Foo Hui Xin || 0351665
Advanced Typography || Bachelor of Design in Creative Media
Task 1: Exercise 1 & 2
1 || Lectures
Lecture 1 - Typographic Systems
8 major variations (w/ infinite number of permutations) of designs
bases on structural systems:
- Axial
- Radical
- Dilatational
- Random
- Grid
- Modular
- Transitional
- Bilateral
Typographical organisation/systems:
- complex cuz the elements are dependent on communication in order to function
- additional criteria; hierarchy, order of reading, legibility, and contrast
- akin to what architects term shape grammars (a set of shape rules
that apply in a step-by-step way to generate a set/language of design)
- similar that the systems has a set of rules that is unique and provides a
sense of purpose that focuses and directs the decision making
Axial System: All elements are organised to the left or right of a
single axis
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| Fig 1.1, Axial system (source: type 365) |
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| Fig 1.2, Radial system (source: type 365) |
Dilatational System: All elements expand from a central point in a circular fashion (can make a hierarchy of information either from inner rings or outer rings)
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| Fig 1.3, Dilatational system (source: type 365) |
Random System: Elements appear to have no specific pattern or
relationship (even tho its random, there is a method in the chaos)
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Fig 1.4, Random system (source: type 365) |
Grid System: A system of vertical and horizontal divisions
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Fig 1.5, Grid system (source: type 365) |
Transitional System: An informal system of layering banding.
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Fig 1.6, Transitional system (source: type 365) |
Modular System: A series of non-objective elements that are constructed
in as standardised units.
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Fig 1.7, Modular system (source: type 365) |
Bilateral system: All text is arranged symmetrically on a single axis (can be horizontal or vertical)
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| Fig 1.8, Bilateral system |
Lecture 2 - Typographic Composition
Principles of Design Composition
- Emphasis
- Isolation
- Repetition
- Symmetry & asymmetry
- Alignment
- Perspective
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| Fig 2.1, Emphasis |
The Rules of Thirds
A photographic guide to composition. It basically suggest that a frame can be divided into 3 columns and 3 rows. The intersecting lines are used as guide to place the points of interest, within the given space.
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| Fig 2.2, Rules of Third |
- Axial
- Radical
- Dilatational
- Random
- Grid
- Modular
- Transitional
- Bilateral
(Refer to Lecture 1)
Other Systems
- Environmental Grid
The system is based on the exploration of an existing structure or numerous structures combined.
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| Fig 2.3, Environmental grid example |
- Form and Movement
This system is based on the exploration of an existing Grid Systems.
The placement of a form (irrespective of what it is) on a page, over many pages creates movement.
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| Fig 2.4, Form and Movement |
Lecture 3 - Context & Creativity
Handwriting
The shape and line of hand drawn letterforms are influenced by the tools and materials used to make them.
Cuneiform - is the earliest form of actual writing, It evolved from pictograms, written from left to right.
Hieroglyphics - is fused with the art of relief carving.
Can be used in 3 different ways:
1. As ideograms.
2. As determinatives to indicate the general idea of the word.
3. As phonograms to represent sound.
Early Greek / 5th C. B.C.E. - Built on the Egyptian logo consonantal systems. They were freehanded and no serifs.
Roman Uncials - By the 4th Century, Roman letters were becoming more rounded, the curved form allowed for less strokes and could be written faster.
English Half Uncials - More slanted and condensed.
Movable Type - Printing was practiced in China, Korea and Japan. China tried to use movable printing but failed as the materials used were too brittle. Koreans established a foundry to cast moveable type in bronze, allowing for dismantling and resetting of text, along with the creation of their new script Hangul. This was all done several decades before the earliest printing in Europe.
Lecture 4 - Designing Type
Type design carries a social responsibility so one must continue to improve its legibility. Type design is a form of artistic expression.
General Process of Type Design:
1. Research
During the creation process, we should understand type history, type anatomy, terminologies and type conventions. After that, we should determine the type's purpose or what it would be used for and what different applications it would be used in. Then, we should start examining existing fonts that are presently being used for inspiration/ideas/references.
2. Sketching
Some likes to sketch their fonts using the traditional tool set that is brush, pen, pencils and so on. After that, it can also be scanned.
Others use digital tool sets such as Wacom to directly sketch their typeface as it can be more quicker, persistent and consistent.
3. Digitalisation
There are professional software used in the digitalisation of the typefaces as for instance FontLab. Some designers uses Adobe Illustrator in order to illustrate their typefaces.
4. Testing
It is an important component in the design thinking process. The results of the testing is part of the process of refining and correcting aspects of the typeface. Depending on the typeface category, the readability and legibility of the typeface becomes an important consideration. However, it is not as crucial if the typeface is a display type, where the expression of the form takes a little more precedence.
