Advanced Typography

Week 1 - Week 5
Teoh Hoong Boon (Julius) | 0338478
Advanced Typography
Exercises

Lectures

Lecture 1: MIB Brief/Typographic System
02 April 2019 | Week 1

The first day of class begins with Mr Vinod going over the module outline to give us a gist of what we can expect to learn in the class. We were also briefed on the fact that we as the class would be leading the lecture for the next week. Our topic was to be about the eight typographic systems.

Split into eight groups, we each had to come up with slides containing information our respective typographic system and present it to class as sort of a small presentation session. The eight systems were axial, radial, dilatational, random, grid, modular, transitional and bilateral.

Through the sharing one thing became apparent to me, some of these system share overlapping characteristics and knowing which was beneficial for each situation would be important. This is also because some systems possess a very decorative style and may not always be suitable for every situation, particularly ones that require absolute legibility. That being said, the following exercise should familiarize us further to each system.

Below is a compilation of the slides done by each group.

Lecture 2: Compressed History of Roman Alphabet
23 April 2019 | Week 4

This week one of the groups from the presentation session before give a lecture presentation on the history of the alphabet. The presentation details the origin of writing, the alphabet, how the invention of press came about, and how the typography we know today was developed.

The lecture explored how the alphabet was first created in Egypt with the advent of paper in the form of papyrus and it developed into the standardized roman letters we know today.

We also learnt of how printing was first created by the Chinese, improved by the Koreans and mechanized in Europe.

Below is the slides presented during the lecture.

Lecture 3: Finding Inspiration in Typeface Design

Week 5

Instruction

Typographic Systems

Week 1 | 02/04/2019

Armed with the knowledge from the prior lecture, we were given the task of designing 2 designs each for every one of the 8 systems. 16 designs in total, we were required to play around with the provided copy using only the 10 type families shared to us.

The copy was as follows:

The Design School, Taylor’s University

The Troublemakers Manifesto: A Design Colloquium

Open Public Lectures:

November 24, 2019

Lew Pik Svonn, 9AM-10AM

Ezrena Mohd., 10AM-11AM

Suzy Sulaiman, 11AM-12PM

November 25, 2019

Dr. Clarissa Ai Ling Li, 9AM-10AM

Professor John Sabraw, 10AM-11AM

Dr. Liyanna Khairuddin, 11AM-12PM

Lecture Theatre 12

Week 2 | 09/04/2019

Below are the initial compositions created in InDesign without colour as we were to focus solely on composition first.

Fig 1.1: (Initial Draft) Grid

Fig 1.2: (Initial Draft) Grid

Fig 1.3: (Initial Draft) Modular

Fig 1.4: (Initial Draft) Modular

Fig 1.5: (Initial Draft) Axial

Fig 1.6: (Initial Draft) Axial

Fig 1.7: (Initial Draft) Radial

Fig 1.8: (Initial Draft) Radial

Fig 1.9: (Initial Draft) Dilatational

Fig 1.10: (Initial Draft) Dilatational

Fig 1.11: (Initial Draft) Random

Fig 1.12: (Initial Draft) Random

Fig 1.13: (Initial Draft) Transitional

Fig 1.14: (Initial Draft) Transitional

Fig 1.15: (Initial Draft) Bilateral

Week 3 | 16/04/2019

After showing Mr Vinod and Mr Shamsul our initial 16 compositions and receiving feedback, we were to proceed to adding colour and finalising our designs, uploading them here when done.

The following are the finalised designs with tweaks to layout and added colour.

Fig 2.1: (Final Design) Grid

Fig 2.2: (Final Design) Grid

Fig 2.3: (Final Design) Modular

Fig 2.4: (Final Design) Modular

Fig 2.5: (Final Design) Axial

Fig 2.6: (Final Design) Axial

Fig 2.7: (Final Design) Radial

Fig 2.8: (Final Design) Radial

Fig 2.9: (Final Design) Dilatational

Fig 2.10: (Final Design) Dilatational

Fig 2.11: (Final Design) Random

Fig 2.12: (Final Design) Random

Fig 2.13: (Final Design) Transitional

Fig 2.14: (Final Design) Transitional

Fig 2.15: (Final Design) Bilateral

Fig 2.16: (Final Design) Bilateral

Fig 2.17: Thumbnails of Final Design #1

Fig 2.17: Thumbnails of Final Design #2

Embedded PDF of Final Design (Pages)

Embedded PDF of Final Design (Spread)

Week 4 | 23/04/2019

Type & Play - Part 1: Finding Type

As we venture into the second exercise our first task was to get a picture that we could observe for patterns to design fonts with. We were to trace the outlines on the object and identify five potential letterforms without colour and in a space of 200x200mm.

