Advanced Typography - Task 1 / Exercises

30.8.2023 - 17.9.2023 (Week 1 - Week 3 )
Chong Hui Yi / 0363195
Advanced Typography / BDCM
Task 1 / Exercises

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LECTURES

AdTypo_1_Typographic Systems

• Complex Function: Typography is intricate due to its communicative purpose.
• Critical Factors: Hierarchy, legibility, order, and contrast matter.
• Like Architectural Rules: Typographic systems are similar to architectural guidelines.
• Balancing Guidance: Rules provide structure for growing intuition.
  
  

Eight Major Variations:

• Axial System: Elements align left/right along one axis.
• Radial System: Elements extend from a focus point.
• Dilatational System: Elements expand from center in a circle.
• Random System: Elements lack specific pattern.
• Grid System: Vertical/horizontal divisions.
• Transitional System: Informal layered bands.
• Modular System: Standardized non-objective units.
• Bilateral System: Symmetrical text on one axis.
  
  

Typographic Systems

AdTypo_2_Typographic Composition

The Rule of Thirds:

• A composition guide in photography.
• Intersecting lines guide the placement of points of interest.
• People often prefer other composition techniques over the rule of thirds

The Rule of Thirds

Typographic Systems:

The Grid System, also known as the Raster System, is the most widely used typographic system. It has its origins in Letter Press printing and was further developed and refined by the Swiss (Modernist) style of Typography.

During the modernist era, typography emphasized order and rules, while the post-modernist typographic systems explored chaos, randomness, and asymmetry. This led to the emergence of asymmetrical, random, repetitive, dilatational, and radial systems.

Grid System

Other models / Systems：

Environmental Grid

• This system explores existing or combined structures
• Crucial curved and straight lines are extracted.
• Designers use these lines as a super-structure to organize information, creating a unique texture.
• It provides context for the forms used in designs.

Environmental Grid

Form & Movement

• This system is based on the exploration of an existing Grid Systems.
• Encourage exploration of grid system possibilities.
• Remove the seriousness often associated with using grids.
• Consider page-turning as a slow-motion animation involving elements like images, text, and color.
• Emphasize the placement of elements in this animation.

Form & Movement

AdTypo_3_Context&Creativity

Handwriting is significant because the earliest mechanically produced letterforms were designed to closely resemble handwriting. Handwriting served as the foundational standard for form, spacing, and conventions that mechanical type sought to replicate.

English Uncial script (8th century) became slanted and condensed. Meanwhile, European writing needed reform, which came with the Carolingian Handwriting Reform.

Carolingian Minuscule

• Charlemagne's court Cuneiform (c. 3000 B.C.E.)
• Earliest writing system.
• Wedge-shaped characters made in wet clay with a reed stylus.
• Evolved from pictograms.
• Written left to right.

Hieroglyphics (2613 – 2160 B.C.E.)

• Egyptian writing fused with relief carving.
• A mix of rebus and phonetic characters.
• Hieroglyphic images serve three purposes:
• As ideograms, depicting actual objects.
• As determinatives, indicating the word's general idea and that preceding signs are phonograms.
• As phonograms, representing sounds to spell out words.

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

• Adapted from the Egyptian logo-consonantal system.
• Phoenicians developed a 22-letter phonetic alphabet.
• Greeks introduced vowels.
• Early Greek used capital letters, organized horizontally between guidelines.
• Reading direction varied from left-to-right to right-to-left.
• Greek letters were hand-drawn, lacked serifs, and were freehand.
• Over time, Greek letters gained serifs and thicker strokes.
• These letterforms influenced inscriptions in Greece and Roman formal writing.

Roman letters (4th century) became rounder, enabling faster writing with fewer strokes.

Black Letter (12 – 15 C. CE)

• Gothic style from 1200 to 1500.
• Term "Gothic" from Italians, denoting northern cultures.
• Emphasized vertical lines in architecture and Blackletter writing.
• Blackletter had tight spacing, saving materials in book production.

