ADVANCED TYPOGRAPHY TASK 1 - TYPOGRAPHIC SYSTEMS & TYPE & PLAY / EXERCISES

05/04/2023 - 26/04/2023 / Week 1 - Week 4

Chew Zhi Ern / 0358995

Advanced Typography / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University

Task 1 / Typographic Systems & Type & Play / Exercises

LECTURES

Lecture 1: Typographic Systems

Typographic Systems:

'All design is based on a structural system'. According to Elam, 2007, there are 8 major variations with an infinite number of permutations.

These 8 major variations are:

Axial
Radial
Dilatational
Random
Grid
Modular
Transitional
Bilateral

The typographical organization is complex because the elements are dependent on communication in order to function. (So if there's no communication, there's no point of it being there.)

* As designers when giving form to content, it is important that communication is right in the forefront of that form.

Additional criteria such as hierarchy, order of reading, legibility, and contrast also come into play.

Axial System

All elements are organised to the left or right of a single axis.

Example of Axial System (05/04/2023)

* Information is divided into groups and it is placed at different angles on different sides of the axis.

* There are possibilities for variation in axial. (The axial is not necessary to be straight, it could be bent.)

Radial System

All elements are extended from a point of focus.

Example of Radial System (05/04/2023)

* It's spread out according to that particular point of focus and all the sentences basically are pointing towards that point of focus.

Dilatational System

All elements expand from a central point in a circular fashion.

Example of Dilatational System (05/04/2023)

* Can have multiple rings of circles with information on either side or in line with those circles.

Random System

Elements appear to have no specific pattern or relationship.

Example of Random System (05/04/2023)

* Although it's random, there is still a method in the chaos that is created within the page.

Grid System

A system of vertical and horizontal divisions.

Example of Grid System (05/04/2023)

* There are different sizes and weights, all to create emphasis and hierarchy.

Transitional System

An informal system of layered banding.

Example of Transitional System (05/04/2023)

* Banding: Segregating information within certain bands.

* Headline will remain within the larger in one band and have the middle amount of text that would remain in one band.

Modular System

A series of non-objective elements that are constructed in as standardised units.

Example of Modular System (05/04/2023)

* Modular allows to move the individual units to different portions of the page.

* The units can be randomly placed even not within a larger grid.

Bilateral System

All text is arranged symmetrically on a single axis.

Example of Bilateral System (05/04/2023)

* A system that tends to be used a lot of times in invitation cards and other types of formal invites.

en dash: ALT + hyphen (-)

hidden characters; Alt + Ctrl + I

Lecture 2: Typographic Composition

Typography pertains to the

creation of letters.
arrangement of large amounts of text within a given space.

Principles of Design Composition:

Composition ~ Dominant principles underpinning design communication (emphasis, isolation, repetition, symmetry, alignment, perspective...)

These abstract notions seem ambiguous when it comes to translating them into typographic layouts or compositions. They seem more relevant to imagery than complex units of information that consist different elements.

The ideas mentioned above and the application of these ideas into real-life content (images, textual information and colour) on a page or screen can sometimes feel disparate. That said, some of these principles are a little more easily translatable than others.

Example of Emphasis (08/04/2023)

* Emphasis, Symmetry - Easily translatable

* Repetition, Perspective - More difficult, Perhaps not that conducive when it comes to typography composition. (Not easily usable)

The Rule of Thirds

A photographic guide to composition.
Basically suggest that a frame (space) can be divided into 3 columns and 3 rows.
The intersecting lines are used as a guide to place the points of interest, within the given space.

Example of The Rule of Thirds (08/04/2023)

Typographic Systems

From the 8 systems, the most pragmatic and the most used system is the Grid System (or Raster Systeme), which is derived from the grided compositional structure of Letter Press printing.
It was further enhanced by what is now come to be termed as the Swiss (Modernist) style of Typography, with its foremost proponents being Josef Muller Brockmann, Jan Tschichold, Max Bill and such.

Examples of the systems (08/04/2023)

* While the Grid System may seem to be old or rigid, the versatility of the system and its (to some degree) modular nature tends to allow an infinite number of adaptations. This is why it continues to remain popular.

In reaction to this very ordered approach to Typography of the modernist era, a group of younger designers began to question and challenge this notion of order. Thus was born the post-modernist era in Typographical systems where chaos, randomness and asymmetry were explored. Legibility and readability were relegated to the back seat however the bests examples seem to combine the two seamlessly. Its proponents include: David Carson, Paula Scher, Jonathan Barnbrook, to name a few.

There was a method to their madness. Order was replaced with apparent chaos but this chaos was exciting and 'new' for a generation that was being exposed to Punk anti-establishment thought and music. As such the asymmetry, random, repetition, dilatational and radial systems began to take root in the lexicon of designers.

Other Models / Systems

Environmental Grid

Based on the exploration of an existing structure or numerous structures combined. An extraction of crucial lines both curved and straight are formed. The designer then organizes his information around this super-structure, which includes non-objective elements to create a unique and exciting mixture of texture and visual stimuli.
An interesting manner of exploration and provides context to the forms developed in the designs - context why? Due to the fact that the system/structures were developed around key features of an environment associated to the communicators of the message.