5. Deploy
Even after deploying a completed typeface there are always teething problems that did not com to the fore during the prototyping and testing phases. Thus, the task of revision doesn't end upon deployment.
Typeface Construction:
During the process, using grids (with circular forms) can facilitate the construction of a letterforms and is a possible method to build/create/design.
Construction and Considerations:
An important visual correction is the extrusion of curved (and protruding) forms past the baseline and crap line. This also applies to vertical alignment between curved and straight forms.
A visual correction is also needed for the distance between letters. The letters must be altered to a uniform 'visual' white space. This means that the white space between the letters should appear the same. This is called 'fitting the type'.
Lecture 5 - Perception & Organisation
Different ways to create contrast
1. A contrast of size between two elements.
2. Using weight that is other than using bold, using rules, spot, squares can also provide 'a heavy area' for a powerful point of visual attraction or emphasis.
3. Contrast of form. (A capital letter and its lowercase equivalent, a roman letter and its italic variant, condensed and expanded versions of typefaces)
4. Structure. It means the different letterforms of different kinds of typefaces.
5. Texture. It means putting together the contrasts of size, weight, form and structure, applying them to a block of text on a page, you come to the contrast of texture.
6. Contrast of direction.
7. Contrast of colour.
8. Contrast of form.
2 || Instructions
Task 1: Exercise 1 - Typographic Systems
For this exercise, we explore 8 different typographic systems which
was taught in the first lecture, them being Axial, Radical,
Dilatational, Random, Grid, Modular, Transitional, and Bilateral.
Demonstration videos were provided to help us through this
exercise.
Week 1 Attempt
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| Fig 3, Compilation of 1st attempts, (6/9/2022) |
Progress
Axial System
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| Fig 4.1, Axial system 1st attempt, (6/9/2022) |
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| Fig 4.2, More refinement, B&W, (13/9/2022) |
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| Fig 4.3, Added colours, (13/9/2022) |
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| Fig 4.4, Axial system with visible grids & guides, (13/9/2022) |
Radial System
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| Fig 5.1, Radial system 1st attempt, (6/9/2022) |
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| Fig 5.2, More refinement, B&W, (13/9/2022) |
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| Fig 5.3, Added colours, (13/9/2022) |
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| Fig 5.4, Radial system with visible grids & guides, (13/9/2022) |
Dilatational System
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| Fig 6.1, Dilatational system 1st attempt, (6/9/2022) |
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| Fig 6.3, Added colours, (13/9/2022) |
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| Fig 6.4, Dilatational system with visible grids & guides, (13/9/2022) |
Modular System
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| Fig 7.1, Modular system 1st attempt, (6/9/2022) |
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| Fig 7.3, Added colours, (13/9/2022) |
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| Fig 7.4, Modular system with visible grids & guides, (13/9/2022) |
Transitional System
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| Fig 8.1, Transitional system 1st attempt & final attempt, B&W, (6/9/2022) |
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| Fig 8.2, Added colours, (13/9/2022) |
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| Fig 8.3, Transitional system with visible grids & guides, (13/9/2022) |
Bilateral System
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| Fig 9.1, Bilateral system 1st & final attempt, B&W, (6/9/2022) |
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| Fig 9.2, Added colours, (13/9/2022) |
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| Fig 9.3, Bilateral system with visible grids & guides, (13/9/2022) |
Random System
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| Fig 10.1, Random system 1st & final attempt, B&W, (6/9/2022) |
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| Fig 10.2, Added colours, (13/9/2022) |
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| Fig 10.3, Random system with visible grids & guides, (13/9/2022) |
Grid System
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| Fig 11.1, Grid system 1st attempt, (6/9/2022) |
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| Fig 11.2, More refinement, B&W, (13/9/2022) |
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| Fig 11.3, Added colours, (13/9/2022) |
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| Fig 11.4, Grid system with visible grids & guides, (13/9/2022) |
Submission
Final Typographic System Compilation (JPEG)
Final Typographic System Compilation without Guides and Grids (PDF)
Final Typographic System Compilation with visible Guides and Grids
(PDF)
Task 1: Exercise 2 - Type & Play (Part 1)
For exercise 2, we had to extract letterforms from pictures of our daily surroundings. Since letters are extracted from the shapes and gaps of an item, it should represent them well.
Tracing
Option #1
The first idea I had when it came to this exercise were flowers. Flowers have a lot of smooth curves and ends to them so it seemed like there was a lot of potential for letters to form in their shapes.
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| Fig 12.1, Original photo from my photo gallery |
I cropped a singular rose out to narrow it down so it is easier for me to clearly see the shapes and curves the rose makes.
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| Fig 12.2, Subject of focus |
I used red to trace the entire single rose to give myself a clear picture of the shapes it makes. Then, I used various colours to trace out potential letters.
