TYPOGRAPHY TASK 2: TYPOGRAPHY EXPLORATION AND COMMUNICATION

03.11.2023 - 10.11.2023  / Week 6 - Week 7 

Emily Goh Jin Yee / 0357722 / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media Design

Typography / GCD60104 

Task 2: Typography Exploration and Communication

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. LECTURES

2. INSTRUCTIONS

3. TASKS

4. FEEDBACK

5. REFLECTION

6. FURTHER READING

LECTURES


LECTURE 5

Understanding


Understanding Letterforms

Baskerville:

  • The uppercase letterforms below suggest symmetry, but in fact it is not symmetrical. 
  • the Baskerville stroke from below, each bracket connecting the serif to the stem has a unique arc
Univers:
  • The uppercase letter forms may appear symmetrical, but close examination shows that the width of the left slope is thinner than the right stroke

Fig 1.1 Baskerville (left) & Univers (right)


Comparing the 'a' in Helvetica and Univers reveals nuanced differences, especially in how the bowls meet the stems, showcasing distinct characters.

Fig 1.2 Helvetica & Univers


The x-height indicates the size of lowercase letterforms. Curved strokes, like in 's,' must extend above the median or below the baseline to appear consistent with vertical and horizontal strokes.

Fig 1.3 lowercase maintaining x-height


Form and Counterform

White space is defined and enclosed by form strokes. In joined letters forming words, the counterform encompasses the spaces between them.

Fig 1.4 Counterform

Fig 1.5 Counterform- Helvitica and Baskerville


Letters / Contrast

The simple contrasts produces numerous variations: 

Fig 1.6 examples of contrast


LECTURE 6

Screen & Print


Print type vs Screen Type

Type for print

  • common print typefaces: Caslon, Garamond, Baskerville
  • elegant, intellectual, highly readable at small sizes
  • versatile and easy to digest
  • represent classic typefaces
Fig 1.7 Print type

Type for Screen
  • web-optimized typefaces for screens
  • modifications for enhanced readability and performance
  • adjustments like taller x-height, wider letterforms, open counters
  • reduced ascenders, descenders, stroke contrast for smaller sizes
  • improved character recognition and readability in digital environments (web, e-books, mobile devices)

Hyperlink
  • clickable element (word, phrase, image) for jumping within or to new documents
  • typically blue and underlined
  • cursor turns into a small hand when over a hyperlink
Font size for screen
  • 16-pixel text on screen is about the same size as text printed in a book or magazine

System Fonts for screen/ Web safe fonts
  • System Fonts for screens based on operating systems
  • web safe fonts that can be used on both platforms: Open Sans, Lato, Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman, Times, Courier New, Courier, Verdana, Georgia, Palatino, Garamond
Figure 1.8 comparison of font size in both platforms

Pixel Differential Between Devices
  • screen sizes vary (PCs, tablets, phones, TVs)
  • text proportions differ due to varying pixel sizes
  • e.g. 100 pixels on a laptop is very different from 100 pixels on a big 60" HDTV
Fig 1.9 Pixel Differential between devices


Static vs Motion

Static Typography:
  • minimal characteristic in expressing words
  • traditional styles like bold and italic offer only a fraction of the expressive potential of dynamic properties

Motion Typography:
  • temporal media allows dramatic, fluid, and kinetic letterforms
  • film credits and music videos utilize moving type synchronized with sound

INSTRUCTIONS


TASKS

TASK 2: TYPOGRAPHIC EXPLORATION & COMMUNICATION (TYPE FORMATTING AND EXPRESSION)

In this task, we were given 3 editorial text and required to choose one of them to design. The headline should be created in AI and then use InDesign to format the text and rearranging the layout. 


1. SKETCHES AND RESEARCH

I drew a sketch of how I want my layout to be, and for the first layout shows an ascending placement of the text box. And for the other one, it shows the headline/title in the middle as focus whereas the sides are where the texts will be placed.

Fig 1.10 rough sketch, Week 6 (7/11/2023)


The "Unite" means to connect, together or a whole. Here I found a circle which could represent unity. The other image shows a 'unit' word which looks cool in the contrast and space, so I might try to apply it to my work later.

