Typography/ Task 1: Exercises

 4.4.2023 - 2.5.2023 ( Week 1 - Week 5)
Gam Jze Shin / 0353154
Typography / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Task 1 ( Exercise)

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Index
1. Lectures
2. Instructions
3. Feedback
4. Reflection
5. Further Reading

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LECTURES

Week 1 -  Introduction 
At the first week, Mr. Vinod had provide us the Module Information Booklet and Lecture Playlist. Hence, we can better understand about this module and also the timeline of this module during this semester. In the first lecture playlist, Mr. Vinod talked about the basic of typography.

fig. 1.1 Own notes for introduction

Week 1 -  Eportfolio briefing
We need to create our own blog and include the information and work that we learned and done throughout this semester. Examples and guidelines have been given in the lecture playlist.

Week 1 - Eportfolio Jump link
From this video, I learned about how to use to 'jump link' inside a blog.
Steps:
1. Prepare your blog
2. Add the HTML code: <span id="NAME"></span>
3. Copy Permalink
4. Add the Permalink + #

Week 2 - Development

fig. 1.2.1 Own notes for development

fig. 1.2.2 Own notes for development

fig. 1.2.3 Own notes for development

fig. 1.2.4 Own notes for development

Week 2 - Basic

fig. 1.3.1 Own notes for basic

fig. 1.3.2 Own notes for basic

fig. 1.3.3 Own notes for basic

fig. 1.3.4 Own notes for basic

Week 2 - Ex_ Type Expression Words
Lecturer had showed how to arrange the words by using some tools. Besides, there are a lot of shortcut key that we can know to make our working progress more easier.

fig. 1.2 Shortcut key I learned

Week 3 - Text (Part 1)

fig. 1.4.1 Own notes for text

fig. 1.4.2 Own notes for text

fig. 1.4.3 Own notes for text

fig. 1.4.4 Own notes for text

Week 3 - Text (Part 2)
Mr. Vinod helped us do revision on the previous lecture so we could recover our memory and have a better understanding of the next typography's information.

fig. 1.5.1 Own notes for text

fig. 1.5.2 Own notes for text

fig. 1.5.3 Own notes for text

fig. 1.5.4 Own notes for text

Week 3 - Type Expression Animation (Basic)
In the video, lecturer had taught about how to create animation by using Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.

fig. 1.6 Steps for animation

Week 4 - Understanding

fig. 1.7.1 Own notes for text

fig. 1.7.2 Own notes for text

Week 4 - Screen & Print

fig. 1.8.1 Own notes for text

fig. 1.8.2 Own notes for text

Week 5 - Text Formatting 1:4 to 1:4A

From the videos, it expands my understanding of information hierarchy and spatial organisation, as well as my familiarity and skill with the required applications ( InDesign).

fig. 1.9.1 My own notes for exercise 2

fig. 1.9.2 My own notes for exercise 2

fig. 1.9.3 My own notes for exercise 2

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INSTRUCTIONS

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Task 1: Exercise 1- Type Expression

We had been given 7 word to create type expression which is rain, fire, crush, water, dissipate, freedom and sick. After that, sketching out the ideas. The words I choose are Rain, Fire, Freedom and Sick.

Sketches

fig. 2.1 Type expression sketches (Week 2, 11.4.2023)

Digitization
I showed my progress to Mr. Vinod in class.

fig. 2.2.1 Type expression sketches (Week 3, 18.4.2023)

Final Type Expressions
Based on Mr. Vinod's feedback, I had changed my progress.

fig. 2.2.2 Type expression sketches (Week 3, 23.4.2023)

fig. 2.2.3 Final Type Expressions- PDF (Week 3, 23.4.2023)

Type expression animation

We should create an animation for our designed of type expression word. After viewing Mr. Vinod's lecture playlist, I tried to animate two words by using Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop which is 'Rain' and 'Sick‘.

fig. 2.3.1 Progress screenshot in Adobe Illustrator (Week 4, 24.4.2023)

fig. 2.3.2 Progress screenshot in Adobe Photoshop(Week 4, 24.4.2023)

fig. 2.3.3 Animation- Rain (Week 4, 24.4,2023)

fig. 2.3.4 Animation- Sick (Week 4, 24.4,2023)

Final animated Type Expression

After showing my animated type expression to Mr. Vinod, he thinks that the word 'SICK' did not work compared to the word 'RAIN'. Hence, he suggested me to improve the word 'RAIN'. I make some changes for my animated type expression in class.

fig. 2.3.5 Final animation- Rain (Week 4, 25.4,2023)

Task 1: Exercise 2- Text Formatting

For exercise 2, we will receive little chunks of text that cover various aspects of text formatting, such as typeface selection, type size, leading, line length, and paragraph spacing, forced-line-break, alignment, kerning, widows, orphans and cross-alignment.