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| Fig 12.3, Traced subject & potential letters, (13/9/2022) |
Option #2
To experiment more, instead of using pictures of nature, I thought of trying to extract letters from manmade structures. From my friend's photo gallery, I found a picture of a Gundam structure built in Japan. Because it is a robot, it's machine nature gave it sharp edges.
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| Fig 13.1, Original photo from my friend |
Again, I cropped the image to focus on the Gundam structure.
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| Fig 13.2, Subject of focus |
Red was used to trace the entire structure again, and this took me a lot longer than I would like because of how complicated it was. Blue was used to trace out potential letters, which was admittedly a lot more harder than I thought because of all the dense lines.
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| Fig, 13.3, Traced subject & potential letters (13/9/2022) |
Extraction
I have chosen option #1 because the letters seemed more consistent and clean. Then, I sketched it out and resized them so they are almost the same size to pick out 5 letters that looked decent.
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| Fig 14.1, Sketch, (13/9/2022) |
Type reference used: Univers LT Std 57 Condensed
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| Fig 14.2, Guidelines from Univers LT Std |
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| Fig 14.3, First extraction |
Refinement / Progress
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| Fig 15.1, Making the width of the strokes similar & putting the letters in line with the guides |
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| Fig 15.2, Referencing Univers LT Std 57 Condensed |
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| Fig 15.3, Further refinement |
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| Fig 15.4, Another reference (for comparison purposes) |
Final Type Finding (JPEG)
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Task 1: Exercise 2 - Type & Play (Part 2) / Honors Competition
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| Fig 16.1, Inspiration |
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| Fig 16.2, Sketching & brainstorming |
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| Fig 16.3, Sketching |
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| Fig 16.4, Enhancing |
images from pexels
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| Fig 17.1, Image 1 |
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| Fig 17.2, Image 2 |
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| Fig 18.1, Trying out image 1 for background |
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| Fig 18.2, Trying out image 2 for background |
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| Fig 18.3, Trying out different elements |
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| Fig 18.4, Final design |
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| Fig 18.5, Without words so I can work on the words in Illustrator |
font ref: Univers
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| Fig 19.1, Without background + with words |
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| Fig 19.2, Adding elements to words |
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| Fig 19.3, Words only |
Final Type & Image (JPEG)
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3 || Feedback
Week 2
General Feedback: There can be minor elements and 1 colour other than b&w to make the designs more appealing. Next time ask about questions relating to what Mr Vinod is talking about on the spot instead of waiting until later so he doesn't have to repeat himself.
Specific Feedback: The Modular piece cannot be counted as Modular due to the lines and boxes being in between the gutters (for Modular system, there should be nothing between the columns unless the 'base' is the size of 2 boxes). Same goes for the grid if there are gutters. There is too much white/empty space in one of the Dilatational pieces, so I should either balance out the words on both sides of the page or add some elements. The other Dilatational piece also needs elements to balance it out.
Week 3
General Feedback: We have to make sure the font shows what we traced from / not lose the form of the original picture.
Specific Feedback: Work looks fine so far, more refinement needed.
Week 4
General Feedback: Consistency is important, so the thickness, lines, gaps, and other elements should be consistent.
Specific Feedback: Letterforms look exactly like the flowers (rose), so that is good.
Week 5
General Feedback: Picture and text should be 50% 50%
Specific Feedback: Not very challenging
4 || Reflection
Experience
Exercise 1 felt super rushed to me and it felt like I was being thrown straight into things as I have already taken Typography module so I am expected to already know how things work. It put me in a mess for a bit because I felt overwhelmed. However, exercise 2 part 1 was fun to work on, fitting for its name " Type & Play" haha. I spent a little too much time scrolling through my photo gallery to try find a good subject for it though. For exercise 2 part 2, I felt like I hit a wall or an art block. I really could not come up with anything interesting, neither I am satisfied with the end product...
Observation
For exercise 1, everyone had their own creative spin to the typographic systems which was interesting to see how different people sees different things even though they are following the same system. For exercise 2, I was surprised that not many people took flowers as a source to make out letters from because it was the first idea I had before trying to step out of my comfort zone with tracing other subjects. Anyway, learning to observe an organic subject to identify letters was a very interesting task.
Findings
I found out that it was a lot more harder to create a balance of integrated text into an image, or to even come up with something original... Even with an idea of something, it was difficult to execute it. On the other hand, I realised that we really can make letters out of pretty much anything or any pattern. The best part is that even without the subject, the letters that came out of that subject somehow is still able to represent it and portray what kind of object it is supposed to be. That was interesting.
5 || Further Reading
Typographic Systems
by Kimberly Elam
Mr Vinod has mentioned this book a lot in the first
lecture video on, well, Typographic Systems so I decided
to look it up and look through it. It also seems that he
has gotten a lot of information from Elam to introduce us
to this topic.
Elam explains the modular system in a more different way
where she suggests that the units can be randomly placed
even tho not within a larger grid.
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