Core77

A Handheld Font- and Color-Detecting Device, Yea or Nay?

Should Spector be an app, or does it have more value as a standalone object?

By Rain Noe - July 7, 2016

in Visual Communication | UX

Enter a caption (optional)

That's the Spector, a friendly-looking handheld tool for detecting both fonts and colors. The pleasing shape looks as if it could have come out of Braun's archives. As for what it does, the user places it over a physical piece of media, like a book page or magazine article, and it scans whatever letters are within its field of vision to reveal the typeface, font size, kerning, leading, and where said font can be purchased. It also scans colors, returning their specific RGB/CMYK/Pantone values.

Perhaps most impressively, the device directly connects with apps on your computer—InDesign, Pages, Word—and can instantly transform on-screen text to match whatever it is you're scanning.

Spector from Fiona O'Leary on Vimeo.

Spector is not in production, by the way; it was invented as a school project by student Fiona O'Leary of the Royal College of Arts (M.A. Design Products, 2016). The device is undeniably clever, particularly the "last mile" part where it connects to your computer and directly effects the changes the user is likely to want. If I were O'Leary's professor I'd give her an "A." This "Yea or Nay" post isn't about whether O'Leary should have created Spector or not. She certainly should have.

The question I have for you all is: If this were a device on the market that you could use, would you prefer it be a standalone physical device, or simply an app on your phone? (The latter exist, though I've not seen great reviews, nor the range of functionality embedeed within O'Leary's device.) I already know what one of my own Product Design professors would have said, as he was obsessed with dematerializiation, but I cannot call him an everyman nor everydesigner; I'm more curious to hear your opinions.

Enter a caption (optional)

I myself go back and forth. On the one hand I love the idea of apps that can perform useful functions, as when they're buried within my phone there's one less thing for me to carry. I'd never use Shazam, for instance, if it was a physical object I had to remember to bring with me everywhere.

On the other hand, apps can be finicky and clunky to use, and there is real pleasure in using a purpose-built standalone object that does its job well. To use a shop analogy, there's joy in pulling, say, a rabbet skew plane--something that does only one thing but does it well--down off of a shelf, and quickly achieving the precise result you desire.

So: If Spector existed, would you buy one? If not, why not? If your answer is yes, I'm wondering if O'Leary can be talked into a Kickstarter campaign.

o

Favorite This
Q
7

Comment

Comments

1stlvl Humanoid

8 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Make it an app. Don't want or need another thing.

!Report as spam
Stephen Beale

8 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

This is an impressive student project, but it's generated some of the most ridiculous media hype I've seen in a long time. This article isn't bad, but Wired called it "Shazam for Fonts" and Fast Company called it the "Ultimate Font Finder." This for a prototype the writers haven't tested and that can currently recognize seven typefaces. I wrote this analysis on my website:
http://www.sbealeonline.com/content/magic-eyedropper-tool-fonts-i-dont-think-so

!Report as spam
Tomek Piatek

8 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Nay. Colour matching won't work. It's just too dependent on too many factors outside of anyone's control out in the field. Light, of course being the biggest one.

I also don't see why we need another hand-held device. This thing will either have to do some image recognition on-board or upload the scanned image to some other service that will do that. This can be done on any modern phone.

Still, it's a pretty well considered student project.

!Report as spam
Phil Weiner

8 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Font YAY color NAY. The color matching will just not work out. And Adam is right...Everytime I look at a billboard I already know the font.

!Report as spam
Juan Cano

8 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

I think it's a terrific idea and coming from a student, it's just tremendous. I think some people would find it useful and others would not; not sure about carrying it around, but in a studio environment it would work perfect.

!Report as spam
John Kestner

8 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Presumably you need a separate device because it will have a more accurate color sensor tuned for the task. I would love a device that could match Pantone, that's cheaper and smaller than Pantone's.

!Report as spam
Adam Kruvand

8 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Nay. It's a nice gimmick, but experienced designers can already recognize fonts and colors. Not a big deal.

!Report as spam