Examples (08/04/2023)

Form and Movement (Worked out by Mr. Vinod)

Based on the exploration of an existing Grid System developed this system to get students to explore; the multitude of options the grid offer; dispel the seriousness surrounding the application of the grid system and sees the turning of pages in a book as a slowed-down animation in the form that constitutes the placement of image, text and color.
The placement of a form (irrespective of what it is) on a page, over many pages, creates movement. Whether the page is paper or screen is irrelevant.

Examples (08/04/2023)

* Static versions of the form placed on the spread (Grids were hidden). Care was taken to ensure visual connections and surprises on every page. The forms could represent images, text or colour. Right: animated version, the spreads of a book mimic the frame-by-frame nature of a moving screen.
Nine spreads where the non-objective element is placed within a larger grid system. Minor elements are introduced along with the larger elements and try to maintain the connection between one spread to another spread.

Once the entire process of maintaining connections but also creating surprises in every spread is completed, it is then used to animate in a faster way to show how that possible connection is created or how visual impulses are created through movement on page.

Typographical Layouts Examples (08/04/2023)

Lecture 3: Context and Creativity

Handwriting

Why important in the study of type/typography?

The first mechanically produced letterforms were designed to directly imitate handwriting.
Would become the basis or standard for form, spacing and conventions mechanical type would try and mimic.
The shape and line of hand-drawn letterforms are influenced by the tools and materials used to make them. Sharpened bones, charcoal sticks, plant stems, brushes, feathers and steel pens all contributed to the unique characteristics of the letterform.
Additional factors included the material upon which the forms were written: clay, papyrus, palm leaf, animal skins (vellum and parchment) and paper.

Later-day typographers, through research, curiosity and a respect for history would pay homage to these developments.

Resulting in books being written and published, the recreation of the handwritten styles into mechanical forms for printing.

With the digital revolution, the West would begin to digitize many of its historical creations and type foundries would create, market and sell or license them.
With the colonization of the East by the West, much of the heritage and cultural practices in literature, arts and crafts, languages and scripts would be halted or stunted.

For decades, Asia/East has neglected much of its written heritage and by adapting Western printing technologies (letterpress, linotype, Unicode).
It was difficult to create much of the old text in printed form because it would take know-how, much time, effort and money.
However with a mild renaissance in the East, with the advent of computer programmers in large numbers, we are starting to see the proliferation of indigenous scripts on phones, tablets and computers.

The Evolution of the Latin Alphabet (16/04/2023)

* BCE: Before Common Era

* CE: Common Era

Cuneiform (c. 3000 B.C.E.)

The earliest system of actual writing was used in a number of languages between the 34C. B.C E. through the 1st century C.E.
Its distinctive wedge form was the result of pressing the blunt end of a reed stylus into wet clay tablets.
Characters evolved from pictograms.
Written from left to right.

The Cuneiform (16/04/2023)

Hieroglyphics (2613 - 2160 B.C.E.)

The writing system is fused with the art of relief carving.
Was a mixture of both rebus and phonetic characters - the first link to a future alphabetic system.
Hieroglyphic images have the potential to be used in three different ways:

As ideograms - to represent the things they actually depict.
As determinatives - to show that the signs preceding are meant as phonograms and to indicate the general idea of the word.
As phonograms - to represent sounds that "spell out" individual words.

The Egyptian Hieroglyphics Chart (16/04/2023)

Early Greek (5th C. B.C.E.)

Built on the Egyptian logo-consonantal system, the Phoenicians developed a phonetic alphabet consisting of 22 letters.
Then was adopted by the Greeks who added the necessary vowels.
Was comprised of only capital letters, written between two guidelines to organize them into horizontal rows.
The words may have been in rows but the direction of reading was not yet fixed.
Greek was often read in a format known as boustrophedon or “as the ox plows.” One row would read left to right and then switch from right to left.
These letters were drawn freehand, not constructed with compasses and rule and they had no serifs — neither the informal entry and exit strikes left by a relaxed and fluent writer, nor the symmetrical finish stroke typically added to letters by formal scribes.
The strokes of these letters grew thicker, the aperture lessened, and serifs appeared. The new forms, used for inscriptions throughout the Greek empire, served as models for formal lettering in imperial Rome.
Those Roman inscriptional letters — written with a flat brush, held at an angle like a broad nib pen, then carved into the stone with mallet and chisel, have served in their turn as models for calligraphers and type designers for the past two thousand years.

The way letter forms were developed today (digitize & constructed) during the turn of the 20th century or the dawning of movable type, all letterforms who created based on how writing was written.

Alphabet in the Early Greek (16/04/2023)

Roman Uncials (4th C.)

Roman letters were becoming more rounded, the curved form allowed for less strokes and could be written faster by the 4th century.

The Roman Uncials (16/04/2023)

English Half Uncials (8th C.)