Fig 3.1 - Image of spools of string

Fig 3.2 - Grayscale reference image

Fig 3.3 - Process of tracing image

Fig 3.4 - Traced Image

Fig 3.5 - Outlined Image

Once outlining was done, work began for dissection for letters. Attention toward the curvature and flow of the strings to create letters.

Fig 3.6 - Letter "A"

Fig 3.7 - Letter "A"

Fig 3.8 - Letter "E"

Fig 3.9 - Letter "E"

Fig 3.10 - Letter "H"

Fig 3.11 - Letter "H"

Fig 3.12 - Letter "K"

Fig 3.13 - Letter "K"

Fig 3.14 - Letter "T"

Fig 3.15 - Letter "T"

Fig 3.16 - Overview of letters

Week 5 | 30/04/2019

Upon further inspection, Mr Vinod suggested that I add more of the texture of the string into the design, using the fibrous nature as either a complementary element or as part of the structure. This would also help to add more character than the shape alone can provide.

Fig 3.17 - Tracing silhouettes of string onto letters

Fig 3.18 - Grayscale image with increased contrast + letter tracing

Fig 3.19 - Letter "A"

Fig 3.20 - Letter "E"

Fig 3.21 - Letter "H"

Fig 3.22 - Letter "K"

Fig 3.23 - Letter "T"

Fig 3.24 - Letter Silhouette vs Letter w/ Details

With the extra details added, refinement of the letters commenced. Initially the letters were scaled and adjusted to bring the letter proportions closer to one another to achieve a more uniform size.

Fig 3.25 - Adjusted Letter "A"

Fig 3.26 - Adjusted Letter "E"

Fig 3.27 - Adjusted Letter "H"

Fig 3.28 - Adjusted Letter "K"

Fig 3.29 - Adjusted Letter "T"

Fig 3.30 - Comparison before and after adjustment

However as I worked on the letters, or rather attempted to, I came across a different kind of problem. Due to the fact that I had used the outline of the string to create the form, it proved more difficult refine the letters as essentially the letters were already visible as letters. This made it difficult to make any refinements as it felt as though very little could be done to the letterform.

Thankfully, a general comment from Mr Vinod directed towards the class lit a bulb so to speak. He mentioned that we need to work on making the letters less decorative and more rigid. This phrase made me realised that my letters were hard to refine because they were decorative fonts. As such, I decided take a different approach and refine it slightly differently.

I decided to take an extra step of dissection on my letters, pulling forms from my existing forms so to speak, as when I was struggling to refine the initial form I noticed letter patterns within the existing letters. So, using the outline as the support, I removed chunks of the outline while using and adjusting the string details to form letters once more.

Fig 3.30 - Initial letters (above) vs Extracted Letters (below)

With the new letterforms dissected, I worked to refine the letters once more. Reducing the unnecessary details to form a serif type font.

Fig 3.31 - Refined Letter "A"

Fig 3.32 - Refined Letter "E"

Fig 3.33 - Refined Letter "H"

Fig 3.34 - Refined Letter "K"

Fig 3.35 - Refined Letter "T"

Fig 3.36 - Dissected Letter (above) vs Refined Letters (Below)

With the letters taking on their final appearance, we were advised to refer to an existing font to aid in our refinement. Referring to the font Serif6 Beta which I had lying around my hard disk, I refined the letters to their final form, a serif italic style font with one or two of the strokes replaced with the string characteristic and the serifs stylised to match the contours of the ball of string.

Fig 3.37 - Final Letter "A"

Fig 3.38 - Final Letter "E"

Fig 3.39 - Final Letter "H"

Fig 3.40 - Final Letter "K"

Fig 3.41 - Final Letter "T"

Fig 3.42 - Before (above) & After (below)

PDF of Final Letters

Week 5 | 30/04/2019

Likewise on the same day, we were briefed on the second part of the type and play exercise. Namely the implementation of typography into photos to create a poster. We were told to find a picture online, preferably with dynamic angles or poses for more interplay opportunities.

