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

 24.09.2023 - 12.11.2023 | Week 5 - Week 7

Maisarah binti Mohd Sufian | 0358458

Typography | Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media

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

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LECTURES

Week 5 - Lecture 5

Letters / Understanding Letterforms

Uppercase letters are actually not symmetrical despite appearing so.

Fig. 1.1 Breakdown of the letter 'A' in Baskerville.

Each bracket connecting the serif to the stem has a unique arc and the left and right side have different stroke widths.

Fig. 1.2 Breakdown of the letter 'A' in Univers.

Although it may seem symmetrical, the width of the left slop is actually thinner than the right stroke.

Fig. 1.3 Breakdown of the letter 'a' in Helvetica and Univers.

Although the two sans-serif typefaces are similar, there are small details that set them apart from each other such as how the stems of the letterforms finish and how the bowls meet the stems.

Fig. 1.4 Both letterforms overlayed on top of each other to show the differences.

Letters / Maintaining X-height.

Fig. 1.5 Letterforms x-height.

Curved strokes such as 's' should be higher than the median or below the baseline to appear the same size as the vertical and horizontal strokes.

Fig. 1.5 Close-up of how the strokes exceed the median and baseline.

Letters / Form / Counterform

How well counters are handled when setting type determines how well words hang together and are easily read.

Fig. 1.6 Example of counterforms.

Fig. 1.7 Counterforms in closer detail.

Examining counterforms more closely and breaking them down provides a more accurate feel for balance between the forms and counterforms.

Letters / Contrast

Contrast is one of the most powerful dynamics in every design.

Fig. 1.8  Examples of simple contrasts.

Contrasts help differentiate types of information.

Week 6 - Lecture 6

Typography / Different Medium

Typrography now exists on many platforms and is not just limited to pen and paper, with the emergence of screens and printers, typography is now easily accessible compared to before.

Fig. 2.1 Typographical artwork designed for screens.

Fig. 2.2 Typography in a website.

Good typography and readability were the result of skilled typesetters and designers. Typography in today's age heavily depends on how the page is rendered as typesetting happens in the browser.

Print 

Type was designed to be read from print, and it's the designer's job to ensure that the text is smooth, flowing and easy to read.

Caslon, Garamond, Baskerville are the most common typefaces used due to their elegant and intellectual characteristics and high readability when set at a small font size. They're highly neutral and versatile, making it easy to typeset with.

Fig 2.3 Example of an archaic method of typesetting.

Screen

Typefaces intended for web use are often optimized and altered to enhance readability and onscreen performance in various digital environments. E.g. taller x-height, reduced ascenders and descenders, wider letterforms, reduced stroke contract and modified curves and angles for some designs.

Open spacing is also another adjustment that is made to improve character recognition and overall readability on screen, such as the web, e-books, e-readers and mobile devices.

Hyperactive link/hyperlink = A word, phrase or image that can be clicked and brings the viewer to a new document or section within the current document. They are found in most web pages and allows users to click from one page to another. By default, text hyperlinks are blue and underlined, when a cursor is hovered over the text, the arrow should change to a small hand pointing at the link.

Font size - 16px text on screen is about the same size as text printed in a book or magazine when accounting for reading distance. As we read books more closely, often a few inches away, it is set to about 10 points. If we were to be reading at arm's length, 12 points is more suitable, which is about the same size as 16 px on most screens.

System fonts for screen/web safe fonts - Each device comes with a pre-installed font selection, based largely on it's operating system that often differs. E.g Windows-based devices might have one group, while MacOS operates on another. Google's own Android system also uses it's own.

If a designer has used a paid font family for a website's design and it is not viewed from a web-friendly place without having the font installed, the font shown would default back to some basic variation like Times New Roman. This excludes 'web safe' fonts that appear across all operating systems.

Pixel differential between devices - Screens used on PCs, tablets, phones and TVs are different sizes, including the proportion of text seen on screen because these devices have different sized pixels. 100 pixels on a laptop is very different from 100 pixels on a big 60" HDTV.

Fig. 2.4 Pixel size differences on various screens.

Typography / Static vs Motion

Static typography - Expresses words with minimal characteristics, rarely incorporating traditional characteristics such as bold and italic. Found in billboards, posters, magazines, fliers, etc.

Fig. 2.5 Examples of static typography work.

Motion typography - Letterforms are dramatized to become fluid and kinetic. Motion graphics, particularly brand identities for film and television production companies increasingly contain animated type. Often used in music videos and advertisements, set in motion following the rhythm of a soundtrack. It is expressive and helps to establish the tone of the associated content or express a set of brand values. Typography evoked a certain mood in title sequences to prepare the audience.

Fig. 2.6 Example of motion typography in 'Se7en'.

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TASK 2 - Typographic Exploration and Communication (Type Formatting and Expression)

Instructions 

Fig. 3.1 Module Information.

For this task, we are required to apply our knowledge and skills in type expression and type formatting in the form of a 2 page 200x200 spread using InDesign and Adobe Illustrator with a provided piece of text.

1. Sketch

Fig. 3.2 Sketched out layout. (26/10/23)

The thought behind my sketch was to express the heading in circles. The circle represents wholeness, balance and stability, which reflect the elements of a good designer (as read in the text). I fixed the word 'on' in Adobe Illustrator as I was digitising my sketch because I realized it could be misread as 'no'.