The Italian Renaissance

• Gothic thrived, while Italian Humanists revived ancient Greek and Roman culture.
• They admired Carolingian script for its clear handwriting.
• Named rediscovered letterforms "Antica."
• Improved letterforms for a more perfect look during the Renaissance.

Movable Type (11 C. – 14 C.)

• Before 11th century: Woodblock printing in China, Korea, Japan; earliest book, Diamond Sutra (AD 868).
• China's failed movable type attempts due to character volume and clay.
• Late 14th century: Koreans pioneered bronze movable type for text reassembly.
• Movable type introduced around 1000-1100 CE, starting in China and succeeding in Korea.

Eastern developments in handwriting

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

• The oldest writing in the Indian subcontinent
• Undeciphered
• Logo-syllabic nature

Brahmi Script (450–350 BCE)

• Developed in India
• Highly influential; basis for modern Indian and many Southeast/East Asian scripts
• Origin debated: Some suggest Semitic influence, others propose indigenous or Indus script connection

• Oldest scripts in Southeast Asia: Indian scripts, notably Pallava (or Pallawa in Malay) from South India.
• Not all borrowed from India: Kawi, based on Nagari but native to Java.
• Kawi's significance: Used for inter-kingdom communication, influenced scripts in Indonesia and the Philippines.
• Ancient Malay kingdoms likely used Indian scripts and Kawi for old Malay language.
• Later development: Scholars suggest the existence of a Proto-Sumatran writing system.
• Jawi's introduction: Linked to the spread of Islam, encouraging literacy among different social classes.
• Jawi's adoption: Slowly supplanted other scripts in some areas but not entirely.

AdTypo_4_Designing Type

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.

Typeface Designers

Adrian Frutiger:

• A renowned Swiss graphic designer.
• Designed Typefaces: Univers and Frutiger.
• Purpose: To ensure clarity, distinctiveness, and legibility for both close and distant viewing.
• Consideration/Limitation: Letterforms needed to be recognizable in poor lighting and at a distance. Testing was done with unfocused letters to assess legibility.

Matthew Carter:

• A contemporary British type designer and son of Harry Carter.
• Designed Typefaces: Verdana (1996), for Microsoft, optimized for legibility on screens.
• Purpose: To ensure high legibility at small sizes, considering the popularity of the internet and electronic devices.
• Consideration/Limitation: Verdana fonts exhibit characteristics influenced by pixel grids, leading to challenges with commonly confused characters.

Edward Johnston:

• Creator of "Johnston Sans," a highly influential London Underground typeface in 1916.
• Designed Typefaces: Johnston Sans.
• Purpose: Designed for London's Underground railway to unify signage with a modern yet traditional "bold simplicity."
• Consideration/Limitation: Applied Roman capital letter proportions to harmonize a cacophony of different letter styles across the Underground, combining history and traditional calligraphy with modern elegance.

Eric Gill (Student of Edward Johnston):

• Acknowledged the influence of Johnston's work on his own typeface, Gill Sans.

General Process of Type Design:

• Research:
• Understanding type history, anatomy, conventions, and terminology.
• Determining the type's intended use and applications.
• Examining existing fonts for inspiration and context.

• Sketching:
• Designers use traditional or digital tools to create initial sketches.
• Some scan traditional sketches for digitization, while others sketch directly in digital font design software.

• Digitization:
• Professional software like FontLab and Glyphs App are used for digitizing typefaces.
• Some designers use Adobe Illustrator, but this approach is criticized by purists.
• Attention to the whole form and counter form is crucial for readability.

• Testing:
• Testing and prototyping are vital for refining and correcting the typeface.
• Readability and legibility are essential considerations, especially for text typefaces.
• Feedback from testing informs further adjustments.

• Deploy:
• Even after deployment, ongoing revision may be necessary to address unforeseen issues.
• Rigorous testing helps keep post-deployment problems minor.
  

Typeface Construction:

• Roman Capital typefaces often use a grid with a square and circle, making it easier to create letterforms.