fig. 2.4.1 Fonts we can used

fig. 2.4.2 Exercise on Lecture (Week 4, 30.4.2023)

Text Formatting

After going through the lecture playlist of text formatting 1:4- 4:4A, I try to do my layout by using InDesign. It is a bit challenging to me as I am not familiar with the tool. I had showed my work to Mr. Vinod on week 6 and ask him about my image used in the layout. He suggested me to use the image which at fig2.5.3 Layout #3 as it is more related compared with the image which at fig2.5.1 Layout #1 and  fig2.5.2 Layout #2.

fig. 2.5.1 Layout# 1(Week 5, 1.5.2023)

fig. 2.5.2 Layout# 2(Week 5, 1.5.2023)

fig. 2.5.3 Layout# 3 (Week 5, 5.5.2023)

Final Text Formatting

Details:

HEAD

Typeface: Futura Std

Fonts: Bold

Type size: 60pt

Leading: 26pt

BODY

Typeface: Futura Std

Fonts: Book

Type size: 11pt (+-0.5pt for adjustment)

Leading: 13pt

Paragraph spacing: 1p1

Characters per-line: 59

Alignment: Left justified

CAPTIONS

Typeface: Janson Text LT Std

Fonts: Roman

Type size: 7pt

Leading: 7pt

SETTINGS

Margins: 12.7mm top, bottom, left, right

Columns: 2

Gutter: 7mm

fig. 2.5.4 Final Layout (Week 5, 5.5.2023)

 

fig. 2.5.5 Final Layout - PDF (Week 5, 5.5.2023)

fig. 2.5.6 Final Layout with grids (Week 5, 5.5.2023)

fig. 2.5.7 Final Layout with grids - PDF (Week 5, 5.5.2023)

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FEEDBACK

Week 2
General Feedback: Sketches could not be too graphical. Make it easy to be understand by others via the word directly.  Do not use the fonts given to sketch it first. Do after the sketches done and try to restore it by using fonts. Specific Feedback: The word 'Rain' could not include the umbrella but can be replace by the letters 'R' .

Week 3
General Feedback: Eportfolio should be updated follow by the timeline. Should use the space well to determine the size of word. Specific Feedback: Avoid to include graphical element on 'fire'. Do not distorted too much for the words.

Week 4

General Feedback: Emphasis on the word and brings out the feelings of the word. Based on our own ideas to decide the seconds of the last frame. Specific Feedback: Continue with 'Rain' word. The process of absorbing water from clouds should be changed to raining and the water droplet fill up the lower part of 'i'.

Week 5

TEXT FORMATTING

1. Is kerning and tracking appropriately done?

2. Does the font size correspond to the line-length, leading & paragraph spacing

3. Is the alignment choice conducive to reading?

4. Has the ragging been controlled well?

5. Has cross-alignment been established using base-line grids?

6. Are widows and orphans present?

General Feedback: If using justified align, space between need to between 5-7mm. Use regular typeface as condensed typeface will reduce readability.

Specific Feedback: Image using should related to the text. Column interval should have 5 to 7mm.

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REFLECTION

Experiences

In this task, I have learned some skills on how to use Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign. At first, we should express word by using Adobe Illustrator. It is very challenging to me as we cannot use graphical element to express the word. Besides, I learned how to use Adobe Photoshop to create animation. It is a very useful skills for me. In InDesign, I gained knowledge about using tools to create text formatting. From this assignment, I had create a lot of works. Mr. Vinod had gave me many feedback on my work and I learned from it. Not only that, lecture playlist and my further reading also helped me a lot in this assignment.

Observations

I observed that doing typography will spend a lot of time on it if you are not familiar with the tools. However, constantly trying is the key to the success of the designer. Thus, we should not afraid of trying but we should try bravely. Even if it has mistake, it does not matter, at least we can learn from the mistake. Besides, typography plays an important role for design as it can bring better visual experience to the viewer.

Findings

I noticed that typography is not an easy subject. It contains a lot of skills and rules that should apply in our work. The seemingly simple things contain a variety of meanings, technical inside. This is even more complicated than I imagined. However, after I study about the knowledge of typography, I feel that as long as we practice more and master our skills, we can make satisfactory works in short time.

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FURTHER READING

fig. 5.1 Design School: Type : A Practical Guide for Students and Designers.

There are some recommended readings in Modules Information Booklet. I am attracted by the title of this book. Thus, I decided to do some research on it.

Reference: 

Pouline, R. (2017)

Design School: Type : A Practical Guide for Students and Designers. 

Beverly, MA : Rockport Publishers.

Chapter 1: Type Classification

fig. 5.2.1 Information of the book

Chapter 2: Terminology 

fig. 5.2.2 Information of the book

Chapter 3: Character and Glyphs

fig. 5.2.3 Information of the book