In England, the uncial evolved into a more slanted and condensed form.
English and Irish uncials evolved, writing on the European continent devolved considerably. (it came in the Carolingian Handwriting Reform.)

The English Half Uncials (16/04/2023)

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 outposts of religious cloisters and retreats.

The Charlemagne; Charles I (16/04/2023)

A court school was established under the direction of Alcuin of York. During Charlemagne's patronage book production increased and language was standardized — pronunciation and spelling as well as writing conventions — capitals at the start of a sentence, spaces between words and punctuation. A new script emerged, the Carolingian minuscule.

Carolingian Minuscule

Was used for all legal and literary works to unify communication between the various regions of the expanding European empire.
Was as important a development as the standard Roman capital.
Became the pattern for the Humanistic writing of the fifteenth century; this latter, in turn, was the basis of our lower-case Roman type.

Carolingian Minuscule (16/04/2023)

The Carolingian Letter (16/04/2023)

Black Letter (12-15 C. C.E.)

Gothic was the culminating artistic expression of the middle ages, occurring roughly from 1200—1500.
The term Gothic originated with the Italians who used it to refer to rude or barbaric cultures north of the Italian Alps.
The Gothic spirit took hold in France, Germany and England where it was manifested through unhindered upward striving:

the vertical supplanted horizontals as the dominant line in architecture.
the pointed arch replaced the round arch of the Romans.
the almond shape, or mandorla was preferred.

Gothic writing forms reflected this aesthetic.
Characterized by tight spacing and condensed lettering.
Evenly spaced verticals dominated the letterform.

Condensing line spacing and letter spacing reduced the amount of costly materials in book production.

The Black Letter; Gothic (16/04/2023)

The Blackletter spacing from The Art and Craft of Hand Lettering by Annie Cicale (16/04/2023)

The Italian Renaissance

As the Gothic spirit reached its apex in other areas of Western Europe, Humanist scholars in Italy were slowly reviving the culture of antiquity.
The Renaissance embrace of ancient Greek and Roman culture spurred a creative wave through Italian art, architecture, literature and letter form design.
The Humanist admired the Carolingian script, which had clear open handwriting.
Humanists named the newly rediscovered letterforms Antica.
The Renaissance analysis of form that was being applied to art and architecture was directed toward letterforms — resulting in a more perfect or rationalized letter.

The Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci (16/04/2023)

The Humanist Letterform: Antica (16/04/2023)

Movable Type (11 C. - 14 C.)

The introduction of moveable type was introduced in 1000-1100 CE.
Was pioneered in China but achieved in Korea (Diamond Sutra).
In the late 1300-1399 CE, several decades before the earliest printing in Europe (Guttenberg’s bible 1439), the Koreans establish a foundry to cast movable type in bronze.
Printing (woodblock) had already been practiced in China, Korea and Japan (Dharani Sutra, AD 750).
The earliest known printed book (AD 868) is the Diamond Sutra: 16’ scroll with the world’s first printed illustration.

Printing plates from Song of the Moon’s Reflection (16/04/2023)

The process of printing (16/04/2023)

Johannes Gutenberg (16/04/2023)

Moveable Type Process of Gutenberg (16/04/2023)

Why do we talk about Greek influence on Rome, but not Egyptian or Near Eastern influence on Greece?

Because in the 19th century and the rise of the modern British Empire, it became out of style to credit Africa or Africans with anything of value, and therefore Greece and Rome were elevated over much older, much more influential civilizations, specifically Ancient Egypt, but also less extensive or old civilizations like Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, China, etc.

The Evolution of Middle Eastern Alphabets (16/04/2023)

While the Phoenician letter marks a turning point in written language — use of sound represented in letters, the script itself has been possibly influenced by the Egyptian Hieroglyphics and Hieratic Scripts.

The Evolution of the Chinese Script (16/04/2023)

From the Oracle bone to Seal Script to Clerical Script, Traditional and Simplified scripts.

The location of Phoenicia: present-day Syria, Lebanon and Israel (16/04/2023)

Indus Valley Civilization Script (3500 B.C.E. - 2000 B.C.E.)

Is as yet undeciphered and seems to have been somewhat logo-syllabic in nature.
Some believe that these symbols are non-linguistic, while others argue that they represent a Dravidian language.

The Indus Valley Civilization Script (16/04/2023)

Examples of Indus Script Seals (16/04/2023)

Beautiful Seals during the manga Darrow and Harappan civilizations, which basically is between Pakistan and India. There's a lot of aesthetics put into it.

The Brahmi Script (450 B.C.E. – 350 B.C.E.)

The earliest writing system developed in India after the Indus script.
It is one of the most influential writing systems.
All modern Indian scripts and several hundred scripts found in Southeast and East Asia are derived from Brahmi.
The origin of the script is still much debated, with most scholars stating that Brahmi was derived from or at least influenced by one or more contemporary Semitic scripts; while others favor the idea of an indigenous origin or connection to the much older and as-yet undeciphered Indus script of the Indus Valley Civilization.

