connect to science only when we are able to
peek into the brain and see if a person is really concentrated when reading a
text, or pleased when he sits down on a really comfortable chair.

This kind of research will bring great dividends in various fields. I can
think of anti-depressant medication, architecture, and advertising (perhaps
this last one is more controversial).