Construction grid for the Roman Capital using 8 x 8 cells.

• Classification of characters into capital and lowercase groups based on their form and construction.

Construction

Construction & Considerations:

• Designing typefaces involves various forms and constructions.
• Visual corrections are essential, including adjusting curved forms, extrusion, and spacing between letters.
• Achieving uniform visual spacing between letters is known as "fitting" the type.

Motivation for Typeface Design:

• Intrinsic: Personal interest or solving design problems.
• Extrinsic: Commissioned work or student assignments.

AdTypo_5_PerceptionAndOrganisation

Perception is “the way in which something is regarded, understood, or interpreted”. 

Contrast

Typographical Contrast devised by Rudi Ruegg.

Carl Dair’s seven Typographical Contrast:

• Size:
• Using varying letter sizes to direct the reader's attention.
• Larger letters draw the eye first, often used for titles and headings.

Size

• Weight:
• Using bold type to stand out in comparison to lighter type of the same style.
• Alternatives to bold include rules, spots, and squares to create visual emphasis.

Weight

• Form:
• Contrast in form involves differences in letter case (capital and lowercase), style (roman and italic), and variations in typeface width (condensed and expanded).

Form

• Structure:
• Refers to differences in letterforms between typefaces.
• Contrasting typefaces, such as sans serif and serif, or italic and blackletter, create structural contrast.

Structure

• Texture:
• Combining size, weight, form, and structure contrasts to create the overall look and feel of a block of text.
• Texture depends on how letterforms are arranged and viewed up close and from a distance.

Texture

• Direction:
• Involves opposition between vertical and horizontal elements and angles.
• Changing the orientation of text or layout elements can have a dramatic impact.

Direction

• Color:
• Consider the tonal values of colors and choose them thoughtfully to emphasize specific elements on the page.

Color

Form

For refers to the overall look and feel of the elements that make up the typographic composition. Balancing meaning and form is important for function and expression. When a typeface is viewed as a form, it's altered through distortion, texture, enlargement, and extrusion, making it less like a regular letter.

Organisation / Gestalt

• Gestalt Psychology: It's about how we see and understand things as a whole, not just individual parts.
• Gestalt Laws: These are principles that explain how we naturally group elements to make sense of what we see.
• In design, the overall visual form is more important than individual elements.

Gestalt Principles of Grouping

• Law of Similarity: Similar elements are perceived as a unified group, whether they share color, orientation, size, or motion.

• Law of Proximity: Elements that are close together are seen as a unified group, while those further apart are not.

• Law of Closure: Our minds tend to see complete figures even when they're partially hidden or incomplete.

• Law of Continuation: When objects intersect, we perceive them as distinct and uninterrupted if they align correctly.

~ THE END ~

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INSTRUCTIONS

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Task 1: Exercise 1 - Typographic Systems
In this task, we need to create layout designs for 8 Typographic Systems, including Axial, Radial, Dilatational, Random, Grid, Modular, Transitional, and Bilateral, using InDesign. We can use a maximum of three colors, including white and black.

I spent a lot of time on research, which allowed me to discover more inspiration and start sketching out some basic ideas.

Fig. 1.0 Research, week 1 (1/9/2023)

Fig. 1.1 Sketches, week 1 (1/9/2023)

Process:

During class, Mr. Vinod asked us to attempt creating a layout for an axial system, but our axial system could only consist of a single line, not two lines. Therefore, my first attempt at an axial system layout was not feasible. Afterward, I designed four layouts for the axial system, as shown in Fig. 2.1.

Fig. 2.0 Axial - attempt #1, week 1  (30/8/2023)

Fig. 2.1 Axial - attempt #2, week 1 (2/9/2023)

For the radial system, my design resembles a sun, with the circular element in the upper right corner serving as the starting point for text radiating outward. The content text is sandwiched between the headlines. I continuously adjusted the angles and positions of the text, hoping to find a balance between avoiding headline overlap and maintaining the overall composition.