The Brahmi Script Vowels (16/04/2023)

A geographic display of scripts within and outside of India (16/04/2023)

The oldest writing systems present in Southeast Asia were Indian scripts. There were a few, but the most important would be Pallava (or Pallawa in Malay), a South Indian script originally used for writing Sanskrit and Tamil.

Pallava was highly influential, becoming the basis for writing systems across Southeast Asia.

But Pallava wasn't the only Indian script in use in the Malay Archipelago. Another was Pra-Nagari, an early form of the Nagari script, used in India for writing Sanskrit.

The Kedukan Bukit Inscription (16/04/2023)

From Sumatra, written in Old Malay using the Pallava script.

The Pra-Nagari Script (16/04/2023)

An early form of the Nagari Script. It was used in India for writing Sanskrit. It can be seen today in the Blanjong inscription of Bali.

Does this mean Nusantara never had writing systems of its own? Were they all just borrowed from India?

This is where we get to what is perhaps Indonesia's most important historical script: Kawi. Based on Nagari, but indigenous to Java.
The word Kawi comes from the Sanskrit term kavya meaning poet. The interesting thing about Kawi is that it was the script used for contact with other kingdoms. Because it was so widespread, Kawi became the basis of other scripts in both Indonesia and the Philippines.
This means that ancient kingdoms in the Malay Peninsula would have been using both Indian scripts and Kawi to write the old Malay language.

The Laguna Copperplate Inscription written in Kawi (16/04/2023)

The Sanskrit terms seen in the document, the culture and society of Manila Bay were that of a Hindu – Old Malay amalgamation, similar to the cultures of Java, Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra at the time.

▲ Handwriting from a Western Perspective ▼ Handwriting from an Eastern Perspective

Indonesia has a great number of historical writing systems. We will look into the scripts of the communities that assimilated into Peninsula Malay communities.

Scholars have theorised the existence of an ancient Gujerati-derived Proto-Sumatran writing system which was the basis of medieval scripts on the island.

Incung from Kerinci (16/04/2023)

It comes from a South Sumatran grouping of scripts known as Rencong. This is the “tulisan asal” or original writing system, not Jawi.

The Rejang Script (16/04/2023)

A related script to the Rencong grouping, also from South Sumatra.

The Batak Script (16/04/2023)

This is a page from a Batak handbook on magic and divination.

The Bugis Script: Lontara (16/04/2023)

Deriving from the word lontar, a type of palm used for writing manuscripts in the Malay Archipelago.

The Javanese Script (16/04/2023)

A medieval descendant of Kawi. This is the Surya Ngalam, a legal treatise.

Jawi, the Arabic-based alphabet. We all know Jawi was introduced along with Islam.

Ancient Hindu societies in both South and Southeast Asia were classist and often caste-based. The lower classes were generally illiterate. Obviously, Islam didn't change this completely, but it did encourage teaching for the sake of proselytization.

When those traders engaged in missionary work, they would have taught Jawi to people that might otherwise not have learned to read and write. This allowed it to spread among the upper and middle-class in the trading ports. However it took a while for Jawi to supplant other scripts, and in some areas never did so completely.

Record of sale for a female Batak slave to a British (16/04/2023)

In modern Malaysia, Jawi is of greater importance because it's the script used for all our famous works of literature. Every hikayat and Malay charm book is written in Jawi. Unlike Indonesia, we don't have a huge wealth of pre-Jawi inscriptions and writings—this is part of the reason why some tend to ignorantly claim that Jawi is "tulisan asal Melayu", which is of course untrue.

The Manuscript from the 19th century (16/04/2023)

All systems of writing have some form of influence. To claim complete originality is inaccurate and some would say ignorant. History gives us context, but it also gives designers an opportunity to design, research or help codify to communicate and understand better our collective heritage.

Programmers and Type Design

More vernacular scripts are being produced by software giants (Google): in their employment a great many Asian programmers and designers. More and more vernacular and “multi-script” typefaces —a term coined by Muthu Nedumaran—are being produced to cater to situations where the written matter is communicated in the vernacular script or vernacular and Latin scripts.

Baloo (16/04/2023)

A perfect blend of pointy paws in a coat of fur, Baloo is an affable display typeface by Ek Type. A multi-script typeface, it is available in nine Indian scripts along with a Latin counterpart, the family is Unicode compliant and libre licensed.

Local Movements and Individuals

Malaysia

murasu.com spear-headed by programmer and typographer Muthu Nedumaran. The programming language needed to encode the different types of vernacular writing systems was cracked by Muthu. The system is now used in mobile phones and desktops.
Huruf a local group of graphic designers interested in the localized lettering of latin and vernacular letters painted or inscribed on walls and signages are amongst the more prominent organizations digitizing and revitalizing typefaces in Malaysia.

India

Ek Type and Indian Type Foundry are organizations that have done ground breaking work with the development of vernacular typefaces in India.

South East Asia

The movement has not organized and coordinated itself well enough. But with increasing awareness and examples from larger neighbors like India with their large talent pool and resource, the knowledge behind methods used and approaches taken are more accessible geographically speaking.

