Typography - Task 2: Typographic Exploration and Communication (Text Formatting and Expression)

6/11/2023 - 20/11/2023 / Week 6 - Week 8

Cindy Clarissa Leslie / 0367677
Typography / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Task 2: Typographic Exploration and Communication (Text Formatting and Expression)

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LECTURES 

Lectures 1 to 5 completed in Task 1: Exercise 1 & 2

Week 6: Lecture 6

Typography in Different Medium

Print Type vs Screen Type

Figure 1.1 Typography of a print. Week 6, 08/11/2023

Print: ensure that the text is smooth, flowing and pleasant to read for the viewers. Common typefaces are: Caslon, Garamond and Baskerville (elegant, intellectual and highly readable in small size).

Screen: Modified to ensure readability and performance onscreen in any digital environment (includes taller x-height, wider letterforms, more open counters, heavier thin strokes, reduced stroke contrast, more open spacing).

16-pixel size on a screen is about the same size as text printed out in a book or magazine. Accounted by reading distance. (We read books pretty close.)

Web safe fonts include:

• Open Sans
• Lato
• Arial
• Helvetica
• Times New Roman
• Times
• Courier New
• Courier
• Verdana
• Georgia
• Palatino
• Garamond

Static Vs Motion

Static - has minimal characteristic in expressing words.

Motion - often dramatized, letterforms become "fluid" and "kinetic". Often brought to life by animation.

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INSTRUCTIONS

Task 2: Formatting and Expression

Sketches

Figure 2.1 Rough sketches of layout. Week 6, 09/11/2023

Before starting, I chose the 'Unite to Visualize a Better World' to design. I chose to emphasize on the word 'world', which is why the designs I have came up with are mostly spherical to mimic the shape of it. I created a total of 4 sketches with different text expression and layout before proceeding to digitalize in Adobe Illustrator.

Text Formatting

Figure 2.2 Comparison of text blocks before and after tracking. Week 6, 09/11/2023

Figure 2.3 Comparison of text before and after tracking. Week 6, 09/11/2023

Before starting the text expression, I focused on formatting the text first. This would serve as a base where I could then proceed to create small changes to design the layouts. 

Digitalizing

Figure 2.4 Tools used to design idea 1 and 3. Week 7, 15/11/2023

To design most of the ideas, I mostly used the curvature tool to create the spherical shape. I purposefully set the paths to be invisible since I will only create texts, which is by simply by using the text tool and clicking onto the drawn path.

Figure 2.5 Design process of idea 1. Week 7, 15/11/2023

Using the tool, I made 1/4 of a circle and using the text tool to type in the word "world" to emphasize. I set the rest of the headline in the circle. I used univers for the expression while still using different styles that goes along with the word.

Figure 2.6 Design process of idea 2. Week 7, 15/11/2023

I decided to put in the same design with a slight alteration of filling in the circle with black colour.

Figure 2.7 Design process of idea 3. Week 7, 15/11/2023

In idea 3, still using the same tools, I used it on the other words in the headline. I exaggerated the size of the letter O in this case to represent the earth while the rectangle on the bottom to act like the ground.

Figure 2.8 Design process of idea 4. Week 7, 16/11/2023

For design 4, I created the design by using the ellipse tool and set the text inside. I changed the text to a more appropriate size before proceeding to copy and paste the words all over until it fills the brim and form a spherical shape.

Figure 2.9 Different formats and expressions made. Week 7, 16/11/2023

After creating the expressions, the texts were formatted differently in the designs. I eventually chose the 2nd one as my favorite.

Figure 2.10 Layout #1. Week 7, 16/11/2023

Figure 2.11 Layout #2. Week 7, 16/11/2023

Fonts: Univers LT Std (Headline(light, condensed, bold & black), Janson Text LT Std (body text(Roman, Italic))

Point size: 10 pt

Leading: 12.5 pt

Paragraph spacing: 12.5 pt

Line length: approx. 50~55 (body text), approx. 15~20 (sub-text), approx. 10~15 (sub-heading)

Figure 2.12 Layout #3. Week 7, 16/11/2023

Fonts: Univers LT Std (Headline(light, condensed, bold & black)), Janson Text LT Std (body text (Roman, Italic))

Point size: 10 pt

Leading: 12.5 pt

Paragraph spacing: 12.5 pt

Line length: approx. 50~55 (body text), approx. 21~23 (sub-heading)

Figure 2.13 Layout #4. Week 7, 16/11/2023

Fonts: Univers LT Std (Headline(roman, light, bold & condensed)), Janson Text LT Std (body text (Roman, Italic))

Point size: 10 pt

Leading: 12.5 pt

Paragraph spacing: 12.5 pt

Line length: approx. 80~85 (body text), approx. 21~23 (sub-heading)

There were several changes I have made to the design after receiving feedback from the lecturer.

