5.4.2023 - 20.4.2023/Week 1 - Week 4
Sim Jian Xiong (0356498)
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Task 1: Typographic Systems & Type & Play
LECTURES
(Left to Right)
Type Designer: Matthew Carter is the son of Henry Carter, Royal Designer for Industry, contemporary British type designer and ultimate craftsman. Many of Carter's fonts were created to address specific technical challenges, for example those posted by early computers.
Type Designer: Edward Johnston is the creator of the highly influential London "Underground" typeface, which would later come to known as "Johnston Stans".
Purpose: London's Underground railway ordered a new typeface for its posters and signage from calligrapher Edward Johnston. He was asked to create a typeface with "bold simplicity" that was truly modern yet rooted in tradition. Johnston's design combined classical Roman proportions with humanist warmth.
In this work, Paula Scher creates contrast by using multitudes of different weights and size, which is also a great way of creating contrast through texture.
This example is created using the axial typographic system, although it might seem multiple axis working in conjunction with each to create interesting angular or directional contrast.
It is important to give thought which element needs to be emphasized and to pay attention to the tonal values of the colours used. This example expertly uses colour together to create contrast and visual impact, while maintaining a certain level of harmony.
These are combinations of letters but presented in really delicate but nuanced manner that is beautiful and memorable. They are strategically placed to create a harmonious alignment. For example, the top section of the "M" is placed where it meets the curved section of the lowercase "a".
INSTRUCTIONS
Exercise 1: Typographic Systems
My first few attempts are following examples I've seen in the video or the book. During my third attempt, I thought it would be interesting to arrange my elements into a mohawk. My classmates suggested that my title and subtitle should be facing the same direction as all my other text. I did that and I swapped their position so I can have a height hierarchy.
At first I thought transitional is more on the tint than the layers so I submitted my second attempt during the feedback session, where I arranged the text into a x-shape as a reference to Generation X. However, I learned that it is not transitional because the angles has to be the same so I rearranged the text into a smoking cigarette.
In my second attempt, I wanted to place the timing in the middle since they're the same for both days. But my classmates said it's confusing so I abandoned the idea. I tried my best to align all the text within the guidelines.
I found this image on Pinterest which I think is suitable to incorporate my letterforms because the image has a lot of vines. I changed the image to black and white so my letterforms can blend my letterforms more smoothly. After experimenting with a few arrangements, I noticed some vines on her head are interfering with the readability of my letterforms so I photoshop them out.
REFLECTIONS
FURTHER READING
Sim Jian Xiong (0356498)
Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Task 1: Typographic Systems & Type & Play
LECTURES
Week 1
Typographic Systems
"All design is based on a structural system" - Elam, 2007
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| Fig 1.1 Eight Typographic Systems |
- Axial - All text align to the left/right of a single axis
- Radial - All text extend from a point/points of focus
- Dilatational - All text expand from a control point in a circular fashion
- Random - All text appear to have no specific pattern/relationship
- Grid - A system of vertical & horizontal divisions
- Transitional - An informal system of layered banding
- Modular - All text are constructed in as a standardised units
- Bilateral - All text arranged symmetrically on a single axis
Typographic Composition
Meaning Arrangement of letters in a given space
Grid system Vs Random system
Grid system
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| Fig 1.2 Grid System examples |
- most used and pragmatic system
- enhanced by Swiss (Modernist) style of Typography
- may seem old or rigid, but its versatility allows an infinite number of adaptations because our approach to reading tends to prefer order
- proponents: Josef Muller Brockmann, Jan Tschichold, Max Bill
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| Fig 1.3 Random System examples |
- a reaction to Grid system by a group of younger designers who challenged this notion of order
- explores Chaos, randomness and asymmetry
- requires an incredible amount of planning and thinking to combine chaos and readability
- proponents: David Carson, Paula Scher, Jonathan Barnbook
Context & Creativity
Why is handwriting important in the study of typography?
- because the first mechanically produced letterforms were designed to directly imitate handwriting
- handwriting is the basis for form, spacing and conventions mechanical type would try and mimic
- shape and line of hand drawn letterforms are influenced by the tools and materials to make them and written on
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| Fig 1.4 Evolution of Latin Alphabet |
In 1000 BCE, icons would later on evolved to become the Phoenician letter, where it is based on sound rather than pictorial symbols. This is a major turning point and goes on to influence the alphabet.
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| Fig 1.5 Development of Writing System |
1) Cuneiform/3000 B.C.E
- earliest system of actual writing
- used in a number of languages between the 34C. B.C.E. and 1st century C.E.