Creativity and originality are properties that are most often intertwined. It is important for young designers to look inward and examine their histories, civilization, culture and communities to bring these past developments into the future and develop on them instead of blindly appropriating cultures and developments that have no context, relatability or relevance.
Creativity and inspiration should begin by observing our surroundings and exploration of our collective histories.

Lecture 4: Designing Type

Why design another typeface?

Xavier Dupré (2007) in the introduction of his typeface Malaga suggested two reasons for designing a typeface:

Type design carries a social responsibility so one must continue to improve its legibility.
Type design is a form of artistic expression.

1. Adrian Frutiger

A renowned twentieth century Swiss graphic designer.
His forte was typeface designing and he is considered responsible for the advancement of typography into digital typography.
His valued contribution to typography includes the typefaces; Univers and Frutiger.
The typeface Frutiger namesake

Frutiger is a sans serif typeface designed by the Swiss type designer Adrian Frutiger in 1968 specifically for the newly built Charles de Gaulle International Airport in France.

Purpose:

The goal of this new typeface was create a clean, distinctive and legible typeface that is easy to see from both close up and far away. Extremely functional.

Some considerations / limitations:

The 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.

Univers by Adobe Illustrator (24/04/2023)

Airport Signage using Frutiger (24/04/2023)

He received many honors, "at the university in the “holy city of India”, Varanasi, he felt he had received the highest of honors, without medals or certificates.
He had designed a new Devanagari font for modern typesetting and printing processes at the request of the Indian Design Institute.
His goal was to simplify the sacred characters, without compromising their ancient calligraphic expression.
The Institute later approved of Frutiger's draft and saw no desecration of something that was, for them, sacred.

2. Matthew Carter

The son of Harry Carter, Royal Designer for Industry, contemporary British type designer and ultimate craftsman.
He trained as a punchcutter at Enschedé by Paul Rädisch, responsible for Crosfield’s typographic program in the early 1960s, Mergenthaler Linotype’s house designer 1965–1981.
Many of Carter's fonts were created to address specific technical challenges, for example those posed by early computers.
Purpose:

The font was tuned to be extremely legible even at very small sizes on the screen due in part to the popularity of the internet and electronic devices.

Considerations / Limitations:

The Verdana fonts exhibit characteristics derived from the pixel rather than the pen, the brush or the chisel.
Commonly confused characters, such as the lowercase i j l.

The Georgia & Verdana Font (24/04/2023)

Web designers hated him because Georgia and Verdana were among the few fonts they could use.
Off screen, Georgia and Verdana have also made appearances in print.
In 2010 there was a lot of “fontroversy” when it was announced that IKEA would be changing from Futura to Verdana.

The comparison between Font vs Printed (24/04/2023)

In 1976, AT&T commissioned the design of a new typeface whose sole purpose would be for use in their telephone directories.
The design had to solve multiple technical and visual problems related with the existing phonebook typeface, Bell Gothic.
The solution, named in honour of the company's 100th anniversary, was Bell Centennial.

3. Edward Johnston

the creator of the hugely influential London “Underground” typeface, which would later come to be knows as “Johnston Sans” in 1916.
He was asked to create a typeface with “bold simplicity” that was truly modern yet rooted in tradition.
Johnston’s design, completed in 1916, combined classical Roman proportions with humanist warmth.
Purpose:

London's Underground railway ordered a new typeface for its posters and signage from the calligrapher Edward Johnston.
He handed over details and examples of letter shapes that would set the tone for printed text until the present day.

Considerations / Limitations:

Johnston's remit was to unite the London Underground Group, the different companies all using the same rails and tunnels.
All the advertising and the signage was all completely different - there was this cacophony of letters.
He applied the proportions of Roman capital letters to his typeface, so it was rooted in history, rooted in traditional calligraphy. But it has an elegance and a simplicity that absolutely fitted the modern age.

The Latin letters (24/04/2023)

The General Process of Type Design

Research

When creating type, we should understand type history, type anatomy and type conventions. We should also know terminologies, side-bearing, metrics, hinting and etc.
It is then important to determine the type’s purpose or what it would be used for, what different applications it will be used in such as whether the typeface is for school busses or airport signages, etc.
We should also examine existing fonts that are presently being used for inspiration / ideas / reference / context / usage pattern and etc.

In traps (24/04/2023)

These were generally used when printing on cheap absorbent paper and when printing is fast and not very precise. Corners generally tend to suffer and as such with ink traps the corners remain visible. Today it is included more as a design flair.

Sketching

Some designers sketch their typeface using the traditional tool set (brushes / pens, ink and paper) then scan them for the purpose of digitization.
Some designers sketch their typeface using digital tool sets, such as Wacom directly into a font design software (much quicker, persistent, and consistent) but this can sometimes impede the natural movement of hand strokes.
Both methods have their positives and negatives.

New Jonston Font sketch (24/04/2023)

Digitization

There are professional software that are used in the digitization of typefaces. ( FontLab and Glyphs)
There are designers that also use Adobe Illustrator to design or craft the letterforms and then introduce it into the specialized font apps. This however is frowned upon by the purist.
Attention should not only be given to the whole form at this stage but also to the counter form. The readability of the typeface is heavily dependent on it.