I connected some text to lines leading to the red circle, resulting in the layout on the right side of Fig. 2.2. However, I wasn't satisfied with this outcome as the lines seemed cluttered. So, in my second attempt, I tried using a larger circle to partially cover some of the lines.

Fig. 2.2 Radial - attempt #1, week 1 (2/9/2023)

Fig. 2.3 Radial - attempt #2, week 1 (2/9/2023)

In the week 1 feedback, Mr. Vinod mentioned that the red spot was too attention-grabbing and suggested I replace it with a red outline. So, I made another revision accordingly.

Fig. 2.4 Radial - attempt #3, week 2 (6/9/2023)

For the Dilatational system, I plan to simplify it by making all the text circular. To ensure readability, I will also flip the text below the circle, so it can be read upright. I find the second image in Fig. 2.5 to be my preferred choice, as it is symmetrical and stable.

Fig. 2.5 Dilatational - attempt #1, week 1 (2/9/2023)

During week 2, Mr. Vinod provided feedback that the headline doesn't need to be italicized, so I changed it as shown in Fig. 2.6.

Fig. 2.6 Dilatational - attempt #2, week 1 (6/9/2023)

Creating a random system may seem simple, but I find it to be the most challenging because we don't have any set requirements. I attempt to stack all the sentences as if they were scattered on the ground, with 'BAUHAUS' on top of them.

Fig. 2.7 Random - attempt #1, week 1 (2/9/2023)

In my first attempt at designing a grid system layout, I placed the content diagonally, with half of the background in red to enhance contrast. Besides this design, I wanted to create a clean and tidy layout because I have never tried using non-bold headlines before. I was satisfied with my second attempt, and I also left plenty of white space to make the layout look more sophisticated.

Fig. 2.8 Grid - attempt #1, week 1 (3/9/2023)

Fig. 2.9 Grid - attempt #2, week 1 (3/9/2023)

Among all the systems, the modular system is the most interesting and my favorite layout. This time, I used black as the background color, red to enhance contrast, and white to balance the composition. The final product has a strong visual impact, which I really like!

Fig. 3.0 Modular - attempt #1, week 1 (3/9/2023)

However, I encountered a problem here, as shown in Fig 3.1, where the text in the black and white squares is not aligned in the same position. This issue bothered me for a long time, and my perfectionism couldn't stand it. So, I came up with a solution: I used rectangles to measure the distances to ensure that the text and the squares have equal spacing.

Fig. 3.1 , week 1 (12/9/2023)

For the transitional system, my initial idea was to make the text flow from the top left corner to the bottom right corner. However, Mr. Vinod mentioned that this triangular structure might be unstable, and there was too much empty space on both sides. In my second attempt, I made the angles of the text less sharp and added some wavy lines.

Fig. 3.2 Transitional - attempt #1, week 1 (3/9/2023)

Fig. 3.3 Transitional - attempt #2, week 1 (12/9/2023)

I really didn't like my first attempt at the bilateral system because I found it quite ugly. Due to time constraints, I had to stick with it, and I was very dissatisfied. 

Fig. 3.4 Bilateral - attempt #1, week 1 (3/9/2023)

In the second week, I redesigned it, placing all the content in the center. On the center lines, I wrote "The Design School" and "Taylor's University," which I found interesting. I made the lines thinner, even though they partially obscured some text, but I didn't mind. Personally, I prefer the bottom right image in Fig. 3.5, with just a hint of red as an accent.

