Typography - Task 3: Type Design and Communication
21/11/2023 Week 8 - 22/12/2023 Week 13
Cindy Clarissa Leslie / 0367677
Typography / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Task 3: Type Design and Communication
Typography / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Task 3: Type Design and Communication
LECTURES
Lectures 1 to 5 completed in Task 1: Exercise 1 & 2
Lecture 6 completed in Task 2
INSTRUCTIONS
Task 3: Type Design and Communication
Research
Figure 2.1 Examples of sans-serif fonts. Week 8, 15/11/2023
Before starting to create sketches for my own design, I researched and found some exam
ples of sans-serif fonts as a reference, which helped give me an initial image of what my own font would look like since I specifically also wanted it to go in the sans-serif category.
Figure 2.2 'Lack' font. Week 8, 15/11/2023
Within the examples, what really caught my eye is the design for the font called 'Lack'. I observed the way some of the strokes have been designed, whether it is the beak, leg, or even the overall counter and crossbar that have been manipulated. The typeface appears to be more experimental while still sticking onto the sans-serif font, which is what ideally what I want my design to be like.
Figure 2.4 Analyzing on 'univers' typeface using letters H o g b. Week 8, 15/11/2023
Figure 2.4 Analysis results on 'univers' typeface using letters H o g b. Week 8, 15/11/2023
One of the sans-serif typefaces that I would often use is 'Univers' which I analyzed by outlining the strokes. What I have noticed is that though the design looks symmetrical, there's often hints of asymmetry in order to create a sense of harmony in the design itself (as seen in the crossbar of the letter 'H'). The width of the vertical strokes are the same. The bowls are the same size, especially with the letter 'o' being symmetrical. The width of the strokes for connecting vertical and curved strokes were also not symmetrical, seen how the bowl isn't exactly in the middle of the sphere either.
Sketches
Using 3 different marker pens, 3 different styles were required to be made from each pens.
Figure 3.1 Sketching ideas and practicing for typeface. Week 8, 15/11/2023
The process of sketching required me to constantly repeat not only to experiment with the designs but also get used to the way of holding my
Figure 3.2 Final design ideas for each pens. Week 8, 15/11/2023
Within the 9 styles, I chose the 2nd one for my final style and proceed to digitalize it on Illustrator.
Figure 3.3 Creating guides for designing typeface. Week 9, 23/11/2023
Before starting to digitalize my design, I had to create the guidelines to ensure consistency and act as a foundation for my typeface. Using the letters 'Tyd', I was able to create the lines for cap height, ascender, x-height, baseline and lastly descender.
Figure 3.4 Process of creating strokes of the letterforms. Week 9, 23/11/2023
To create the strokes, I used the rectangle shape tool and proceeded to create blocky letters. To create the thin lines like the bar I would compress the shape and manipulate the thickness to my liking. I repeated this process to create letterforms of 'o l e d s n c h t i g , . ! #'. I chose my typeface to be in uppercase, therefore I made sure that all the letters consistently reaches the cap height to its maximum.
Figure 3.5 Curving paths in the strokes. Week 9, 23/11/2023
After creating the raw strokes using shape tools, I curved the chosen paths in order to complete my final design. After creating the curves, I asked for specific feedbacks from the lecturer, where small changes were done to improve the design.
Figure 3.6 Letters before and after feedback. Week 10, 1/12/2023
Small corrections to improve while keeping in mind of the kerning after.
Figure 3.7 Inserting and positioning individual letters from AI to FontLab. Week 11, 8/12/2023
Figure 3.8 Kerning letters in the metrics tab. Week 11, 8/12/2023
Moving to the metrics tab, I first typed with the letters 'H' and 'O' to determine the initial spacing and set it as a foundation for the other letters. Using the reference provided by the lecturer, I was able to determine the left and right sidebearing measurement using the rules or by eyeballing it. The letters were then exported as a font called "Anthrax CC Regular".
Figure 3.9 Posters created using the font. Week 11, 8/12/2023
Final Task 3: Type Design and Communication
Figure 4.1 Final jpg of 'Anthrax CC'. Week 12, 15/12/2023
Figure 4.2 Final pdf of 'Anthrax CC'. Week 12, 15/12/2023
Figure 4.3 Final jpg poster of 'Anthrax CC'. Week 12, 15/12/2023
Figure 4.4 Final pdf poster of 'Anthrax CC'. Week 12, 15/12/2023
FEEDBACK
Task 3:
Week 9
Directed Feedback
Good overall, letter 'O' improved by making the line the same length. The cross bar in letter 'E' should be thinner. The 'D' should be less rounded in the middle. 'C' and 'G' improved by adding the slanted ear.
Week 10
General Feedback
The typeface should be consistent, the letter t in lowercase should have the bar slightly above the median. Consistency in the stroke's angle is important .
Directed Feedback
The bar for the letter 'E' can be adjusted (longer bar), it's okay if it's a stylistic choice but there will be problems with the kerning in the future.
REFLECTION
Experience
From my own experience in this task, it was still managable to do. For the first time, we went for a more traditional practice by practicing handling our pens on a paper to get the desired strokes and styles. Although I had learned calligraphy before, this step was still challenging as it required me to practice over and over again to stay consistent with the style I like. I have never made my own font before therefore, this was a really new learning experience for me, to go through each of the processes and make my own. With the help of the lecturer, I was able to use Font Lab and learn the major steps in creating my font properly.
Observations
I realized that creating fonts/typefaces isn't as simple as it seems. There are rules that should be followed in order to ensure its functionality (especially using the guides, in this case I had to strictly follow the cap line). While creating my font, though there are urges to be creative with the design, it was important to remember that the stylistic aspect isn't the only important one but also the readability. While designing, I had to keep in mind about the kerning and such.
Findings
What I have found is that using guides and research is beneficial in learning design. Before starting my font, I did my research not only in finding a reference for my design, but also to deconstruct a font and observe the stylistic choices they have made. The deconstruction have not only helped me gain knowledge but also set a standard expectation of the fundamentals my own typeface should have.
FURTHER READING
Just My Type by Simon Garfield
Figure 5.1 Book about typography
Garfield, Simon. Just My Type. Profile Books, 2010.
Figure 5.2 Ironic use of typeface. Week 8, 14/11/2023
We don't serve your type, page 17
This chapter introduces the importance of using the appropriate typeface for a specific setting while also showing the effects by using real-life examples. The viewers are first introduced with an adult joke typed out using Comic Sans, which was rather inappropriate since it could be assumed that it was something kid friendly due to the bubbly childish nature of the typeface. Another example is the story of a children's book, which seemed rather boring to the viewers only because the fonts were in Times New Roman, which is a font usually used in a more professional setting.
Figure 4.3 The use of all caps. Week 10, 1/12/2023
CAPITAL OFFENCE, page 30
This section shows the unwritten rules in typography. Again, using another real-life scenario, shows how using all capital letters LIKE THIS would give an impression of being angry even if the author didn't mean much negative emotions. There is also another rule of typography having genders, where these typefaces are usually stereotypical ('female' typefaces being more elegant, lighter meanwhile 'male' typefaces are more bold, jagged). The book proceeds to show the history and timeline of the development of typefaces, where the correct use of types would vary overtime in a professional setting.
Comments
Post a Comment