Advanced Typography- Task 1

30/08/2023 - 27/09/2023, Week 1 - Week 5

Jordan Axel / 0354894

Advanced Typography / Bachelor of Design in Creative Media (Hons)

Task 1: Exercise 1 & 2 

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LECTURES

WEEK 1 - LECTURE 1

Advanced Typography: Typographic Systems

Typographic systems are akin to a set of rules that provide a sense of purpose that focuses and directs the decision making.

Axial System: All elements are organized to he left or right of a single axis

fig 1.1 Axial System

fig 1.2 Axial System Example

Radial System: All elements are extended from a point of focus.

fig 1.3 Radial System

fig 1.4 Radial System Example

Dilatational System: All elements expanded from a central point in a circular fashion

fig 1.5 Dilatational System

fig 1.6 Dilatational System Example

Random System: Elements that have no specific pattern or relationship.

fig 1.7 Random System

                                                            fig 1.8 Random System Examples

Grid System: A system of horizontal and vertical divisions

fig 1.9 Grid System Examples

fig 1.10 Grid System Examples

Transitional System: An informal system of layered banding.

fig 1.11 Transitional System

fig 1.12 Transitional System Example

Modular System: A series of non-objective elements that are constructed in as a standardized units.

fig 1.13 Modular System

fig 1.14 Modular System Examples

Bilateral System: All text is arranged symmetrically on a single axis.

fig 1.15 Bilateral System

fig 1.16 Bilateral System Examples

WEEK 2 - LECTURE 2

Advanced Typography: Typographic composition

Principles of Design Composition: Emphasis, isolation, repetition, balance (symmetry/asymmetry), alignment, perspective, rhythm, contrast.

fig 1.17 Emphasis

fig 1.18 rule of thirds

fig 1.19 environmental grid

fig 1.20 Form and Movement

WEEK 3 - LECTURE 3

Advanced typography: Context and Creativity

The earliest forms of writing were designed to imitate handwriting, handwriting would become the basis or standard forms for mechanical type to mimic.

fig 1.21 Letterforms evolving through the ages

Early Greek (5th century B.C.E.): Originally drawn by hand without compasses or rulers and without serifs. Over time, the letters became thicker, with smaller gaps, and gained serifs.

Roman Uncials (4th century C.E.): Roman letters started to become more rounded, which made them quicker to write with fewer strokes.

English Half Uncials (8th century): In England, the uncial script became slanted and condensed.

Carolingian Minuscule: This style introduced capitals at the start of sentences, spaces between words, and punctuation. It served as a model for 15th-century Humanistic writing, which later influenced our lowercase Roman type.

Black Letter (12-15th century C.E.): Known for tight spacing and condensed lettering, with evenly spaced verticals to save materials in book production.

The Italian Renaissance: During this period, ancient letterforms (Antica) were rediscovered. The Renaissance's focus on form, previously applied to art and architecture, extended to letterforms, resulting in more refined and logical lettering.

fig 1.22 Oldest writing found in the Indus Valley Civilization

fig 1.23 Brahmi Script

The Brahmi Script was one of the earliest Indian writing system after the Indus script, it greatly influenced modern Indian scripts and hundreds of scripts in Southeast and East Asia.

Week 4 | Designing Type

Why another typeface?

The process of type design:

1. Research

-Discover the terminology, standards, and history of type.

-Determine the font's intended function and the appropriate places to utilize it.

-For motivation, suggestions, and context, consider existing fonts.

2. Sketching

-Utilizing either analogue or digital tools.

3. Digitisation

-Most skilled designers use Fontlab or Glyphs.

4. Testing

-Testing helps in typeface improvement, and prototyping yields insightful input. 

-For reading typefaces, readability is more important, but for display fonts, style is more important than readability.

5. Deploy

-A completed font may still have unforeseen issues that weren't discovered during testing and development. Therefore, after deployment, adjustments are still required. Extensive testing is required to ensure that these problems are minor.

Typeface constructions

Fig 1.24 Construction grid for Roman capitals

Grids (with circular shapes) can make letterform construction easier, and using them is one way to build, create, or design your letterform.

Constructions and considerations

Fig 1.25 Classifications according to form and construction

The 26 letters of the alphabet can be organized into groups depending on their shape and construction, with a group for capital letters and a group for lowercase letters being distinguished.