2. Layout

Fig. 3.3 Layout grids. (26/10/23)

3. Type Expression

Fig. 3.4 First attempt at type expression. (26/10/23)

I tried adding contrast by adding different line thickness and font size, and I extended the N strokes to create a shape that resembles a building (or box) to contain the text in. Ms. Hsin said my N looked a bit forceful, and suggested I make the stroke extend straight out instead of curved. She also suggested I that 'A CODE TO' does not need to be in italics and to make it the same stroke width as the word 'BUILD' I also adjusted the letter spacing to make it look more uniform.

Fig. 3.5 Second attempt at type expression. (31/10/23)

At this stage, Ms Hsin said it looked okay, but I thought the area where the letter D, 'ON' and 'BY' met was too heavy.

4. Text Formatting

Fig. 3.6 First attempt at text formatting. (26/10/23)

Ms Hsin said the ends of the lines of my paragraphs did not look neat enough, and suggested that instead on left align, left justified would be more suitable. She also pointed out to me the rivers in the justified text and how to correct them. I used the font Futura, like I used in my heading.

Fig. 3.7 Second attempt at text formatting. (31/10/23)

I tried a 5 column grid  instead, because when the spreads are together, the text in the box did not look center enough.

5. Text Formatting and Expression Layout

Fig. 3.8 Inital layout (6/10/23)

The final layout looked like this, however I still wasn't satisfied. At this point I wasn't a fan of the circle idea anymore, and decided to change my work completely. This had risks, as I couldn't ask my lecturer for feedback due to it being Independent Learning Week but I felt like I could still create something better and aligned with my personal tastes. I wanted something cleaner, and simple.

I did more research, instead of relying on just my knowledge from further reading, I looked up other work on Pinterest and Behance.

Fig. 3.9 Works on Pinterest and Behance.

I did not do any sketching due to the limited amount of time I had, and decided to go straight into digitising and playing with layouts to see what I preferred.

Fig. 3.10 Final type expression. (7/10/23)

I included the last paragraph of my chosen text in the first page as I did not see a suitable area to place it in the second page. I switched to ITC New Baskerville Bold and connected the letters by the serifs and baseline.

Fig. 3.11 Final text formatting. (7/10/23)

I made a simple 2 column grid and changed the first sentence of each paragraph to become a headline, making it 2 pts larger than the normal text, and I kept the left justified.

Fig. 3.12 Final layout. (7/12/23)

I am more satisfied with this layout and have decided it as my final one.

Fig. 3.13 Final layout with grid. (7/12/23)

Fig. 3.14 Final layout PDF. (7/10/23)

Fig. 3.15 Final layout without grid PDF. (7/10/23)

HEAD
Fonts: ITC New Baskerville (Bold)

Type Size: 77 pt
Leading: no leading
Paragraph spacing: no paragraph spacing

BODY
Fonts: ITC New Baskerville (Bold [subheading]), ITC New Baskerville 
Type Size: 10 pt (subheading), 8 pt
Leading: 10 pt
Paragraph spacing: 12 pt
Characters per-line: 60 - 79
Alignment: Left Justify

Margins: 12.7 mm top, 12.7 mm left + 12.7 mm right + 12.7 mm bottom
Columns: 2
Gutter: 5 mm

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FEEDBACK

Week 7:

General feedback: Always make sure the google sheets feedback form is kept up to date with feedback everyweek. After finishing the type expression and formatting, it's recommended to print it out and check.

Week 6:

Specific feedback: Can add emphasis to the last paragraph. The N seems a bit forceful. Can try using left justify instead of left alignment (look out for rivers).Resize and reposition the letters in the word 'BUILD' so it looks more uniform. 'A code to' is not suitable to be in italics, try book bold/heavy.

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REFLECTION

Experience

The lectures were not that difficult, and practical work during class was easy. The task seemed simple, but it was a little tough because we could not use major illustrations or graphics, which I was used to and familiar with. 

Observation

I learned that I couldn't rely on lectures alone if I wanted to improve my work, I needed to practice and research thoroughly when creating designs and could not rely on my creativity alone. I needed to do more exploring during sketching and drafting phases, so I do not end up disliking the final outcome and having to do everything from scratch.

Findings

I found that there is beauty in simplicity, and designs do not have to be overly abstract and complicated to be interesting and visually appealing. Despite having minor faults and issues, I enjoyed working on this task.

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FURTHER READING

Fig. 4.1 Typographic Design: Form and Communication (2015)

Chapter 4 was all about utilizing typographic grids in page layouts. This chapter focuses how typographic elements have directional qualities that give the page movement. I learned how to divide the space within a page using a system of proportional relationships, such as single column grids, modular grids and improvisational grids. Grids are important to help us orgranise and classify information, making it clear what a piece of text is related to. This chapter helped a lot in Task 2.

Fig. 4.2 The Vignelli Canon

I read a few pages on Vignelli's Canon's take on design, and learnt how designs are meant to be timeless and should not conform to trends. This is an insightful book on how to create designs that are not necessarily immutable, but are created based on rules that have existed for decades and will build a long-lasting identity as a great designer.