Testing

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.
Prototyping is also part of the testing process and leads to important feedback.
Depending on the typeface category (display type/text type) the readability and legibility of the typeface become 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.

Prototype Stencil (Stenz). Developed & Designed by Mr. Vinod (24/04/2023)

Deploy

Even after deploying a completed typeface there are always teething problems that did not come to the fore during the prototyping and testing phases.
Thus, the task of revision doesn’t end upon deployment.
The rigor of the testing is important so that the teething issue remains minor.

Prototype Number plate typeface: Myno & Nomy. Designed by Mr. Vinod (24/04/2023)

Typeface Construction

Roman Capital

The grid consists of a square, and inside it a circle that just touches the lines of the square in four places.
Within the square, there is also a rectangle.
This rectangle is three quarters the size of the square and is positioned in the centre of the square.
Thus, using grids (with circular forms) can facilitate the construction of a letterforms and is a possible method to build / create / design the letterform.

Construction grid for the Roman Capital using 8 x 8 cells (24/04/2023)

Construction and considerations

Depending on their form and construction, the 26 characters of the alphabet can be arranged into groups, whereby a distinction is made between a group for the capitals and a group for lowercase letters.

Classification according to form and construction (24/04/2023)

Many different forms and constructions must be taken into account when designing a new type. An important visual correction is the extrusion of curved (and protruding) forms past the baseline and cap line. This also applies to vertical alignment between curved and straight forms.
A visual correction is also needed for the distance between letters. It is not possible to simply place letters next to each other with equal spacing between them. 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.

Most typefaces come about due to a need or demand. The need/motivation can be intrinsic and extrinsic.
With intrinsic motivation, the designer has an inexplicable need driven by interest to design a typeface, and seeks out a form that comes close to fulfilling a desire. It is also possible that the designer identifies a gap/problem and thus endeavors to solve it through the design of the typeface.
Extrinsic can be summed up in this way the designer has been commissioned or the student-designer has a task to complete that involves designing a typeface.
For a design to be successful the designer needs to be invested in the idea and understand the requirement / limitations / use / stakeholder.
Designing a typeface is a labour of love. Only the brave and foolish walk this path for the reward pale in comparison to the work.

Lecture 5: Perception and Organisation

Perception

The way in which something is regarded, understood or interpreted.
What we see and therefore understand or what We are manipulated into seeing and understanding?
In typography, it deals with the visual navigation and interpretation of the reader via contrast, form and organisation of the content.

Content can be textual, visual, graphical or in the form of colour.

How does contrast work? What does form entail?

Contrast

There are several methods in typography to create contrast.

Light & Bold
Condensed & Extended
Organic & Machined
Roman & Italic
Small & Large
Negative & Positive
Serif & Sans Serif
Ornate & Simple
Dfferent Colours

They are self-explanatory.

Contrast devised by Rudi Ruegg (24/04/2023)

Contrast can also be created using texture and direction to make design work and meaning pop out clearly and unambiguously, and with flair. (added by Carl Dair)

Size

Provides a point to which the reader’s attention is drawn.
Example: If you have a big letter and a small letter you will obviously see the big letter first before the small.
The most common use of size is in making a title or heading noticeably bigger than the body text.

Contrast of Size (24/04/2023)

Weight

It describes how bold type can stand out in the middle of lighter type of the same style.
Using bold, rules, spots and squares also provide a heavy area for a powerful point of visual attraction or emphasis, therefore not only types of varying weight.

Contrast of Weight (24/04/2023)

Form

The distinction between a capital letter and its lowercase equivalent, or a roman letter and its italic variant. Condensed and expanded versions of typeface are also included.

Contrast of Form (24/04/2023)

Structure

Means the different letterforms of different kinds of typefaces.
Example: A monoline sans serif and a traditional serif, or an italic and a blackletter.

Contrast of Structure (24/04/2023)

Texture

By putting together the previous types of contrast together and applying them to a block of text on a page, it creates the contrast of texture.
It refers to the way the lines of type look as a whole up close and from a distance. This depends partly on the letterforms themselves and partly on how they’re arranged.

Contrast of Texture (24/04/2023)

Colour

The use of color is suggested that a second color is often less emphatic in values than plain black on white.
Therefore it is important to give thought to which element needs to be emphasized and to pay attention to the tonal values of the colors that are used.

Contrast of Colour (24/04/2023)

Direction

Contrast of direction is the opposition between vertical and horizontal, and the angles in between.
Turning one word on its side can have a dramatic effect on a layout.
Text blocks also have their vertical or horizontal aspects of direction.
Mixing wide blocks of long lines with tall columns of short line can also create a contrast.

