Advanced Typography
Task 1
LECTURES
Week 1- The lecture this week was briefing about the module itself and all sorts of tasks and assignments we will be doing in this semester. As usual, we were told to create our own blog using blogger to post our assignments and we must follow the format that is given by the lecturer for the e-portfolio. Of course the lecture this week taught us how to create our own blogs with the accurate format briefly.
In this week we learned 8 types of typographic systems, they are Axial, Radial, Dilatational, Random, Grid, Transitional, Modular, and Bilateral respectively. As for the big helps, we got to watch the tutorials provided by lecturers on YouTube about all of the details step by step.
Figure 0.1: Formatting in InDesign, 23 August 2021
INSTRUCTIONS
Task 1A: Typographic Systems
In this project, we will be designing the 8 types of typographic systems by using Size 200 x 200 mm. In addition to black, we are allowed to use one other colour. Graphical elements (line, dot, etc.) can be used but limitedly.
PROGRESS
Task 1A: Typographic Systems
Week 1
SKETCHES
Axial
Figure 0.2: First attempt on Axial Typographic System, 23 August 2021
Figure 0.3: Second attempt on #1 design of Axial Typ System, 23 August 2021
Changes made:
Due to visual corruption of the texts mention by lecturer, I adjusted the spacing between the letters that are in all capitals letter.
Radial
Figure 0.4: first attempt on Radial Typographic System, 23 August 2021
Dilatational
Figure 0.5: Attempt on Dilatational Typographic System, 24 August 2021
Random
Figure 0.6: Attempt on Random Typographic System, 24 August 2021
Grid
Figure 0.7: Attempt on Grid Typographic System, 24 August 2021
Transitional
Figure 0.8: Attempt on Transitional Typographic System, 25 August 2021
Modular
Figure 0.9: Attempt on Modular Typographic System, 25 August 2021
Bilateral
Figure 1.0: Attempt on Bilateral Typographic System, 26 August 2021
Week 2
Improvised Task 1A
Random
Figure 1.1: 2nd Attempt, 01 September 2021
Bilateral
Figure 1.2: 2nd Attempt, 01 September 2021
Modular
Figure 1.3: 2nd Attempt, 01 September 2021
Random
Figure 1.4: 3rd Attempt, 03 September 2021
Modular
Figure 1.5: 3rd Attempt/ slight changes, 03 September 2021
Final submissions
PDF
PDF with Gridlines, 11 September 2021
PDF without Gridlines, 11 September 2021
Exercise 2, Part 1: Type and Play
Week 3
Figure 1.6: Wallpaper, picture from Internet, 06 September 2021
Figure 1.7: Traced in AI, 06 September 2021
After tracking the carpet, I started to look at the lines under the shape and found that the hidden letters were identifiable. The 4 letters I found was letter "A, E, X, and Y" respectively.
Figure 1.8: Letter "A", 06 September 2021
Figure 1.9: Letter "E", 06 September 2021
Figure 2.0: Letter "X", 06 September 2021
Figure 2.1: Letter "Y", 06 September 2021
Figure 2.2: Letters "A, E, X, and Y", 06 September 2021
Figure 2.3: Taken out letters :A, E, X, and Y", 06 September 2021
After getting the letters out from the shapes, I started to match and refine the letters by comparing them with one of the 10 Typefaces provided by lectures, the "Univers LT Std 55 Roman".
Figure 2.4: 1st Refinement on the letters, 07 September 2021
For this first attempt on the letter refinements, I only tried to adjust the letters' height as similar as the chosen font so that I can get the shape of the letters to look more reasonable. Besides that, I have noticed all the thickness of the chosen font was equal so I started to adjust the thickness or the strokes of the created letters.
Figure 2.5: Several refinements, 07 September 2021
The third roll of the letters was the thickness adjustment, then I begun to make the guidelines for the actual font, the "Univers LT Std 55 Roman" in order to make sure I have the correct formatting for the created font.
Figure 2.6: Semi-final refinement, 07 September 2021
Figure 2.7: More refinements, 13 September 2021
Figure 2.8: Final refinement, 14 September 2021
PDF
Exercise 2, Part 2: Type and Image
Week 4
Chosen images for this exercise:
Pictures from Internet.
Attempts
Figure 2.7: "Ghost Cave", 18 September 2021
Figure 2.8: "MIST", 18 September 2021
PDF
FEEDBACK
Week 1
Specific feedback: For capital letters on the top here, whenever you use capital letters in a sentence or a word, you must give it a little bit more letter spacing.