Fig 1.11 research, Week 6 (7/11/2023) 

Fig 1.12 example of layouts, Week 6 (7/11/2023)




2. LAYOUT EXPLORATION

I have chosen "Unite to visualise a better world" for my editorial layout and digitised it into 3 different layouts:

LAYOUT #1
Fig T2.1 layout exploration#1, Week 7 (10/11/2023)

HEAD
Font/s:  Futura Std Extra Bold Condensed(UNITE), Futura Light Condensed(to, a), Bodoni Std Italic(visualise), Futura Bold Condensed(better world)
Type Size/s: 174pt, 50pt, 64pt, 60pt
Leading: 208.8pt, 60pt, 76.8pt, 72pt


LEAD IN TEXT
Font: Futura Std Medium Condensed
Type Size: 12pt
Leading: 14.4pt



BODY
Font/s: Futura Std Book
Type Size/s: 10pt
Leading: 12pt
Paragraph spacing: 12pt
Characters per-line: 27-62characters
Alignment: left align



Margins: 10mm top, 10mm left + 10mm right + 10mm bottom
Columns: 2
Gutter: 5mm



LAYOUT #2

Fig T2.2 layout exploration#2, Week 7 (10/11/2023)

HEAD
Font/s:  ITC New Baskerville Std Bold(UNITE), Adobe Caslon Pro Regular(to, visualise, a better world)
Type Size/s: 119pt, 60pt, 48pt, 30pt
Leading: 142.8pt, 72pt, 57.6pt, 36pt


LEAD IN TEXT
Font: ITC New Baskerville Std Italic
Type Size: 16pt
Leading: 19.2pt


BODY
Font/s: Futura Std Book
Type Size/s: 10pt
Leading: 12pt
Paragraph spacing: 12pt
Characters per-line: 26-62characters
Alignment: left align



Margins: 10mm top, 10mm left + 10mm right + 10mm bottom
Columns: 2
Gutter: 5mm



LAYOUT #3

Fig T2.3 layout exploration#3, Week 7 (10/11/2023)


HEAD
Font/s:  Bodoni Std Bold (UNITE w/o 'U'), Bodoni Std Book (VISUALISE w/o 'U'), Gill Sans Std Bold Condensed (U), Gill Sans Std Light (to, a better world)
Type Size/s: 80pt, 80pt, 250pt, 36pt
Leading: 96pt, 96pt, 300pt, 43.2pt


LEAD IN TEXT
Font: ITC New Baskerville Std Bold
Type Size: 16pt
Leading: 13pt


BODY
Font/s: ITC New Baskerville Std Roman
Type Size/s: 10pt
Leading: 12pt
Paragraph spacing: 12pt
Characters per-line: 15-65characters
Alignment: left align



Margins: 10mm top, 10mm left + 10mm right + 10mm bottom
Columns: 2
Gutter: 5mm


3. FINAL (CHOSEN LAYOUT: LAYOUT #1):

The reason why this layout was chosen is because I liked the arrangement of text (gradually ascending). To me, it seems slightly more unique than the other two, for example: the headline being rotated. 
Fig T2.4 Final layout-Type formatting in jpeg, Week 7 (10/11/2023)

Fig T2.5 Final layout-Type formatting in PDF, Week 7 (10/11/2023)


Fig T2.6 Final layout-Type formatting in jpeg, Week 7 (10/11/2023)

Fig T2.7 Final layout-Type formatting in PDF, Week 7 (10/11/2023)


FEEDBACK


WEEK 6

no feedback given (class cancelled)

WEEK 7

General Feedback

  • make sure text alignment is balanced
  • don't simply place the arrangement of the paragraph, don't make them look separated as viewers might be confused with the context
  • avoid squeezing everything together, keep it minimalistic

Specific Feedback

  • layout was okay but improve and change the title into a better arrangement and design

REFLECTION

Experience

I found this assignment really challenging when it comes to designing the headline, I struggled coming up with a creative design and spent really much time on thinking. I kept trying many attempts on making the headline looks more appealing and eye-catching.

Observations

I always take up too much time on making a certain decision. For example in this task, I was in a dilemma of which editorial text to choose at first. This causes my progress to be slower. Other than that, I improved better in using InDesign compared to our previous task, although there were some parts where I had to check the recording videos because to make sure my steps were correct. 

Findings

As Mr Vinod said, our designs should not be overdone, having a simple design doesn't mean that its not good. A well-designed layout should be clear and neat. In this task, we learnt that it is also important to have an eye-catching headline to grab the attention from the readers, then following the content, the fonts should not be bold to keep minimalism and to emphasize the headline. 


FURTHER READING

Fig FR3 Just my type- a book about fonts

"Just My Type" by Simon Garfield is a fun journey into the world of fonts. It explores the stories behind popular typefaces, from historical printing presses to today's digital design. Garfield adds humor and interviews with designers, making the book an engaging read for those curious about the artistry and cultural impact of the fonts we encounter daily. 


QUICK LINKS


TASK 1: TYPE EXPRESSION & TEXT FORMATTING

TASK 2: TYPOGRAPHY EXPLORATION & COMMUNICATION

TASK 3: TYPE DESIGN & COMMUNICATION

FINAL COMPILATION & REFLECTION


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