Contrast of Direction (24/04/2023)

Form

Refers to the overall look and feel of the elements that make up the typographic composition.
It is the part that plays a role in visual impact and first impressions.
A good form in typography tends to be visually intriguing to the eye; it leads the eye from point to point, it entertains the mind and is most often memorable.
Originating from the Greek words “typos” (form) and “graphis” (writing), typography means to write in accordance with form.
Typography can be seen as having two functions:

To represent a concept
To do so in a visual form

Displaying type as a form provides a sense of letterforms’ unique characteristics and abstract presentation.
The interplay of meaning and form brings a balanced harmony both in terms of function and expression.
When a typeface is perceived as a form, it no longer reads as a letter because it has been manipulated by distortion, texture and enlargement, and has been extruded into a space.

Organisation / Gestalt

It 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.
The Gestalt psychologists, especially Max Wertheimer, developed a number of laws that predict how perceptual grouping occurs under a variety of circumstances. Technically, in sciences, laws are predictions that are true. In reality, these laws are better classified as principles.
Gestalt theory emphasizes that the whole of anything is greater than its parts—this is based on the idea that we experience things as unified whole: Instead of breaking down thoughts and behavior to their smallest elements, the gestalt psychologists believed that you must look at the whole of experience.
Therefore in design (read: typographic layouts), the components / elements that make up the design is only as good as its overall visual form. While each component may be functional at an elemental level, the sum of its parts is not greater than the whole or the overall form.
Perceptual Organisation / Groupings

Law of Similarity

It is the gestalt grouping law that states that elements that are similar to each other tend to be perceived as a unified group.
Similarity can refer to any number of features, including color, orientation, size or indeed motion.

Law of Similarity (24/04/2023)

Law of Proximity

It is the gestalt grouping law that states elements that are close together tend to be perceived as a unified group.
This straightforward law states that items close to each other tend to be grouped together, whereas items further apart are less likely to be grouped together.

Law of Proximity (24/04/2023)

Law of Closure

It refers to the mind’s tendency to see complete figures or forms even if a picture is incomplete, partially hidden by other objects, or if part of the information needed to make a complete picture in our minds is missing.

Law of Closure (24/04/2023)

Law of Continuation

It holds that humans tend to perceive each of two or more objects as different, singular and uninterrupted object even when they intersect.
The alignment of the objects or forms plays a major role in this principle to take effect.

Law of Continuation (24/04/2023)

Law of Symetry
Law of Simplicity

The Gestalt Principles of Groupings (24/04/2023)

INSTRUCTIONS

Task 1.1: Exercises - Typographic Systems

WEEK 1

In the first week of class, we were asked to join a Facebook group where all of the relevant information and material will be posted. Then, Mr. Vinod gave us a brief introduction to the module information. Following that, he instructed us to watch an introductory video on Youtube about Exercise 1 - Typographic Systems.

As part of our Typography module, Mr. Vinod has assigned Exercise 1, which requires us to create 8 square posters and each representing one of the 8 typographic systems. We will be using our design skills and knowledge to showcase the unique characteristics of each system.

Application: Adobe InDesign

Size: 200 x 200 mm

Colour: In addition to black and white, can use one other colour

Graphical elements: Line, Dot, etc. (can be used but limitedly)

Figure 1. First Attempt for the 8 Typographic Systems (06/04/2023)

WEEK 2

This week, Mr. Vinod asked us to post our outcomes for the eight designs of Typographic Systems on the Facebook Group. In today's Typography class, we had three phases of feedback sessions as part of our design process.

In the first stage of our feedback session, Mr. Vinod provided feedback on a specific aspect of our designs. During this stage, he noticed that many students in the class were facing similar difficulties and challenges. So, he also offered some useful guidance and suggestions to help us overcome these obstacles and improve our designs.

In the second stage of our feedback session, Mr. Vinod showed some of our classmates' designs. As a class, we will be given the opportunity to provide constructive feedback about the designs. This approach allows us to identify areas of improvement and challenges in the designs, rather than solely relying on the lecturer's evaluation every time.

In the final phase of the feedback session, we were divided into groups, and each group member presented their designs to the group. Our task was to provide constructive feedback and comments for each design, one by one. This stage of feedback allows us to receive multiple perspectives and suggestions on our designs from our peers, which is an essential part of the design process. It also encourages us to articulate our design decisions and thought processes and helps us to refine our designs further.

Figure 2. Final Outcome for Axial System - JPEG Format (15/04/2023)

Figure 3. Final Outcome for Radial System - JPEG Format (15/04/2023)

Figure 4. Final Outcome for Dilatational System - JPEG Format (15/04/2023)

Figure 5. Final Outcome for Random System - JPEG Format (15/04/2023)

Figure 6. Final Outcome for Grid System - JPEG Format (15/04/2023)

Figure 7. Final Outcome for Transitional System - JPEG Format (15/04/2023)

Figure 8. Final Outcome for Modular System - JPEG Format (15/04/2023)

Figure 9. Final Outcome for Bilateral System - JPEG Format (15/04/2023)

Figure 10. Final Outcome with the grids - PDF format (15/04/2023)

Figure 11. Final Outcome without the grids - PDF format (15/04/2023)

Task 1.2: Exercises - Type & Play: Finding Type

WEEK 3

The class of the week is conducted online due to the coming festival. As usual, we are required to post our work on the comment session of our Facebook group. Then, Mr. Vinod gave comments and feedback on the work of some students. Later, he gave us some time to refine our work after his comment. He also explained what is expected of us in the next class. We need to start focusing on the final outcome as well as the second part of the exercise which basically integrates the created letterform with the related image.