Figure 2.14 Before and after editing paragraph spacing. Week 7, 17/11/2023

It has been mentioned that there is too much space between paragraphs and that it needs to be fixed. When I went to check it was due to my careless mistake of adding spaces between paragraphs by clicking enter. 

Figure 2.15 Correction of text expression after feedback. Week 7, 17/11/2023

The feedback I got was to switch to the first design instead (remove black circle). After that reducing the size and align the word "world" with the body text.

Final Task 2: Text Formatting and Expression

Figure 3.1 Final jpeg of layout without grids. Week 7, 17/11/2023

Figure 3.2 Final jpeg of layout with grids. Week 7, 17/11/2023

Figure 3.3 Final pdf of layout with and without grid. Week 7, 17/11/2023

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FEEDBACK

Task 2: 

Week 7

General Feedbacks

Avoid long line lengths (max: 60 characters in a line). Words trying to be expressed in the headline should be the emphasis and ensure that the readers will read that chosen word at first glance. Apply knowledge from the first exercise to create ideas in expressing the headline. Do not ever set as bold for the contents of text (excluding headline).

Directed Feedback

Change the sizing of the word "world" and reduce the paragraph spacing. Switch to the first design instead (removed the black sphere). Set the word "world" on the same line as placement of the text formatting.

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REFLECTION

Experience

After getting used to the programs, the workload is definitely more manageable to do and I can work more efficiently using the tools I have been familiarized with. Formatting the text wasn't much of a problem however I struggled more on coming up with designs that can express the headline well. I constantly have second doubts and would think of switching the article that I'm working with whenever I come up with a design in my mind. However, I was able to pull through, instead of letting my ideas run messily through, I decided to sketch them out one by one and decide which of them I was most satisfied with, making up my mind and helped me be solid with my choices. For the digitalizing part, I did not struggle much, although it's simple, I was already able to express the word I am emphasizing in the headline.

Observations

I observed how there are step to step processes that is needed to be thorough when designing for an editorial. The small things such as the text formatting, how it is tracked and positioned should constantly be kept in mind so that readability is guaranteed for the viewers. This goes back to the message of being able to balance creativity and functionality when it comes to typographical designs.

Findings

I found how the knowledge I have gained within the previous classes was able to be applied onto my future tasks. In this case, I was able to learn and gain the experience of creating a design for an editorial. The process within these classes are definitely the most important instead of solely focusing on creating a good result, since I found that these specific tools and techniques will come in handy in the future.

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FURTHER READING

A Type Primer 2nd Ed by John Kane

Figure 4.1 Typographical book for beginners
Kane, John. A Type Primer. Vol. 2, Laurence King Publishing, 2019.

Figure 4.2 Different types and colours in a font. Week 6, 08/11/2023

Letters, words, sentences: Type and colour, page 80

This chapter introduces the readers to the different types and colours that can typically be found in a font. These types are: Condensed, Roman, Italic, Extended. These are typically used differently as they would set different tones in the body of text. These can also be used to exploit the how dark the colours are, letting authors set emphasis on certain words.

Figure 4.3 The difference between English and Chinese typography. Week 7, 15/11/2023

Letters, words, sentences: English is not Chinese, page 88

This part of the book was able to expose and provide a brief look on how typography applies differently in different languages. There are different rules set for the specific language mostly for the sake of functionality. As seen in figure 4.3, back then Chinese texts were read vertically, this works as Chinese characters are generally the same size, therefore the spacing between each characters are well balanced. This does not work the same way with English, the imbalance between spaces makes it hard for viewers to read.

Figure 4.4 Introducing components found in a text page. Week 7, 15/11/2023

Text: Components of the text page, page 114

In this section of the book, the readers are introduced with the proper terminologies of a text page, this would be useful as it exposes us with the certain aspects of our canvas that could affect our design. These components include:

• Recto - right-hand page of a book, always an odd number.
• Verso - left-hand page of a book, always an even number.
• Text-page - area of the page used exclusively for the text. (Affected by size of page, size of text type, length of line of a text.)
• Margins - part of the page where the text exclusively isn't in. Space needed for someone's hand or thumb to be on the book without blocking the contents of the text.
• Folios/Headers - materials in the page that tells the readers where they are in the text.