Fig 4.1 - Chosen Image #1

Fig 4.2 - Chosen Image #2

Fig 4.3 - Chosen Image #1 Cropped and Edited

Fig 4.4 - Chosen Image #2 Edited

Fig 4.5 - First Poster Layout

Fig 4.6 - Second Poster Layout

Feedback

Week 2 | 09/04/2019

General Feedback: Mr. Vinod emphasized on improving our presentation skills. Reminders such as being clear and concise with one's words and using visuals to complement were given. One other thing to note is to keep in mind questions, whether it be in the audience or presenter, as an avenue for interaction.

Specific Feedback: Mr. Vinod advised me to try to keep in mind the composition style of the chosen typography system. For the modular system, this means to create segments with consistent volume to maintain the modular aesthetic.

Week 3 | 16/04/2019

Regarding the Typographic systems exercise, Mr. Vinod suggests adjusting the leading for the copy in the axial systems to try and offset the visual constricted feel. Certain background shapes should also be made a shade of grey for the sake of preview. In addition, the modular system needs a more uniform and rigid structure in the composition to make for a more organised system, one where the different chunks of text can be replaced with one another in the overall grid.

Week 4 | 23/04/2019

In terms of typographic systems exercise, the use of spacing in the grid system could be better. One of the random system could also use a less organised look. For the type and play exercise, Mr Vinod suggested to consider added few small details adopted from the object to the font due simple nature of the shapes traced.

Week 5 | 30/04/2019

General Feedback: Referring to an existing typeface can help in determining the form of the font including on whether if it should be a serif, san serif, block, etc. Specific Feedback: Remember to retain and show previous iterations of the process. This set of versions should help to show a progressive refinement.

Reflection

Experience

Week 1 | 02/04/2019
First class begins with a basic introduction to the idea of typographic systems as well as determining groups for a presentation next week. We are basically going to present one typographic system each as well as practice whatever we learned in our exercise.

Week 2 | 09/04/2019

This week we got to see what each typographic system was about, from how they work in a composition to what benefit they add to a design's overall visual merit. We also had a round table consultation of sorts, allowing us to see what each of us had come up with for the exercise as well as the things we ought to keep mind.

Week 3 | 16/04/2019

The task for the week, aside from refining and finalizing our typographic systems exercise, was to prepare for an exercise involving designing font out of objects. This begins with tracing out an outline for objects and textures and then trying to dissect individual letters out of the fray.

Week 4 | 23/04/2019

This week we got to show what we had managed to do over the past week, tracing our object of choice and dissecting the letters out which turns out, depending on your choice of object, could be fairly tricky.

Week 5 | 30/04/2019

We were advised to hasten our steps to completing the first part of our type and play exercise. The second part was revealed to us as a matter of interplay between words and images.

Observation

Week 1 | 02/04/2019

I observe that each system has its own way of conveying type hierarchy. Each brings its own feel and expression to the overall composition.

Week 2 | 09/04/2019

I observed that translating a design from sketch to digital is never an easy thing. What looks good in a rough early iteration may not actually fit in a digital setting. That being said, sketching still helps to jog the mind into coming up with a base for the actual design.

Week 3 | 16/04/2019

I observe that the mind is capable of making forms where there seems to be none. As is the case when one is able to form letters out of observing the textures of an object.

Week 4 | 23/04/2019

My observation for the week was that just because one extracts a letter out of the outlines of an object, it does not necessarily mean that the letter will inherit the characteristics of the object. Sometimes extra detail needs to be extracted to make the visual look more reminiscent to its original.

Week 5 | 30/04/2019

Observations for the week was that finding an image with major expression allows for more opportunities for the text to interact.

Findings

Week 1 | 02/04/2019

I find the subject of typographic systems to be something I was never really aware of despite having applied some of the principles to past designs. Visually they were familiar but the actual boundaries of what to and what not to do have been vague until now.

Week 2 | 09/04/2019

I have found that, while there is quite a bit of distinction between each typographic system, some overlapping characteristics lead to it being hard to properly identify them sometimes.

Week 3 | 16/04/2019

While making out shapes from objects to be made into letters, I have found that looking at images from different angles help to show shapes not noticeable before.

Week 4 | 23/04/2019

Details play a bigger role in designs then it seems. What we often neglect to notice in objects we encounter in daily life can sometimes provide a much needed character to a design.

Week 5 | 30/04/2019

Sometimes it pays to try backtracking when one hits a wall. This is most true in the creative works as sometimes one needs to step back and observe the piece of work and maybe even decide to revert some progress for the sake of new progress.