Figure 1. First attempt for the exercise (15/04/2023)

Figure 2. Rework Outcome (20/04/2023)

WEEK 4

Mr. Vinod has gone through all students' artwork that was posted in the Facebook group. We were asked to make a final improvement on it. Then, we were required to focus on completing our e-portfolio and working on the next task. So, he introduced the next task which is the key artwork.

Figure 3. Final Refinement Process (26/04/2023)

Figure 4. Final Outcome (26/04/2023)

Figure 5. Type Showcase (26/04/2023)

Figure 6. Final Finding Type Showcase - PDF Format (26/04/2023)

Figure 7. Poster Outcome (26/04/2023)

Following Mr. Vinod's feedback, I implemented several adjustments and corrections to the design. Throughout the process, I consistently felt unsatisfied with the initial version, which featured a simplistic black background. Therefore, I decided to explore an alternative design concept and idea. During the creation of this poster, I carefully considered whether the audience would be enticed to watch the movie based on their reaction to the poster.

Figure 8. Second Attempt (17/05/2023)

Figure 9. Another Design for the Poster (17/05/2023)

Figure 10. The Final Outcome of the Poster - JPEG Format (17/05/2023)

Figure 11. The Final Outcome of the Poster - PDF Format (17/05/2023)

FEEDBACK

Week 2

General Feedback:

Only one color can be used. Graphical elements should be used judiciously.

Specific Feedback:
1. Axial - There are problems with the design of the last three. The text must line up properly, otherwise, the alignment will be in the wrong direction.

2. Radial - The big red circle is distracting. Information needs to rearrange as a radial system refers to all content pointing to a central focal point and it could be multiple points.

3. Dilatational - The text at the bottom should make sure it places and stick well in the canvas, of course, it also should be circular. The second design is interesting.
4. Random - May add a rectangle at the right bottom so that it has the flow. Text arrangement could be done better.
5. Grid - It works. The shape is somehow excessive but it's fine as they are to create balance and take up space as long as they are not too overwhelming.
6. Transitional - There are many problems, needs to imply some amount of movement in the composition and also the texts should follow the flow. Must be redone.
7. Bilateral - The text at the side of the main text should replace so that it could be symmetrical.
8. Modular - This is fine and the classmates would go for the last design. Maybe the heading could be better.

Week 3

General Feedback:

Wrong Construction. Shouldn't just draw a line on it but to trace out the shape to study how the shapes are represented.

Specific Feedback:
Should rework.

Week 4

General Feedback:

The letterform refinement is not particularly changed too much from the original. Should continue to develop more. The poster is not what it should be, rework on it.

Specific Feedback:

Once having the horizontal and vertical strokes, can utilize those strokes for different parts of the other letters. Always pick the letterform that has the best representation or the most refined. While in my work it is the letter ‘E’. So, can retain some of the rotundity of the original object form. Then, supplanting it in the other letterform. Automatically the next part will have a big change, so that will be my ultimate refinement.

Week 7

Specific Feedback:

To enhance its visibility and prominence, the word 'VASE' in the poster should be adjusted to prevent distortion while maintaining its legibility. Furthermore, the colour of the word should switch to a striking white shade. This alteration ensures that 'VASE' stands out prominently against the background, making it more visually impactful and commanding attention from viewers.

REFLECTIONS

Experience:

Considering the fact that we only used InDesign for basic typography layout design in the first semester, I found it challenging to work on designs related to the 8 different typographical systems in this time. This is due to some of these systems, such as Dilatational and Transitional, requiring font deformation, which adds complexity to the design process. But it's also a good experience because it makes me more aware and understands the functions of this application, also enhanced my skills. Creating a typeface from an image was something I had never experienced before, so it took me a while. Looking at references and doing some research gave me a general direction to proceed with this task.

Observations:

Through this exercise, I realised the significance of graphic elements in typography. It's not just about their presence, but also their size, position, color, and other factors that must be taken into account. While graphic elements can enhance the balance of white space in some cases, it's crucial to use them carefully to avoid overpowering the main information and message to be brought out. Also, I learned the importance of creating a visual hierarchy to guide the reader's eye and communicate information effectively. By analyzing, dissecting and identifying the potential letter forms from the selected image, how to explore and finally digitize these forms is not an easy process. Extracted letterforms range from coarse to more refined, but must still retain the core features of their origins. Achieving a satisfactory and intentional result requires careful and patient exploration of these extracted forms.

Findings:

Observing and comprehending the similarities in the works of others can aid in generating ideas and acquiring valuable insights. Furthermore, experimenting with diverse approaches can foster innovative thinking and lead to an improved final product.

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Chew Zhi Ern (0358995)

ADVANCED TYPOGRAPHY TASK 1 - TYPOGRAPHIC SYSTEMS & TYPE & PLAY / EXERCISES

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