Typography // Task 1 Exercises
25/8/2020 - 15/9/2020 / Week 1 - Week 4
Gan Shin Tung / 0346455
Typography / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Task 1 (Exercise) Type Expression
Lectures
Week 1 :
Typography is a subject that most people would find it difficult however it is important as the fundamentals of typography can bring people forward to any modules of design or even out of design.
What is typography?
- the act of creating letters -> the creation of typefaces or type families
- it can also be in animation form (exp: movie titles, gif)
- visible and prevalent in website designs (it influences the outcome of web designs)
- seen in app design (communicates and appeals to app users)
- signage design -> buildings navigation
- understanding of a physical space to place information
- used upon labels, books, posters, logo, trademark
Mr. Vinod emphasized that reading is one of the important roles of mastering typography. In other words, typography is a bearing to present yourself and present your information how you communicate effectively.
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| Figure 1.0 Black Letter Calligraphy |
Calligraphy is a type of typography. Although it is not in our syllabus, but I find it interesting. According to Mr. Vinod, back in the old days people who writes well indicates they are highly educated and they came from a high class society. Writing reveals one's educational background and class.
Week 2 :
The recorder lecture for this week is about development of typography. This lecture Mr. Vinod went into history and formation of letters. It was said that most of the words came from Phoenician and only then later on evolved to old Arabian, Greek, Roman, early Latin and such. The Greeks changed the directions of writing, called 'boustrophedon' meaning the lines of text read alternately from right to left and left to right. They also changed the orientation of letter form as shown in the image below.
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| Figure 1.2 Boustrophedon |
The image below shows early letterform development : Phoenician to Roman
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| Figure 1.3 Phoenician to Roman |
In the past, books were being written by people who is good at writing, their job is to write about histories, civilizations, empires, religious scripts so that it can be passed on. However, writing a whole book takes a long time therefore books were very costly. Letters have been evolving as the years went by, it has a history of 2000 years.
- 1450 Blackletter - Earliest printing type
- 1475 Oldstyle - Based upon lowercase used by Italian scholars for book copying
- 1500 Italic - Allow more words to a page
- 1550 Script - Attempt to recreate engraved calligraphic forms
- 1750 Transitional - Refinement of oldstyle
- 1775 Modern - Further refinement of oldstyle
- 1825 Square serif - Made for the newly developed needs of advertising
- 1900 Sans serif - Serifs were eliminated all together
- 1990 Serif/Sans Serif - A typeface that includes both serif and sans serif
Week 3 :
Today's recorded lecture we learned about Text / Tracking : Kerning and Letter spacing.
Kerning : the automatic adjustments of space between letters.
Tracking : the additional and removal of space in a word or sentence.
Flush left : Each line starts at the same point but ends whenever the last word on the line ends, spacing is consistent.
Centered Text : Transforms fields of text into shapes, adding a pictorial quality to materials that is non-practical by nature.
Flush Right : Emphasis on the end of a line as opposite to the start. Useful in captions where text and image is ambiguous.
Justified : Reducing spaces between words, letters. Openness of lines can occasionally produce white spacing.
Type calls attention to itself before the reader can get to the actual words is simply interference, and should be avoided. Quite simply if you see the type before you see the words, change the type.
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| Figure1.4 Anatomy of Typeface Source: https://material.io/design/typography/understanding-typography.html |
Typefaces : Adobe Caslon, Baskerville, Bambo, Adobe Garamond Pro, Bauer Bodoni, Adobe Jenson Pro, Universe, Futura, Helvetica, Frankin Gothic, Serita, Grill Sans.
Type Size : Should be large enough to be read easily at arms length
Leading : Text that is too tightly encourages vertical eye movement; a reader can easily loose it place. Type that is set too loosely creates striped patterns that distract the reader from the material at hand.
Line Length : Appropriate leading for the text is as much a function of the line length as it is a question of type size and leading. Shorter lines require less leading ; longer lines more. A good rule of thumb is to keep line length between 55-56 characters.
Compositional requirement : Text should create a field that can occupy a page or screen.
Week 4 :
Today's lecture recording we learn about Letter Understanding
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| Figure 1.5 Letterforms Source: https://journal.chrisglass.com/2003/12/the_parts_of_le.html |
So, basically different letterforms will change the symmetry of the letters. Although the letters may look symmetrical however if you zoom in and look closely it is actually not. Maintaining x-height generally describe the size of the lowercase letterforms. Curve strokes such as 's' letter must rise above the median or sink below the baseline in order to appear to be the same size as the vertical and horizontal strokes they adjoin. The counter-form describe as the space is often contained by the stokes of the form. When letters are joined to form words, the counter-form includes the spaces between them. The latter is important when working on lowercase 'r' that have no counter per se. One of the way to understand the form and counter of a letter is to examine them in close detail. It also provide a good feel for how the balance between form and counter is achieved and a palpable sense of letterform's unique characteristics. The simple contrasts produce numerous variations : small + organic/ large + machine; small + dark/ large light.