- distinctive wedge forms was the result of pressing the blunt end of a reed stylus into wet clay tablets
- written from left to right
2) Hieroglyphics/2613-2160 B.C.E
- Egyptian writing system fused with the art of relief carving
- a mixture of both rebus and phonetic characters: the first link to a future alphabetic system
- has potential to be used in three different ways: 1. As ideograms, to represent things 2. As determinatives, to show the signs preceding are meant as phonograms and general idea of the word 3. As phonograms, to "spell out" words with sounds
3) Early Greek/5th B.C.E.
- built on the Egyptian logo-consonantal system, the Phoenicians developed a phonetic alphabet consisting of 22 letter, then was adopted and added necessary vowels by the Greeks
- compromised of only capital letters, written between two guidelines of horizontal rows but the direction of reading of not yet fixed as the Greeks read two different ways
- letters were drawn freehand with a flat brush
- served as models for formal lettering in imperial Rome
4) Roman Uncials/4th C.
- letters are becoming more rounded
- curved form allowed for less strokes and faster writing
5) English Half Uncials/8th C.
- in England, the Uncial evolved into a more slanted and condensed form
6) Emperor Charlemagne/8th C. C.E.
- after the fall of the Roman Empire, the end of a central advanced culture resulted in general illiteracy and a breakdown of handwriting into diverse regional styles
- for 300 years, the knowledge of writing was kept alive mainly in the remote outpost of religious cloisters and retreats
7) Carolingian Minuscule
- Charlemagne's patronage book production increased and language was standardized, capitals at the start of a sentence, spaces between words and punctuation
- used for all legal and literary works to unify communication between the various region of the expanding European empire
-the basis of our lower-case Roman type
8) Black Letter/12-15 C. C.E
- Gothic
- vertical supplanted horizontals as the dominant line in architecture; the pointed arch replaced the rounded arch of the Romans
9) The Italian Renaissance
- the renaissance embrace of ancient Greek and Roman culture spurred a creative wave through Italian art, architecture, literature and letter form design
Week 4
Designing Type
Why design another typeface?
Xavier Dupre (2007) suggested two reasons:
- type design carries a social responsibility so one must continue to improve its legibility
- type design is a form of artistic expression
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| Fig 1.6 Frutiger |
Type Designer: Adrian Frutiger, a renowned twentieth century Swiss graphic designer, is considered responsible for the advancement of typography into digital typography. His valued contribution to typography includes Univers and Frutiger.
Purpose: To create a clean, distinctive and legible typeface that is easy to see from both close up and far away.
Considerations/Limitations: Letterforms needed to be recognized even in poor light conditions or when the reader was moving quickly past the sign. He tested with unfocused letters to see which letterforms could still be identified.
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| Fig 1.7 Verdana |
Purpose: The font was tuned to be extremely legible even at very small sizes on the screen due to the popularity of the internet and electronic devices.
Considerations/Limitations: The Verdana fonts exhibits characteristics derived from the pixel rather than the pen, brush or chisel. Lowercase such as i,j,l are commonly confused.
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| Fig 1.8 Johnston Stans |
Purpose: London's Underground railway ordered a new typeface for its posters and signage from calligrapher Edward Johnston. He was asked to create a typeface with "bold simplicity" that was truly modern yet rooted in tradition. Johnston's design combined classical Roman proportions with humanist warmth.
Considerations/Limitations: According to The Guardian (2016), Johnston's remit was to unite the London Underground Group. Johnston applied the proportions of Roman capital letters to his typeface, so it was rooted in traditional calligraphy. But it has an elegance and simplicity that absolutely fitted the modern age.
Week 5
Perception & Organisation
Perception - the way which something is regarded, understood or interpreted. Perception in typography deals with the visual navigation and interpretation of the reader via contrast, form and organisation of the content.
Contrast
Contrast/Texture
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| Fig 1.9 Promotion graphics for The Public Theatre (1994) |
Contrast/Direction
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| Fig 2.1 Poster |
Contrast/Colour
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| Fig 2.2 Magazine Cover |
Form
The overall look and feel of the elements that make up the typographic composition. It plays a role in visual impact and first impressions. A good form in typography tends to be visually intriguing, leads eye from point to point, entertaining and most often memorable.
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| Fig 2.3 Examples of Form |
Organisation/Gestalt
Gestalt is a german word meaning the way a thing has been "placed" or "put together". Gestalt Psychology is an attempt to understand the laws behind the ability to acquire and maintain meaningful perceptions.