Fig 1.26 The letters "c" and "e"

WEEK 5- LECTURE 5

Advanced Typography: Perception and Organization

Fig 1.27 Contrast

Here are a few ways to use contrast in typography.

Size

Fig 1.28 Contrast of size

The reader's attention is directed to a point by a contrast in size. The reader would notice the larger letter first, for instance, if there were a big and a small letter. Making a title or heading substantially larger than the body content is the most typical usage of size.

Weight

Fig 1.29 Contrast of weight

Alternative than using bold, there are alternative ways to make bold text stand out in the center of lighter type of the same style, such employing rules, spots, or squares.

Structure

Structure refers to the many letterforms found in various typefaces. For instance, an italic and a blackletter, or a monoline sans serif and a conventional serif.

Texture

Fig 1.31 Contrast of texture

The contrast of texture is created by combining the contrasts of size, weight, form, and structure and applying them to a block of text on a page. Texture describes how the font would seem overall, both up close and at a distance. This is dependent on both the letterforms themselves and their arrangement.

Color

Fig 1.33 Contrast of color

According to the usage of color, a second hue is frequently less dramatic in values than a simple black on white. It is crucial to consider which element should be emphasized when choosing the tonal values of the colors that are employed.

Form

Fig 1.34 Form

Form describes the overall appearance and feel of the typographic composition's constituent parts. It is the component that affects first impressions and visual impact. A good typographic form typically draws the eye aesthetically, guides the eye from one place to another, engages the intellect, and is frequently memorable.

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INSTRUCTION

Task 1: Exercise 1 - Typographic Systems

For this exercise, we are to explore 8 typographic systems, such as axial, radial, dilatational, random, grid, modular, transitional, and bilateral. It must be done in Adobe InDesign using the contents given. 

-Size: 200 x 200 mm

-Colors: Black and one additional color

-Minimal graphical elements

fig 2.1 design 1

fig 2.2 design 2

fig 2.3 design 3&4

fig 2.4 design 5&6

fig 2.5 design 7&8

Final compiled file

final pdf file

TASK 2

fig 3.1 sample picture

I took this picture 2 years ago because of the ant camouflaging in the trees. Although it is a big ant and the color is white it is hard to find.

fig 3.2 result attempt 2

fig 3.2 poster result

I changed the image to a cheetah because the tree picture is not useable after what Mr. Vinod said.

FINAL

                                                                     fig 3.3 final result

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Feedback

Week 4

General Feedback: The design should represent the poster

Specific Feedback: poster needs more words on it.

Week 3 General feedback: consistent in every letter Specific feedback: should've use the shape not the outline

Week 2 General Feedback: graphical elements can't be too distracting

Week 1 General Feedback: Mr. Vinod lets us know what to do for the next class

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Reflection

Experience: 

My biggest concerns throughout the work were trying to design intriguing layouts for the first exercise while also adhering to the restrictions of the typographic systems. I also put pressure on myself not to use common layouts in order to avoid seeming like my peers' work. Surprisingly, I like the finding-type exercise because the type design was taken from an actual image. However, I did struggle with the type and picture exercise since keeping the legibility of the poster was difficult.

Observation:

My main awareness was rather personal, I realised that my propensity to take the easy way out and not think outside the box frequently resulted in less satisfying results. However, totally accepting the obstacles seemed to be a path for my own development. This work mostly concentrated on the creative process. It became clear that changing the margins may make the design feel more tense.

Findings

Before beginning exercise 1, I had a somewhat set perspective on typographic systems. I found that designing and producing with various layouts became more enjoyable once I fully understood the intricacies of these systems. Nevertheless, I understood that establishing movement and fluidity in the text was essential to achieving a dynamic interaction between the words and the visuals. 

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Further Reading

Robert Bringhurst's basic book "The Elements of Typographic Style" is a thorough introduction to typography. It investigates the background, tenets, and applications of typography and provides priceless insights into type design, layout, and the craft of typesetting. This book is an essential tool for designers, typographers, and anybody interested in the art and science of type because of Bringhurst's rigorous attention to detail and emphasis on typographic workmanship.

Jim Williams' book "Type Matters!" is a succinct and easy-to-read overview of the fundamentals of typography. It condenses essential concepts into an approachable manner, making it both an excellent resource for newcomers and a convenient reference for design experts. Williams emphasises the significance of type in effective communication and design through straightforward explanations and helpful examples, giving readers the knowledge they need to make wise typographic decisions.