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| Figure 1.6 Letter Contrast |
Instructions
<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ez2ML9nFG0GGNpYCY1pdzvK1cVw7jh2F/preview" width="640" height="480"></iframe>
TASK 1 :
Exercise : Type Expression
This is our very first task which was given on the first week of class. We were given twelve words: Bang, Boom, Twirl, Tired, Mad, Hug, Scary, Snow, Doom, Lurk, Breathe, Roar. We were to choose up to four words and create designs which express the meaning of the words using typography theory. The four words that I chose were Hug, Snow, Roar, Breathe. These are the sketches I made for each word.
Figure 1.7 Sketches of my design (28/8/20)
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| Figure1.8 My first draft of design (1/9/20) |
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| Figure 1.9 My Final design (1/9/20) |
Figure 2.0 My Final Design PDF(1/9/20)
Task 2
Exercise : Type Animation
Our second task is to choose one word from our previous task which is Type Expression and make it into animation gif. I choose the word snow.
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| Figure 2.1 Frames used for Animation (8/9/20) |
I create multiple frames to make the small letters of snow at the back falls down.
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| Figure 2.2 Process of Animation (8/920) |
I remained the word snow in bold at the centre and make the letters at the back move downwards.
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| Figure 2.3 My First Draft Animation (8/9/20) |
As a result, I created an effect of snow falling down using the letters at the back so that it creates an image of snowflakes. After getting feedback from Mr.Vinod, I improvised my work. The gif shown below is my final work of Type Animation.
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| Figure 2.4 My Final Type Animation (8/9/20) |
Task 3
Exercise : Type Formatting
This week our task is to create name card design, text formatting using Indesign instead of Ai Illustration.
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| Figure 2.5 Name Card (13/9/20) |
First I made a name card using the guides provided by Mr.Vinod. We are allowed to choose several fonts that represents our personality. I chose Adobe Caslon Regular as I am a simple person and I like simple things and designs.
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| Figure 2.6 Margins & Guide (13/9/20) |
After that we were taught to add margins so that it could guide us upon making measurements of spaces. We were told to create different ways of presenting name cards. Each design requires specific margin and measurements, or else the overall would look weird and unsymmetrical.
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| Figure 2.7 Formatting Text (13/9/20) |
Moving on to formatting text, we were suppose to choose the best name card that we prefer and paste on the right top corner of the text. Since Mr.Vinod said that he will not bother the content of the text, therefore I paste a random paragraph of texts about 250 words approximately.
Figure 2.8 Final Type Formatting PDF (13/9/20)
This is the final outcome of text formatting. It took me a while to figure out and get used to it but thanks to Mr.Vinod's guide I was able to complete this task. After getting feedback I made an adjustments and upload it as my final.
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| Figure 2.9 Text Formatting Margins (15/9/20) |
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| Figure 3.0 Text Formatting Margins (15/9/20) |
In class, Mr.Vinod went through text formatting again with us. We were told to practice type formatting of an article following his instructions. After that we had to choose another article and format it by ourselves. He also emphasized the importance of margins and columns.
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| Figure 3.1 First Draft Text Formatting(1) JPG (15/9/20) |
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| Figure 3.2 First Draft Text Formatting(2) JPG (15/9/20) |
Figure 3.3 First Draft Text Formatting PDF (15/9/20)
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| Figure 3.4 Second Columns & Margins (22/9/20) |
After getting feedback from Mr.Vinod, I made changes and adjustments to my text formatting article. I redo the margins and re-watched the lecture videos to double check on my work.
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| Figure 3.6 Final Text Formatting(1) JPG (22/9/20) |
Figure 3.8 Final Text Formatting PDF (22/9/20)
Feedback
Week 1:Specific FeedBack: Mr. Vinod went through my blog and suggested me using same font for my blog titles. He also correct me using the 10 family typeface as I did not use according to the typefaces given. He gave ideas on changing the design of snow instead of having the whole word, it's better to have letters of snow falling down. He showed me an example of doing it so that I am more clear on what I'm suppose to do. Besides that, Mr. Shamsul demonstrated on how to export pdf file in Adobe Illustrator into JPEG file. For final check, Mr. Vinod recommended having a ticker font for the word hug would be better as hug represents warm and comfy, it would be better to have a fluffy thing to hug on.
Week 2 : General Feedback: Mr. Vinod wen through my gif and said that the movement was too fast. He suggested me doing continuous falling of letters at the back instead of having a white space. He said that I could create a slow motion of different layers. Overall it was presentable.
Week 3 : Specific Feedback : Mr. Vinod and Mr. Shamsul went through my gif again and said that the gif was better with alphabets falling down constantly, however the letters were still slightly fast in motion but it could also be a snow storm.