Fig. 3.5 Bilateral - attempt #2, week 1 (12/9/2023)

Final Result:

Fig. 4.0 Final Axial System - JPEG, week 1 (6/9/2023)

Fig. 4.1 Final Radial System - JPEG, week 1 (6/9/2023)

Fig. 4.2 Final Dilatational System - JPEG, week 1 (6/9/2023)

Fig. 4.3 Final Random System - JPEG, week 1 (6/9/2023)

Fig. 4.4 Final Grid System - JPEG, week 1 (6/9/2023)

Fig. 4.5 Final Modular System - JPEG, week 1 (6/9/2023)

Fig. 4.6 Final Transitional System - JPEG, week 1 (12/9/2023)

Fig. 4.7 Final Bilateral System - JPEG, week 1 (12/9/2023)

Fig. 4.8 Final Typographic Systems, without guides - PDF, Week 2 (12/9/2021)

Fig. 4.9 Final Typographic Systems, with guides - PDF, Week 2 (12/9/2021)

Task 1: Exercise 2 - Type and Play

Part 1

In this exercise, we will be required to choose an image of a man-made object, structure, or something from nature, ensuring that it does not contain a multitude of different elements. Afterward, we will need to analyze, dissect, and identify potential letterforms within the dissected image.

Fig. 6.0 Image reference, week 2 (6/9/2023)

I was browsing Pinterest for image references, but I was hesitant about which one to choose. I selected four images, as shown in Fig. 6.0. I believe all four of these images have the potential to inspire font design, so I've decided to give them a try.

Fig. 6.1 Trying to find letters in the images (#1), week 2 (6/9/2023)

I ultimately chose the image from Fig. 6.2 as my reference because I found the structure of the bubbles to be fascinating. The resulting black and white image after sketching also possesses a certain aesthetic appeal that I really enjoy!

Fig. 6.2 Trying to find letters in the images (#2), week 2 (6/9/2023)

Fig. 6.3 Bubble features, week 2 (6/9/2023)

I have gained a general understanding of several characteristics of bubbles through sketching the image. As shown in Fig. 6.3, firstly, where several bubbles intersect, shapes resembling triangles appear; one side of the line is thick, while the other side is very thin. Secondly, bubbles are not perfectly round and can deform due to pressure from other bubbles. Thirdly, large bubbles are surrounded by small bubbles on all sides.

I found the letters B, E, A, C, and H within the image, aligning them all on the same horizontal line. I then selected the Playfair Display font (Medium) from Google Fonts as a reference and drew out the anatomy of this font.

Fig. 6.4 Playfair Display Font as reference, week 2 (10/9/2023)

Fig. 6.5 Extracted letterforms - B,E,A,C,H, week 2 (10/9/2023)

During the first attempt, I roughly adjusted all the letters to resemble the shape of the font reference. Among them, the letter 'C' was the simplest and closest to the desired font shape. I added three holes within the letter 'C' to represent small bubbles surrounding the 'big bubble.

Fig. 6.6 Attempt #1 - with vs. without guides & font reference, week 2 (10/9/2023)

In my second attempt, I adjusted the letters to closely match the font reference. Due to the complexity of the letter 'B,' I decided to first create smooth edges before making further adjustments. I chose a serif font as my reference because serifs can add more bubble-like characteristics to the letters. As seen in Fig. 6.8, I made the serifs more curved and slender.

Fig. 6.7 Attempt #2 (below), week 2 (10/9/2023)

Fig. 6.8 Making the serifs more curved, week 2 (10/9/2023)

In my third attempt to improve the letters, I faced a challenge with the letter 'H.' I wanted to create a sense of two large bubbles, one above and one below. However, in the letter 'H,' if the top bubble is larger than the bottom one, it makes the black lines of the 'H' look unbalanced. Conversely, if the bottom space is larger, it also appears unbalanced. To resolve this issue, I decided to make the spaces above and below equal in size. To avoid making the letter look rigid, I designed its crossbar to slant upwards, creating the impression that the two bubbles above and below are pressing against each other, adding an interesting touch

Fig. 6.9 Evolution of 'H', week 2 (10/9/2023)

I made small changes to the letters, aiming for smooth edges on the outside and a bit of curvature on the inside, as bubbles aren't perfectly round.

Fig. 7.0 Attempt #3 (below), week 2 (10/9/2023)

At this point, I noticed that aside from the letters 'A' and 'H,' all the other letters had some small bubbles as decorations. So, I added small bubbles to all of them. I particularly liked the small bubbles on the letter 'H'; they looked quite adorable, haha!

