ADVANCED TYPOGRAPHY: TASK 1 TYPOGRAPHY SYSTEM & TYPE & PLAY
21 / 04 / 2025 - 13 / 5 / 2025 (Week 1 - Week 4)
Lai Weng Yan (0385170)
Advanced Typography | Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media | Taylor's
University
Task 1 - Typography System & Type & Play
TABLE OF CONTENT
LECTURES
Week 1:
Lecture brief us the assignment, introduce and explain the module, watch tutorials
and set up the blog correctly, well-formatted and make it linkable in
sheet.
Lecturer 1 - Typographic System
All design is based on structural system. Organization in typography
relies on communication with designers also considering hierarchy,
reading order, legibility and contrast when comes into play.
(Elam,2007)
There are 8 major variation, each allowing infinite possibilities within
in typography:
1. Axial System
All elements are organized to left side or right side of
single axis
2. Radial System
All elements expanded from a point of focus.
3. Dilatational System
All elements expand from a central point in a circular
fashion.
4. Random System
Elements appear to have no specific pattern or
relationship.
5. Grid System
A system of vertical and horizontal division.
6. Transitional System
An informal system of layered banding.
7. Modular System
A series of non-objective elements that are constructed in as
standardized unit.
8. Bilateral System
All text is arranged symmetrically on a single axis.
Figure 1.1 Typography System (From type 360)
Week 2:
Lecturer 2 - Typographic composition
Principles of Design Composition
Have Emphasis, Isolation, Repetition, Symmetry & Asymmetry, Alignment
and Perspective
The Rule of Third
Basically divides the frame into 3 columns and 3 row. It uses
intersecting lines to help place key subjects in the most visually
appealing spots in the frame.
Typography System
Is about 8 typographic system with the grid system being the most
adaptable, despite its origins in letterpress printing. However, Postmodern moved away from its structure, exploring chaos, randomness and
asymmetry.
Environmental Grid
Exploration an existing structure or numerous structure
combined. Then used to organize information within the layout based on the key
characteristic.
Form and movement
Form and movement
Using an existing grid to create repeating forms such as images, text or
colour across pages creates visual movement.
Figure 1.2 Typographic Composition
Week 3:
Lecturer 3 - Content & Creativity
Handwriting
The earliest mechanically produced letterforms were
made to imitate handwriting which served as the
foundation for form, spacing and stylistic conventions
that mechanical type aimed to replicate.
Cuneiform c. 3000 B.C.E
This is the earliest system of actual writing in 1st
century. It used number of language between 34C. B.C.E.
They use clay table and pressing the blunt end of a reed
stylus to make it.
Figure 1.3 Cuneiform c. 3000 B.C.E
Hieroglyphics
This is Egyptian writing system known as
hieroglyphics and it was used in different ways that
is:
- Ideograms - Represent image or object
-
Determinatives - Show the signs preceding as
phonograms to indicate the
general idea of the word - Phonograms - Represent sound the "spell out"
Figure 1.4 Hieroglyphics Chart
Figure 1.6 Evolution of Middle Eastern Alphabets
Figure 1.7 Evolution of Chinese script
Figure 1.8 'Indian' subcontinent the Indus
Valley Civilization (IVC) script (3500-200
BCE)
Programmers and type design
Multiscript combines Latin and vernacular letters for
writing and communication.
Local movement and individuals
They use different type of vernacular writing system to
crack typography, so system typography can use in mobile
phone and desktop. Designers should draw inspiration
from their surroundings and exploring of our collective
histories.
Week 4:
Lecturer 4 - Designing Type
1. Reason to design typeface by Xavier Dupre
(2007)
- Type design carries a social responsibility
- Type design is a form of artistic expression
2. Adrian Frutiger
- A renowned twentieth century Swiss graphic designer
- Creating typeface such as Univers and Frutiger
- Create a clean, distinctive and legible typeface that easy see from both close up and far away
- Letterforms needed to be recognized in poor light conditions or reader moving quickly past the sign
1.10 Frutiger
3. Matthew Carter
- Royal designer for Industry
- Extreme legible event at very small sizes on the screen
Georgia and Verdana
- Appearances in print
- IKEA previous font is Futura but now is Verdana
- Verdana derived from the pixel, commonly confused characters such as the lowercase i, j, l.
Bell Centennial
Solve multiple technical and visual problem such as
existing phonebook typeface.
