Week 6
Lecture 6 / Understanding
Understanding Letterforms
Some letterforms may suggest symmetry, but if you look closely, they might have slight asymmetries. This is done by designers with intention to create harmonious and expressive letterforms, while ensuring that it is not too different from other letters in the type family.
In Baskerville, for example, the asymmetry is apparent as it has different stroke weights. Each brackets connecting the serif to the stem also has a unique arc. Univers on the other hand might look symmetrical, but when inspected closer, the left slope is actually thinner than the right stroke. In the lowercase 'a' of Helvetica and Univers, its asymmetry can be found in how the stems ends and how the bowls meet the stem.
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| Fig 1.1 Letterforms Breakdown |
Maintaining X-Height - For better readability, curved strokes in letterforms extend slightly
higher past the median or below the baseline to visually match the size of
vertical and horizontal strokes.
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| Fig 1.2 Maintaining X-Height in Curved Strokes |
Form / Counterform - Form is the letterform itself while counterform is the space around and
within letterforms. When letters are combined to form words, the space
between each letters are also considered counterform. Observing counterforms
is important in typeface development as it helps understand its form.
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| Fig 1.3 Form & Counterform |
Contrast - Like in other aspects of design, contrast helps differentiate elements
within a design.
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| Fig 1.4 Examples of Contrast |
INSTRUCTIONS
Task 2: Exercise 1 / Typographic Exploration & Communication
Week 6 / Research, Sketch, & Digitization
The second task of this module was to create an editorial spread from a
selection of three articles. Concepts from the previous task — type
expression and type formatting — are to be applied when working on this
task. The headline of the editorial should be made into a type expression
that fits the theme of the text, while the content should be laid out like
the type formatting exercise.
Research
To start this task, I read through all the given options to understand what I will design and help me come up with concepts. I decided to go for the article about Bauhaus as it has a potential for a unique type expression. To help me get a better idea of my design direction, I did some research about Bauhaus design.
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| Fig 2.1 References / Source: pinterest.com / Week 6 (29/10/24) |
I observed that Bauhaus uses lots of geometric elements like squares, circles, and lines in
its design. The fonts used in Bauhaus designs are also primarily sans-serif
typefaces. When I looked into it, Futura was a font influenced by the
Bauhaus movement which made me decide to use it as the main typeface in my
design.
Information source: linearity.io
Sketch
I started sketching out several ideas, mainly highlighting the geometric aspect of Bauhaus, by extending the lines out of letters. I also implemented the angular nature of Bauhaus in my design by adjusting the angles of the elements. In addition to that, I replaced some of the letters with shapes, like 'A' into triangles and 'O' into circles.
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| Fig 2.2 Sketches / Week 6 (30/10/24) |
Digitization
For the digitization process, I first made the type expressions in Illustrator. I continued with the type formatting in InDesign, adjusting the leading and kerning while maintaining cross-alignment. I also blocked out the main shapes to check the balance and movement of the layout.
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| Fig 2.3 First Digitization Results / Week 6 (03/11/24) |
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| Fig 2.4 Main Shapes Blockout / Week 6 (03/11/24) |
Out of the four, I decided to present the following layouts for further feedbacks since the type expressions and layouts looked better, and it felt more 'Bauhaus' compared to the other layouts.
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| Fig 2.5 Chosen Layouts / Week 6 (03/11/24) |
Layout 1 Headline
Typeface: Futura Std
Font/s: Futura Std Extra Bold, Futura Std Heavy, Futura Std Medium
Type Size/s: 132 pt, 62 pt, 21,5 pt
Leading: 0 pt
Layout 2 Headline
Font/s: Futura Std Heavy, Futura Std Medium
Type Size/s: 168 pt, 37 pt
Leading: 40 pt
Typeface: Futura Std
Font/s: Futura Std Heavy
Type Size/s: 21 pt
Leading: 24 pt
Body
Type Size: 9 pt
Leading: 12 pt
Paragraph spacing: 12 pt
Characters per-line: 55-65
Alignment: Left justified
Margins: 12,7 mm top, 12,7 mm left +12,7 mm right + 12,7 mm bottom
Columns: 2
Gutter: 5 mm
Week 7 / Revision
Based on the feedback given during class, I went on with the second layout, revising the angle of the type expression as parts of it touches the gutter. I also changed the positioning of "MODERN CULTURE" as in the previous rendition, the line extending from 'T' makes the 'D' look like a 'P'. I also added an extra spacing for the last paragraph since isn't a continuation of the previous paragraph, and felt more like a separate element.
Final Editorial Spread
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Fig 2.6 Final Editorial Spread - JPG / Week 7 (04/11/24) |
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Fig 2.7 Final Editorial Spread With Grids - JPG / Week 7 (04/11/24) |
Fig 2.8 Final Editorial Spread With & Without Grids - PDF / Week 7 (04/11/24)
Type Size/s: 168 pt, 37 pt
Leading: 40 pt
Paragraph spacing: 0 pt
Lead
Typeface: Futura Std
Font/s: Futura Std Heavy
Type Size/s: 21 pt
Leading: 24 pt
Body
Type Size: 9 pt
Leading: 12 pt
Paragraph spacing: 12 pt
Characters per-line: 55-65
Alignment: Left justified
Margins: 12,7 mm top, 12,7 mm left +12,7 mm right + 12,7 mm bottom
Columns: 2
Gutter: 5 mm
FEEDBACK
Week 6
General Feedback:
- A type formatting should help the viewer understand the content and grab the viewer's attention, not making it harder to read.
- When laying out the text, it shouldn't be placed on the gutter. This is especially important for smaller texts.
- Margin is a crucial part of a printable/editorial work as the trimming process during printing could cut the text that is in the margin.
Specific Feedback: The type expression and formatting is already good, the constructivism look for the type expression is good to represent Bauhaus. The version of the headline where the line is leaning towards the body text is preferable since it guides the eye from the headline to the body text.
Week 7
General Feedback: Check the e-portfolio in a private browser to make sure that the files are accessible.
REFLECTIONS
FURTHER READING
Week 6 / Typography Essentials: 100 Design Principles for Working with Type
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| Fig 3.1 Typography Essentials: 100 Design Principles for Working with Type Book Cover |
In this book, as the title suggests, lots of design principles for working with type are explained. I was interested in the section about letters, specifically for when it is used to create emphasis in a design. I personally like designs that uses large and bold text, because it is attention grabbing, and this book explains how it can be used well.
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Fig 3.2 Notable Works Highlighting 'Emphasis'
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Larger weights and font size can establish levels of hierarchy, emphasizing certain areas of a design, but some things should be considered when making adjustments. For example, using heavier weights alone could change the hierarchy; heavier weights create even greater emphasis. When scaling type, it should be done gradually to see effect the change makes. However, to make a loud statement or when using letterforms as a design element, extreme scaling of type transforms its identity and grabs our attention.
Week 7 / Typography Essentials: 100 Design Principles for Working with Type
This week, I decided to continue exploring the same book because I saw lots of interesting topics while scanning through the pages. There are concepts like how to mix typefaces, what a 'typographic abomination' is, using contrast, and some more technical things like rules for type formatting that were taught in class.
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| Fig 3.3 Favorite Works from the Book |
One particular section that caught my eye was the 'Theory of Relativity' that ended each main chapter in the book. It emphasized that all typographic elements exist in relation to other elements, and it will interact and influence each other through every design decisions. As the amount of elements increase, so does the complexity of the design, making it a challenge to create a harmonious and effective design. An important thing to note to create good design is the clarity of intent, clear separation of elements, typographic harmony, beauty, and legibility.