- Law of Similarity - elements that are similar to each other tend to be perceived as a unified group. Similarity can refer to any number of features, including colour, orientation, size or indeed motion
- Law of Proximity - elements that are close together tend to be perceived as a unified group. This straightforward law states items close to each other tend to be grouped together, whereas items are further apart are less likely to be grouped together
- Law of Closure - the mind's tendency to see complete figures or forms even if a picture is incomplete, partially hidden by other objects
- Law of (Good) Continuation - humans tend to perceive each of two object as different, singular and interrupted even when they intersect. The alignment of the objects plays a major role for this principle to take effect
- Law of Simplicity/Pragnanz - Pragnanz is a german word for "good figure". The idea is that people will perceive and interpret ambiguous or complex images in the simplest form possible.
INSTRUCTIONS
Exercise 1: Typographic Systems
Axial
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| Fig 2.4 Axial Progress, Week 1 (5.4.2023) |
We started off by doing the Axial system in class. I started off by
following the video with minor changes. I wanted to break the word "Ripped"
in half to express its meaning, like in the exercise we did in semester one.
Initially, the red axis is a guide for me to align the text but I left it
there as it guides the viewer down the page. Finally, I added a black
background to bring out the red axis and adjusted the other half of the
title for better readability.
Radial
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| Fig 2.5 Radial Progress, Week 2 (12/4/2023) |
My first few attempts are following examples I've seen in the video or the book. During my third attempt, I thought it would be interesting to arrange my elements into a mohawk. My classmates suggested that my title and subtitle should be facing the same direction as all my other text. I did that and I swapped their position so I can have a height hierarchy.
Dilatational
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| Fig 2.6 Dilatational Progress, Week 2 (12.4.2023) |
Again, I followed examples to get familiar with the system. I transformed the
circle into the letter "P" to become the first letter of the title and a point
of focus. The rest of my attempts are aligning and balancing the rest of the
text as I aimed to work with the "P", rather than against it.
Random
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| Fig 2.7 Random Progress, Week 2 (12.4.2023) |
Even though I followed examples, I don't quite understand this system.
I've seen some of my classmates' work have a cluster of words overlapping
each other. First thing that I came to my mind - How can you read that? So,
I wanted my randomness in terms of letters, by picking them out to spell out
"PUNK". I stopped at my fourth attempt but became unsatisfied upon seeing my
classmates' work. I switched to a thicker font and arranged the title
upstairs so the subtitle can be read downwards more smoothly. Finally, I
thought the red colour is too strong for a subtitle so I outlined it instead
so the main title catches the viewer's attention first.
Grid
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| Fig 2.8 Grid Progress, Week 2 (12.4.2023) |
For this system, I've arranged the text according to the rule of thirds. I
thought I could spice it up by making the title and subheading lowercase. I
then added yellow tape to highlight the title and place.
Transitional
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| Fig 2.9 Transitional Progress, Week 2 (12.4.2023) |
At first I thought transitional is more on the tint than the layers so I submitted my second attempt during the feedback session, where I arranged the text into a x-shape as a reference to Generation X. However, I learned that it is not transitional because the angles has to be the same so I rearranged the text into a smoking cigarette.
Modular
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| Fig 3.1 Modular Progress, Week 2 (12.4.2023) |
In my second attempt, I wanted to place the timing in the middle since they're the same for both days. But my classmates said it's confusing so I abandoned the idea. I tried my best to align all the text within the guidelines.
Bilateral
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| Fig 3.2 Bilateral Progress, Week 2 (12.4.2023) |
I didn't explore much for this system as all elements have to be arranged
symmetrically. I just added arrows pointing to the location and title.
Final Submissions
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| Fig 3.3 Axial Final JPG, Week 2 (14.4.2023) |
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| Fig 3.4 Radial Final JPG, Week 2 (14.4.2023) |
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| Fig 3.5 Dilatational Final JPG, Week 2 (14.4.2023) |
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| Fig 3.6 Random Final JPG, Week 2 (14.4.2023) |
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| Fig 3.7 Grid Final JPG, Week 2 (14.4.2023) |
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| Fig 3.8 Transitional Final JPG, Week 2 (14.4.2023) |
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| Fig 3.9 Transitional Final JPG, Week 2 (14.4.2023) |
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Fig 4.1 Transitional Final JPG, Week 2 (14.4.2023) |
Fig 4.2 Final Typographic Systems PDF, Week 2 (14.4.2023)
Fig 4.3 Final Typographic Systems Guidelines PDF, Week 2 (14.4.2023)
Exercise 2: Type & Play
a) Finding Type
For this task, I challenge myself to take my own picture for my letter extraction instead of going to Google directly.
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| Fig 4.4 Pictures Taken around Campus, Week 3 (17.4.2023) |
I've chosen the campus as my main extraction point because there's a lot of trees there. I focused on taking photos of tree branches and chosen the third one because I can see letters forming already due to the intersecting vines.