1.11 Bell Centennial
4. Edward Johnson
- Creator of Johnston Sans
- Asked to create a typeface with bold simplicity that truly modern yet rooted in tradition
- Use for poster and signage in London's Underground Railway
5. General Process of Type Design:
Research
- Understand type history, type anatomy, type conventions, terminologies and etc
- Understand and examine existing font that are presently
- Determine and study the type of purpose and different application
Sketching
- Sketch typeface with the traditional toll set (confident and better control using their hand)
- Sketch typeface with digital tool set (sometimes impede the natural movement of hand stroke)
Digitization
- Used of professional software to create digitization of typeface such as FrontLab, Glyphs and Adobe Illustrator
Testing
- Important component in the design thinking process
- It leads to important feedback
- Is a part of process of refining and correcting aspects of the typeface
Deploy
- Important for riguor testing
- Keep testing to minor mistake
6. Typeface Construction
- Roman Capital: Guide letterform construction
- Can use for build / create / design letterform
1.12 Construction grid for Roman Capital (8 x
8 cells)
- Group character by different shapes and sizes
- Curve may extend slightly past baseline and cap line in visual correction
- Adjust spacing between letters and their surrounding white space
8. Context & creativity
- Intrinsic motivation in typeface design comes from interest, aiming to solve problem and express ideas through the typeface
- Extrinsic motivation in typeface design comes from external tasks or commissions that requiring the creation of typeface
- It need idea and understand the requirement / limitations / uses / skateholder
INSTRUCTIONS
<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yfjd77wm8gnpI4UUsRqy--5Fz4I-OuvW/preview" width="640" height="480" allow="autoplay"></iframe>
Task 1: Exercise 1 - Typography System
For exercise 1, we are assign to explore and create 8 major system by
using content and requirement below.
Requirement:
- Using Adobe InDesign only
- 200 x 200 mm for poster size and in jpeg file
- Black + 1 other colour
- Minor graphic element ( line, dot, etc.)
For the heading, we can choose one from this options.
All Ripped Up: Punk Influences on Design
or
The ABCs of Bauhaus Design Theory
or
Russian Constructivism and Graphic Design
Content details:
The Design School,
Taylor's University
All Ripped Up: Punk Influences on Design
or
The ABCs of Bauhaus Design Theory
or
Russian Constructivism and Graphic Design
Open Public Lectures:
June 24, 2021
Lew Pik Svonn, 9AM-10AM
Ezrena Mohd., 10AM-11AM
Suzy Sulaiman, 11AM-12PM
June 25, 2021
Lim Whay Yin, 9AM-10AM
Fahmi Reza, 10AM-11AM
Manish Acharia, 11AM-12PM
Lecture Theatre 12
Week 1 :
Work in process
I explore typographic system by Kimberly Elam and searched for
inspiration in Pinterest.
Figure 2.1 Explore in Pinterest
Figure 2.3 Typography System design. Week 1 (22/4/2025)
After completing my research and sketches, I gained more
understanding for typography system and confident in Adobe
InDesign. Then I recreate the sketches in Adobe InDesign from
there slowly modify until the feeling I want.
Week 2 : Attempt
Font use
Axial (Gill Sans MT)
No changes
Radial (Gill Sans MT)
No changes
Dilation (Bembo Std and Univers LT Std)
No changes
Random (Serifa Std, Janson Text LT Std, Gill Sans MT, ITC Garamond Std,
Futura Std,Bodoni MT and Univers LT Std)
I make some improvement at title to let it look unaligned and more
random between the boxes
Grid (Gill Sans MT)
Align typography to particular alignment
Transitional (Gill Sans MT and Univers LT Std)
No changes
Modular (Gill Sans MT and Bembo Std)
No changes
Bilateral (Gill Sans MT and Bembo Std)
Arrange the typographic with 1 axis
Figure 2.5 Revised Version. Week 2 (29/4/2025)
Final Task 1: Exercise 1 - Typography Systems
Figure 2.10 Final Grid System. Week 2 (29 / 4 / 2025)
Figure 2.11 Final Modular System. Week 2 (29 / 4 / 2025)
Figure 2.13 Final Bilateral System. Week 2 (29 / 4 /
2025)
Figure 2.6 Final Axial System. Week 2 (29 / 4 / 2025)
Figure 2.7 Final Radial System. Week 2 (29 / 4 / 2025)
Figure 2.8 Final Dilatational System. Week 2 (29 / 4 /
2025)
Figure 2.9 Final Random System. Week 2 (29 / 4 /
2025)
Figure 2.12 Final Transitional System. Week 2 (29 / 4 /
2025)
Figure 2.14 Final Typography System in PDF. Week 2 (29 / 4 /
2025)
Figure 2.15 Final Typography System with grid and guide in PDF. Week 2
(29 / 4 / 2025)
Task 1: Exercise 2 - Type & Play
Part 1 Finding Type
This task is to create analyses, dissect and identity letterform inspired
by image (man-made object, structures or nature). Refine them using a
reference font while keeping key visual features then showcase the letter
combined with the original image in a poster.
Week 2
I selected a green moss growing bark tree image. I want to make the final
letterform to look like storytelling of mystery of the tree.