Week 2 :
Reflection
Week 1 : Initially what I had in mind about typography was typing lesson like how to master using keyboards and such. However, the first task proved me wrong, typography is more on word design and more than just typing or just words. It is also communication and creativity. When I started my first task : type expression, I was afraid that I could not have come out with ideas but when I started doing it, ideas just pop out of my brain when I think of the word. As I move on to using the Adobe Illustrator, I discovered more about using the pen tool, pencil tool, selection tool and so on. It gets more interesting as you go on.
Week 2 : I really do enjoy animation therefore I was excited when I heard that our task is to do animation. However, I was worried that it would be a difficult task and would take a very long time to finish. Turns out I was wrong, it was fun and not hard to do it, just follow the steps, in the end you would get a nice animation work. Thanks to Mr. Vinod's tutorial videos, it was very helpful and detail.
Week 3 : Indesign is a new thing to me. I didn't know that it is another app until I couldn't do it in Ps photoshop. But overall it was fine, I followed the steps that Mr.Vinod provided in his video and it was not that hard. If I didn't watched that video I really wouldn't have done anything it was really helpful and I'm grateful for that.
Week 4 : Since last week we went through using Indesign, this week I am more familiar with this software. It is not hard to use once you start practicing and doing it. We tried few articles before the project therefore when I was doing the project it was easier for me.
Further Reading
Week 1 : Steve Jobs, typographer
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Source: https://uxplanet.org/steve-jobs-typographer-2e450a356437 |
According to the article, Steve Jobs took a calligraphy class before he drop out of Reed college in Portland due to his fascination of hand drawn letters. He enjoys typing and he spend most of his time typing. He learned serif and sand-serif typefaces, about varying the amount of spaces between different letters combinations, about what makes great typography great. He was fascinated by its beauty, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science could not capture. Since then, he fell in love with hand drawn letters. The first Mac included familiar typeface designs such as Helvetica and Times New Roman, along with a number of new designs overseen by Jobs himself. These included Geneva (a distinctly Swiss typeface), Chicago, and Toronto: All named after some of Jobs’ favorite cities.
Week 2 : A Brief History of Typography
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| Source: https://blog.bookstellyouwhy.com/a-brief-history-of-typography |
In 1984, Steve Jobs mistakenly referred to typefaces as fonts on Apple computers thereby perpetuating a misnomer that effectively erased much knowledge of typesetting for generations of young people. While creating new typefaces has become easier than ever before, it is likely that many people creating typefaces and fonts today are unaware of the amazing history, traditions, and standards of a specialization that are becoming increasingly rare as technology evolves.Although it was less breakable, it was not quite as durable, and after wear, new pieces had to be carved. Around this time, in Korea, metal movable type became popular, eventually moving to China.Modern typesetting and printing can be attributed to Johannes Gutenberg, who began his career as a goldsmith. This style, now referred to as Gothic, was difficult to read as the individual setting of each letter created a cramped look on the page. The Garamond typeface was developed in the Renaissance period along with other Roman styles with thinner curves and serifs, resulting in a cleaner, more legible page.
Week 3 : A History of Fonts from Ancient Symbols to Modern Typography
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| Source: https://fontbundles.net/blog/a-history-of-fonts-from-ancient-symbols-to-modern-typography |
As far back as 20,000 B.C., humans have been communicating with pictures by painting on the walls of caves.Sumerians, people of ancient Mesopotamia , created cuneiforms.Over the centuries, cultures around the world began developing and advancing.Around 1600 B.C., a group of people living on the coast of the East Mediterranean began using symbols that represented actual spoken words. By 1000 B.C., the Phoenicians had created the first known alphabet. Later, the Greeks developed their own alphabet, too.
The creations of the previous period gave rise to manuscripts characterized by elaborate handwriting and illustrations.Movable type printing, the forerunner to the printing press, was said to be invented by German Craftsman Johannes Gutenberg in the 1400s.By the 1500s A.D. printing presses were being used in full force to create what we now know as modern typography.Personal computers, which replaced manual typewriters, came on the scene in the 1980s. Both IBM and Apple brought the power of word processing, desktop publishing, and graphic design to homes and offices.
Week 4 : The Trappist monk whose calligraphy inspired Steve Jobs — and influenced Apple's designs
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| Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/03/08/the-trappist-monk-whose-calligraphy-inspired-steve-jobs-and-influenced-apples-designs/ |
"It was the first computer with beautiful typography" Jobs said. "If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts".
Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because he had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, he decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. He learned about serif and sans serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and he found it fascinating.None of this had even a hope of any practical application in his life. But 10 years later, when they were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to him. And they designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If he had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. Just as Jobs never forgot that course, Palladino never forgot his student.
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