TYPHOGRAPHY
Task 1
October 08, 2024 / Week 1 - Week 6
Lee Jong Yun (0358356)
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Lectures
2. Instructions
3. Process Work
4. Feedback
5. Reflection
6. Further Reading
LECTURES
WEEK 1
Lecture: Introduction to ePortfolio Design
We were introduced to the key components of setting up an ePortfolio, highlighting its importance in showcasing individual progress and design thinking.
Lecture: Typography Fundamentals
Drawing from Kane’s *A Type Primer* (2002), the focus was on early Western letterform evolution, with an understanding that these narratives often omit contributions from other regions, particularly Asia.
Development of Letterforms: From Phoenician to Roman
The origins of typography can be traced back to ancient practices where early letterforms were etched into clay or carved into stone. Over centuries, we witness a gradual shift from uppercase forms, the dominant style for over 2,000 years, to a more nuanced understanding of letterform dynamics through various script evolutions.
- Phoenician Writing: Primarily written from right to left.
- Greek Boustrophedon: A method where text alternates direction, mirroring the movement of an ox plowing a field.
Manuscript Evolution (3rd-10th Century CE)
- Square Capitals: Found on Roman monuments, emphasizing strong, serifed letterforms.
- Rustic Capitals: A more compact version, allowing for faster writing but compromising on legibility.
- Cursive Forms: These served for everyday writing, streamlining forms and leading to the emergence of lowercase characters.
- Uncials and Half-Uncials: These scripts demonstrate the gradual formalization of letterforms, particularly with lowercase letter shapes. Notably, this standardization was propelled by Alcuin of York under the reign of Charlemagne.
Transition from Blackletter to Gutenberg’s Type
The evolution of regional variations in type, from Northern Europe’s vertical Blackletter styles to the more open Humanistic scripts of Italy, laid the groundwork for the revolutionary work of Gutenberg. His mechanical innovations in movable type mimic the intricate, scribe-like qualities of Blackletter while utilizing advances in metallurgy and engineering.
Typography Classifications: From Blackletter to Modern Type
Typography classifications have evolved according to technological advances, market needs, and aesthetic preferences:
- Blackletter (1450): Heavy, vertical strokes influenced by manuscript traditions.
- Oldstyle (1475): Developed from the Italian humanist script, emphasizing a harmonious balance between uppercase and lowercase forms.
- Modern (1775): Exhibiting extreme contrast between thick and thin strokes, this style dispensed with brackets, favoring unadorned serifs.
A broader timeline captures the continuous development of type design from the 15th century to the 20th century, where we see the emergence of sans serif fonts, led by William Caslon IV in the early 1800s.
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WEEK 2
Leading and Line Spacing
Paragraph Indicators
1. Pilcrow (¶): A historic manuscript symbol, the pilcrow once signaled paragraph breaks. Although rarely used in modern practice, it remains a typographic symbol of reference.
2. Line Spacing: Implemented between paragraphs to ensure alignment across columns, promoting a balanced reading flow.
3. Indentation: Traditionally equivalent to the line or point size, indentation provides subtle visual separation without interrupting content flow.
4. Extended Paragraphs: Designed to generate wider columns, often reserved for stylistic or functional emphasis in layout structure.
Widows & Orphans
- Widow: The typographic error of a single line isolated at the end of a column.
- Orphan: A single line beginning a new column, visually detached from preceding context.
Text Highlighting
Text emphasis is achieved through varied techniques like italics, bold weights, background color accents, or typeface changes. When shifting typefaces, a subtle 0.5pt reduction ensures x-height cohesion and maintains the visual rhythm of the document.
Headline Hierarchy
- A Head: Signals primary section divisions, establishing hierarchy within the content.
- B Head: A subordinate headline, introducing new supportive arguments or related content.
- C Head: Typically a subtle highlight within B sections, calling attention to specific details without disrupting reading flow.
Cross-Alignment
Synchronizing vertical alignment across captions, headlines, and body text builds a cohesive structure, enhancing readability and the architectural rhythm of the page.
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INSTURCTIONS
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TASK 1
TYPE EXPRESSION
research
started by doing research on pinterest to get rough ideas how i am going to design the four words melt, grow, fade and burn.
Sketch
sketch of grow typography
sketch of melt typhography.
sketch of fade typohraphy
sketch of burn. I found it hard to show the burning kind feel through typography. I wanted the design to come out as the words were burnt or on fire.
created 13 sketches
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made them into 13 artboards and centered all of the sketches.
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created the frame timeline using photoshop
Final gif
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TASK 2
TEXT FORMATTING
Kerning and Tracking
Layout
final layout design
final design layout with no baseline grid pdf
with baseline grid
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pdf version
Feedback
Week 1 & 2 = arrived late due to visa aprroval issue
Week 3 = Met Mr.Max and he showed me about the bried and explained about the assignments and setting up blogger for e-porfolio
Week 4 = Mr.Max showed us how to use photoshop to create gif for our design
Week 5 = Mr.Max showed us indesign and we learned how to do kerning and tracking
Week 6 = we were told to finalize our assignment and put it up on blogger. After that, Mr.Max showed us task 2 brief
Reflection
This typography module has been an enlightening experience, expanding my understanding of design fundamentals and the importance of visual communication. Throughout the exercises, I discovered how powerful typography can be in conveying ideas through thoughtfully designed layouts and well-chosen type expressions. Learning to use software like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign effectively allowed me to bring my creative concepts to life while refining technical skills like kerning, tracking, and leading, which contribute to a cohesive and polished final layout.
The process involved exploring new ideas through research and sketching, which fostered inspiration and creativity in each task. I came to appreciate that strong design relies on simplicity, clarity, and precision, with every detail, whether in text spacing, alignment, or typographic hierarchy significantly impacting the overall message. This journey was occasionally challenging, as I navigated through new tools and concepts, but each challenge brought valuable insights and professional growth.
Receiving constructive feedback from instructors and peers proved instrumental in my progress. Their critiques highlighted areas for improvement and helped me view my work from different perspectives, deepening my appreciation for diverse design styles and creative approaches. Ultimately, this module provided an essential foundation in typography, teaching me how even subtle adjustments can elevate a design's impact and leaving me with skills that are as rewarding as they are practical for future projects.
Further Reading
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The Origin Of Typography
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