Arguing and Empathy is an e-book built around three interconnected stories by Don Johnson: “The Real Reason We Get into Arguments,” “Your Opinions Are Not Facts,” and “How ‘Verbal Aikido’ Can Help You Avoid Stupid Arguments.” These narratives share a central theme: the nature of arguing, which Johnson believes stems from a fundamental lack of empathy.
This project helped me explore how typography can reflect tone and emotion. I experimented with typographic hierarchy by adjusting text weight, line spacing, and indentation to emphasize the flow of dialogue and narrative.
After reading the essays, I chose Montserrat for its clean geometry and broad range of styles, which gave me the flexibility to reflect contrasting tones—almost as if the words themselves were in conversation or conflict.
In my visual research, two colors emerged repeatedly: red and blue—red symbolizing argument and emotion, and blue representing empathy and calm. Red is often associated with passion, anger, and intensity, while blue conveys serenity, trust, and understanding. Although these colors are also linked to political symbolism, I intentionally worked to avoid any political connotations. To balance and soften the palette, I introduced a dark purple and a light tan, which complement the red and blue and help steer the design away from partisan associations.
Arguing and Empathy is an e-book built around three interconnected stories by Don Johnson: “The Real Reason We Get into Arguments,” “Your Opinions Are Not Facts,” and “How ‘Verbal Aikido’ Can Help You Avoid Stupid Arguments.” These narratives share a central theme: the nature of arguing, which Johnson believes stems from a fundamental lack of empathy.
This project helped me explore how typography can reflect tone and emotion. I experimented with typographic hierarchy by adjusting text weight, line spacing, and indentation to emphasize the flow of dialogue and narrative.
After reading the essays, I chose Montserrat for its clean geometry and broad range of styles, which gave me the flexibility to reflect contrasting tones—almost as if the words themselves were in conversation or conflict.
In my visual research, two colors emerged repeatedly: red and blue—red symbolizing argument and emotion, and blue representing empathy and calm. Red is often associated with passion, anger, and intensity, while blue conveys serenity, trust, and understanding. Although these colors are also linked to political symbolism, I intentionally worked to avoid any political connotations. To balance and soften the palette, I introduced a dark purple and a light tan, which complement the red and blue and help steer the design away from partisan associations.