General feedback: Technically, you are correct and are adhering to what the axial system prescribes, but when you adhere to any of the system, you are adhering in a very technical manner, you also have to gauge whether the adherence complies to good design. Good design will be determined by the way you arrange the information and where you place the information. the contrast between the spaces you put is creating a little bit of imbalance, so do make sure they don't look odd as a whole design.
Week 2
Specific feedback: Design wise, there are some questions that we need to ask ourselves. Which is like, does this look interesting enough?, is this eye-catching enough? and so on. For the modular system, the information for the title I have over there is very complicated because I have different point sizes, different typefaces, that made it created too much complexity. For the bilateral, always command the space, do not let the space command you. When you're working on the space for the bilateral, you need to make a bold decision like maybe move some piece of information to the side or to the top. This is like commanding some part of the spaces. It also takes a lot of try and error when it comes to try and use many kinds of typefaces in one design.
General feedback: Try to reduce using too much non-objective elements, it distracts from the reading of the information. Try to avoid using too many typefaces at once. Never use two different sanserif typefaces at once in one design. You need to always use serif or sanserif at once if you want to use 2 different typefaces at the same time.
Week 3
Specific feedback: Good job on the Modular attempt, and actually you should not worry about cutting of some part of the letters. "The ABCs of..." you can actually make it bigger so that it reaches the edge here, so then you will need to maintain the same point size for the other two lines and you will find that it gets cut off a little at the sides, and that is fine. A little bit getting cut off is fine. You seems to struggle a bit on the random system and it needs some work.
General feedback: Never split the design to an 2/2 (half page), especially when you split it into a black and white kind of half half. The black side will always look too dominant. If it is radial, all the text have to be pointed at the point.
Week 4
Questions asked:
1. Are the strokes consistent in style & weight?
2. Comment on the refining process:
• Are the number of stages appropriate/enough?
• Has the form evolved while retaining crucial/core features?
3. What can be improved upon?
Specific feedback: The characteristic of a wallpaper is just dependent on the pattern of the wallpaper, so despise the simplicity, the concept is still there. Mr. Vinod liked how the shape of the letter "A" was formed, however, there is still a sense of unfishiness to it. It is probably the consistency of the strokes or thickness of the letterforms. The letter "E" also still need some work there. Do they look like they have the similar consistency to each of the letter you design.
General feedback: Everyone needs to have a point of reference from existing typeface. Keep in mind that consistency of letter forms are important when it comes to designing a type of font. Don't make the letters too complicated, keep it simplified and don't add too many elements in one font design. Make more refinements and try and errors.
Week 5
Specific feedback: Not given.
General feedback: Make sure that the image that you have chosen actually has enough space for you to place the text and all so that it doesn't look too compact. The space for the text should be equal or more to the image you have chosen. When you just typing out the text and with no effect, it would look too simplicity, some more effects won't hurt. Don't take too many words in one design when you are already struggling designing the text, try focusing on one or two words.
REFLECTION
Experience: The moment I received this task 1 and knowing that I will create and design something as like in magazines with these 8 types of type systems, the Axial, Bilateral, Transitional, Random, Dilatational, Modular, Grid, and Radial, I thought to myself that this should be easy and when we just have to adhere the system and design anything with it. But as I am working through this task, I found that professionally creating a good design is not that easy, especially when we are not allowed to use visual graphics along with not just any type of fonts. I sure started to frustrate a bit when some things are limited, but it all makes sense if its about professionally creating a design with each systems. Then, the one system that struggled me was the random system, it sure took me several attempts in order to get the hang of it. Of course it was not just struggle when there were tutors guiding us step by step, we technically just have to follow the instructions and do our job so it was quite a fun experience as well because I did learned something new.
Observation: I have observed that there are so many ideas creating a suitable yet creative designs with each of every type system and not using strong visual graphics, I have seen many of my classmates' works and it was just so mesmerizing to encounter so many different ideas from different people.
Findings: I have learned that it is not just all about joining the text with visual graphics to bring out the meaning of the words, we get to present the meaning well with just playing around with the text itself.
FURTHER READINGS
Figure 2.7: Book cover of "Why Fonts Matter", 2016
This is the book that I have done some readings for Typography, "Why Fonts Matter", by Sarah Hyndman, 2016. This book has 144 pages itself as being a short book to read, is was pretty convenient. So, the difference from the other books on the list is that these books focus on the psychological aspects of genre and how fonts affect consumers.
Fonts have different personalities that can build trust or distrust, give you confidence, make things look easier to do or make products better. The scientific basis for understanding how fonts affect reading content. They are hidden in clear sight and trigger memories, associations and multi-sensory experiences in your imagination.
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