Attempt #1
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| Fig 4.5 Refinement Progress, Week 3 (19.4.2023) |
For reference, I'll be using Univers Lt Std for its thinness. At first, I traced only the vines to create smoother letters, however, this leads to poor extraction and doesn't reflect the source material.
Attempt #2
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| Fig 4.6 Extraction Attempt #2, Week 3 (21.4.2023) |
Now instead of flat out ignoring the leaves, I traced them along the vines as well as paying attention when the vines curve or bend slightly.
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| Fig 4.7 Extracted Letters, Week 3 (21.4.2023) |
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| Fig 4.8 Refinement Progress, Week 4 (21.4.2023) |
Using the same reference, I adjusted the structure of the letters. I noticed "K" and "Y" were extracted from the same vine so my job is easier. I reused assets among my letters and adjusted the stroke width so they all look like they belong in the same family.
Final Submissions
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Fig 4.9 Complied Progress, Week 3-4 (17-21.4.2023)
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| Fig 5.2 Final Type Design, Week 4 (21.4.2023) |
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| Fig 5.3 Letter O, Week 4 (21.4.2023) |
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| Fig 5.4 Letter K Week 4 (21.4.2023) |
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| Fig 5.5 Letter A, Week 4 (21.4.2023) |
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| Fig 5.6 Letter Y, Week 4 (21.4.2023) |
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| Fig 5.7 Type Showcase, Week 4 (21.4.2023) |
Fig 5.8 Final Finding Type PDF, Week 4 (21.4.2023)
b) Type and Image
Upon completing our letterforms, we have to combine our letterforms with a suitable image. The objective is to make our final product look like a movie poster.
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| Fig 6.1 Original image from Pinterest, Week 4 (22.4.2023) |
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| Fig 6.2 Attempt #1, Week 4 (22.4.2023) |
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| Fig 6.3 Attempt #2, Week 4 (22.4.2023) |
After refining "O", I adjusted the arrangement once more. I placed the letter onto the vine and closer to the edge of the image so it has more tension. It also looks like it's growing on the vine.
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| Fig 6.4 Attempt #3, Week 4 (22.4.2023) |
Before submission, I've added some text and logos to make it seem like a movie poster. Mr. Vinod suggested that I change back to its original colours, perhaps so to make it more attractive as it's nature.
Final Submissions
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| Fig 6.4 Final Type and Image, Week 4 (22.4.2023) |
Fig 6.5 Final Type and Image, Week 4 (22.4.2023)
FEEDBACK
Week 1
Exercise 1
General Feedback: Present information in an interesting & memorable way
Specific Feedback: Interesting, good leading. But chosen typeface is not punk
themed
Week 2
Exercise 1
General Feedback: Spacing must be consistent. An element close to the edge
pulls your eye away
Specific Feedback: Transitional not adhered, must be same angle. Radial's text
should face same way
Week 3
Exercise 2a) Finding Type
General Feedback: Retain some core characteristics of an extraction
Specific Feedback: "O" does not share characteristics of other letters. Extraction not true to form. Vines have small bumps, not smooth
Week 4
Exercise 2b) Type and Image
General Feedback: The ability to understand the direction and example of the task is challenged
Specific Feedback: Letters far from being refined. "O" should not be a diamond, should be round or rectangle at least. The stroke of "K" should be thicker
REFLECTIONS
Experience
Exercise 1
I'm sometimes hesitate to progress in this exercise as I'm not sure whether or not I using the typographic system correctly. Unless Mr. Vinod or my classmates comments on my work, I would fail to see the errors in my work.
Exercise 2
I thought to use plants as my source of extraction because I'm surrounded by them. I'm surprised that most of my classmates are doing plants as well. It's quite awkward that our posts are all branches and leaves. Nevertheless, I'm grateful that Mr. Vinod didn't ask us to start again or something.
Observation
Exercise 1
I observed that I learned better when examples are provided. By looking at my classmates' work, I have a general idea of the typographic systems and more confident if their work is somewhat similar to mine.
Exercise 2
I noticed that I struggle to finalize my work as I don't have sketches to help me visualize my idea. This makes me hesitant to progress. Also, I noticed when there's a sense of urgency, such as a time limit, I'm able to sit down and work faster.
Findings
Overall, I realised I need to have some of visual guidance to ensure myself that I'm on the right track. I'm glad to submit these two exercises on time, but I felt like it could've be better or more refined.
FURTHER READING
Week 2
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| Typography Systems by Kimberly Elam |
As I'm unfamiliar with the construction of the typographic systems, this book is extremely useful to me by providing visual examples.
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| Typography Systems by Kimberly Elam, pg 5 |
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