Fig. 7.1 Attempt #4 (below), week 2 (10/9/2023)

If we consider each letter as a bubble, they would naturally be connected. So, I connected all the letters together.

Fig. 7.2 Attempt #5 (below), week 2 (10/9/2023)

Fig. 7.3 Compiled process, week 2 (10/9/2023)

Final Outcome:

Fig. 8.0 Image, week 2 (10/9/2023)

Fig. 8.1 Extracted Letterforms, week 2 (10/9/2023)

Fig. 8.2 Reference font, week 2 (10/9/2023)

 Fig. 8.3 Final letterforms, week 2 (10/9/2023)

Fig. 8.4 Final letter "B", week 2 (10/9/2023)

Fig. 8.5 Final letter "E", week 2 (10/9/2023)

Fig. 8.6 Final letter "A", week 2 (10/9/2023)

Fig. 8.7 Final letter "C", week 2 (10/9/2023)

Fig. 8.8 Final letter "H", week 2 (10/9/2023)

Fig. 8.9 Original extraction & final letterforms next to each other, week 2 (10/9/2023)

Fig. 9.0 Final Finding Type - PDF, week 2 (10/9/2023)

Part 2

Upon completing the letterforms, we will combine the letterforms with a visual of our choosing. The objective is to enhance/support the interplay between the letterforms and the selected visual. We must weave the text into a symbiotic relationship with the image.

I found a suitable image on Pinterest to use as the background because the original image's colours didn't look appealing.

Fig. 9.1 Background image, week 3 (13/9/2023)

I feel that placing my title 'BEACH' directly in the middle of the background image already creates similarity with the background elements, so I haven't made any other adjustments to the title. I've set all the letters in white to convey the white foam. Due to this background, some of the white letters may not be clearly visible, so I added a dark blue gradient.

Fig. 9.2 Find a suitable gradient color for the background, week 3 (13/9/2023)

I've used a centered layout design, which gives it more of a cinematic poster feel.

Fig. 9.3 Adjust the layout, week 3 (13/9/2023)

I was surprised to discover that there's actually a 'movie logo font' when I was looking for a logo symbol. I thought fonts were just for text, so this was quite unexpected! This logo font is very convenient to use, as it allows me to change its color and size without getting blurry. I've experimented with several placements for the logo, and I think it looks best when placed at the bottom.

Fig. 9.4 Adjust the logo position, week 3 (14/9/2023)

Final Outcome:

Fig. 9.5 Final poster, week 3 (14/9/2023)

Fig. 9.6 Final poster - PDF, week 3 (14/9/2023)

Honor Competition:

The theme I have chosen is "Cultural Prosperity · Celebration: A Totem of Renewing Festive Culture." This theme requires creating artwork incorporating important traditional cultural elements from various countries, such as Lunar New Year, Mid-Autumn Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Christmas, Mother's Day, Day of the Dead, Halloween, and Eid al-Fitr. I intend to create a healing illustration focusing on Chinese elements.

I initially sketched a design on paper (refer to Fig. 10.0 top image). However, I felt that I might not be able to create a proper dragon illustration, so I decided to change it with a family of moon rabbits.

Fig. 10.0 Sketch, week 6 (5/10/2023)

I started colouring it using Ibispaint, with the main colour being orange, giving it a festive and lively feel. Because I felt the overall picture was too dominated by orange, I added some green to make it resemble traditional Chinese colour combinations.

Fig. 10.1 Adding green colour, week 6 (6/10/2023)

In the upper-middle part of the artwork, I added the title 'Moon Rabbits,' signifying the theme, to fill the empty space. At the same time, I also adjusted the placement and added or removed some rabbits.

Fig. 10.2 Title creation process, week 6 (6/10/2023)

This work stars the Moon Rabbit family, symbolizing Lunar New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival with lanterns, rice dumplings, and the moon, capturing the attention of most rabbits (refer to Fig. 10.3). The art style is warm, cute, lively, and soothing, conveying the unity and happiness of the Moon Rabbit family.