Figure 2.16 Original image. Week 2 (29 / 4 / 2025)
I extract letter S, T, A, Y, E from the green moss on the tree, the font
that I refer to is Gill Sans Std. The step that I do is adjust the
angle and height of the stroke, after that I adjust the width and weight
of the stroke adjust with the reference font. Lastly, I make the gap
longer to it wont feel squish and equal but keep the original
characteristic.
Figure 2.17 Process of letterform compilation. Week 2 (29 / 4 / 2025)
Figure 2.18 Before and After letterform. Week 2 (29 / 4 /2025 )
Mr. Vinod commented that I needed to reintroduce the letterform while
preserving the characteristic from the image. After revising the
letterform, I proceeded to apply it to the poster.
Figure 2.19 Final letterform Approve. Week 3 (6 / 5 / 2025)
Figure 2.20 Letterform Design compilation. Week 3 (6 / 5 / 2025)
Week 3
I edited the image using brightness, expose, levels and saturation to
create a mysterious horror atmosphere for the poster. Other than that, I
also added a foggy white effect for mist and depth. The letterform I
applied pattern sponge, transparency and inner shadow to make it look
half invisible, enhancing the eerie mood and matching the theme and the
green moss growing bark tree.
Figure 2.21 Process of image and letterform
Figure 2.22 Poster. Week 3 (6 / 5 / 2025)
Week 4 Attempt
After receiving Mr. Vinod's feedback, I applied clipping mask on it to
create green moss effect and put transparency to let the titles clearer
before showed him again.
Figure 2.23 Poster attempt. Week 4 (13 / 5 / 2025)
He said it was better now but suggest making the background brighter
and more visible.
Figure 2.25 Poster attempt. Week 4 (13 / 5 / 2025)
Figure 2.26 Final image and extraction. Week 4 (13 / 5 / 2025)
Figure 2.27 Final overview process. Week 4 (13 / 5 / 2025)
Figure 2.29 Final reference font. Week 4 (13 / 5 / 2025)
Figure 2.30 Final letterform. Week 4 (13 / 5 / 2025)
Figure 2.31 Final extract letterform and final letterform
comparison. Week 4 (13 / 5 / 2025)
Figure 2.33 Final letterform compilation. Week 4 (13 / 5 / 2025)
Figure 2.34 Final poster. Week 4 (13/5/2025)
FEEDBACK
Week 1
General Feedback - No feedback
Specific Feedback
Week 2
General Feedback
- Learn from each other's mistake and make improve our own design
- Design should always be evaluated based on its objective since meant to communicate visually to others
- Every graphic element should support and enhance the content not to distract from it.
Specific Feedback
- Bilateral system in 1 axis
- Grid system in typography particular alignment
- Random system is fine but can be more improvement
Week 3
General Feedback
General Feedback
- Update the portfolio as you go
Specific Feedback
- Reintroduce the letterform
- Keep the characteristic
Week 4
General Feedback
- Briefing and demonstration task 2 assignment in the class and have feedback review section from lecturer.
Specific Feedback
- The title font and the background are not match
- Placement are ok.
- After adjustment he say is better now and suggest making the background brighter and more visible.
REFLECTIONS
Experience
At first time, I thought exercise 1 would be very easy but once I started
to do then I realized it is not that easy and challenging than expected.
Through practice and experience it make me improve and more understanding.
Exercise 2 was very interesting to me because it is my first time creating
the letterform from the image. I spent most of the time to select the
image because I don't know which more suitable but luckily I choose a
image at the end.
Observation
I found that in class feedback is very useful, because we can learn from
each other's artwork ,spot mistakes and make improvements. Other than
that, I also realized that using design element like color, balancing and
characteristic are important too. They greatly affect how the audience
perceives our artwork.
Finding
Through this process, I realized that finding references alone isn't
enough. Reading and look at Mr Vinod video helps deepen my understanding
and gives me a clearer direction before starting a design. It also
encourages me to experiment more confidently with different design
systems.
FURTHER READING
Week 1
Typography Systems by Kimberly Elam (2007)
I have learned a lot and gained better understanding from this book. It
introduced the 8 major typographic system, and also emphasized the use of
negative space, hierarchy, type setting, composition and etc also
important in typographic. It help us to convey a clear message to the
audience and make the layout look interesting and attractive.
Figure 3.1 Book of Kimberly Elam (2007)
Week 2
Finding Type: A Novel Typographic Exercise by Vinod Nair
After reading this article, I gained better understanding for the
task and have an explanation the process that helping me to know
where to start first until the end.
The process:
1. Finding an image
2. Deconstructing an image
3. Identifying letterforms
4. Extracting letterforms
5. Identify a reference
6. Refining letterforms
Figure 3.2 Finding type
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