UPPER/LOWER: A CASE STUDY

At the beginning of written language, glyph designs had a unicameral (single case) appearance. As written language and the technology to convey it developed, bicameral (upper and lower case) letterforms evolved. Further developments in written and printed language resulted in the development of commonly accepted “rules” that governed how upper and lower case letters were used in various types of documents.  The use of upper and lower case letters followed a specific, and commonly agreed-upon order.

This paper provides a brief overview of the evolution of bicameral letter development. It evaluates the major influences and rules governing the use of bicameral typefaces in the English language, and how rules of order in typeface selection and use influenced readability.

The paper investigates growing disorder in the use of upper and lower case letters in specific twenty-first century examples. Design that once followed specific rules with regards to typographic design is becoming increasingly disordered, especially with respect to case, and the traditional order is often neither utilized nor respected by designers. Typeface designers now create typefaces that mix upper and lower case characteristics. Graphic designers selectively mix upper and lower case letters in an attempt to capture the attention of viewers and consumers. Specific examples of these designs are presented from three major forums where “omnicameral” typeface use is evident -- printed advertising, television titling and packaging. 

Questions are raised as to whether graphic designers take an “omnicameral” view of the use of letterforms in order to directly or subliminally attract the attention of consumers or viewers of their designs. Are these designs the result of poorly educated designers, designers who seek to push the limits of their craft, or the result of the typography having to fit the physical parameters of the document?  The answers to these questions lead to other, more serious questions about the use of upper and lower case letters, in lengthier documents where typographic disorder may result in unreadable documents.