Fig. 10.3 The rabbits' eye direction, week 6 (6/10/2023)

Fig. 10.4  10s time-lapse painting process, week 6 (7/10/2023)

Next, I transferred the artwork to Photoshop and using the templates provided by Honor competition. I cropped out specific parts of my artwork to create the phone case design.

Fig. 10.5 Making phone wallpaper in Photoshop, week 6 (8/10/2023)

Final Outcome:

Fig. 10.6 Moon Rabbit, week 6 (8/10/2023)

Fig. 10.7 Wallpapers & Phone Cases Design, week 6 (8/10/2023)

Fig. 10.8  Moon Rabbit - PDF, week 6 (8/10/2023)

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FEEDBACK

Week 2:

General Feedback: To reduce the size of the numbers and make them less prominent, we can use a font size between 8 - 12 pt for content. We don't need to implement a multilateral system layout. In addition, we should consider whether large text helps or distracts us. It's important to note that having the text baseline on the line can impair readability; therefore, the text must be positioned above the line.

Specific Feedback:

• Grid and modular are good.
• For the transitional, there's no balance between the whitespace on both sides.
• Bilateral seems a bit boring.
• The headlines for dilatational don't need to be in italics.
• For radial, the red spot is too distracting. It could be replaced with a red outline, but the idea of having that composition is good.

Week 3

General Feedback: Reflecting on your work over time and approaching it with fresh eyes leads to better results. Rushing through it in one day is ineffective. Time, organization, diligence, and discipline are important. Continuously comparing your work helps develop judgment and self-awareness. Don't choose the gaps; choose the actual objects when designing fonts.

Specific Feedback: Good job.

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REFLECTIONS

Experience:
I feel like I've become a bit overwhelmed after completing exercise 1. Having to create 8 layouts in one week is quite a demanding task, but I'm genuinely satisfied with the final outcome. I have a particular fondness for the modular system and grid system layouts. In the first week, I didn't dedicate as much effort as I should have (due to time constraints), and the final result wasn't as impressive as I'd hoped. It made me realize that rushed work doesn't yield good results. Thankfully, I have a second week to make improvements. Exercise 1 has been instrumental in helping me grasp those 8 typographic systems.

I found task 2 to be a very interesting exercise. When I completed the font design, I felt a great sense of accomplishment and was very satisfied with the results.

Observation:
Regarding exercise 1, I've noticed that my time management skills were somewhat lacking. I spent too much time on the initial systems and research, which left me with insufficient time for the later ones. When I reviewed the work of my seniors, I couldn't help but feel that mine wasn't up to par, but I had to persevere. The research phase also provided me with a lot of inspiration, which was crucial and highly valuable.

In part 2 of task 2, while creating the poster, I started to pay attention to what the small text and logos below the movie poster were actually saying. I usually don't notice these details, but these small texts and logos seemed like the soul of the poster.

Findings:
I've discovered that exercise 1 is indeed challenging, but it has given me a glimpse of what it's like to design within a limited timeframe, akin to meeting client demands. It has been an intriguing experience. Additionally, even though I had some initial sketches, I often found inspiration during the design process itself, leading me to work on layouts for another system. So, inspiration can strike at any moment.

I believe that task 2 can effectively train my ability to observe the features of images and transform them into a font. In the future, when I need to design fonts, I can use images as references to create different fonts. This is indeed very interesting.

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FURTHER READING

Typographic Systems

Fig. 11.0 Typographic Systems by Kimberly Elam (2007), week 1 (2/9/2023)

After reading this book, I will have a deeper understanding of typographic systems, especially since it includes many images that allow me to grasp the concepts more intuitively and serve as a reference.

Finding Type: A Novel Typographic Exercise

Fig. 11.1 Screenshot from Kreatif Beats website, week 2 (9/92023)

This article is like the briefing for Exercise 2. After reading it, I have a better understanding of what I need to do next. The article contains many works by senior students, some of which I really like. These are important reference examples.