“Miles Albert Tinker and the Zone of Optimal Typography”, 1989 ():
For 32 years Miles Albert Tinker conducted basic research on the interaction between typographical conditions and the reading process, resulting in a body of scientific data offers guidelines for procedures of instructional materials, especially print. Tinker studied typography, eye movements, illumination, ergonomics, standard psychology, and reading. Confusion between reading and typography as imagery caused misunderstanding of Tinker’s basic research.
Objectives: of this dissertation were: (1) to present evidence that Tinker was a well-trained experimental psychologist who worked within the mainstream of psychology while conducting specialized research, (2) to show how Tinker’s methods developed, (3) to demonstrate, with the aid of graphic arts literature, why Tinker’s work did not substantially impact that area, (4) to propose a structural framework, the Zone of Optimal Typography (ZOT), within which Tinker’s work might be organized, (5) to document a complete record of Tinker’s articles, books and book reviews, (6) to visually demonstrate Tinker’s results within the body of this dissertation and its appendices, and finally, (7) to produce the dissertation with state-of-the-art technological innovations not available in Tinker’s time, but to which the discussion based on his work may apply.
Historical research holds contributions for today’s technologies and for understanding of modern developments in research and theory.