Typography - Task 2: Typographic Exploration & Communication

on

21.10.2024 - 04.11.2024 / Week 5 - Week 7

Brenda Wynn / 0372128

Typography / Bachelors of Design (Hons) in Creative Media / Taylor's University

Task 2


JUMP LINKS


LECTURE

Lecture 6 - Understanding

Typography: Letters/Understanding Letterforms

The uppercase letterform that is shown below is not symmetrical, because of the difference in stroke weights on the Baskerville typeface shown below.
Figure 1.1.1 Baskerville letter "A" (27/10/2024, week 5)

Typography: Letters

Uppercase letterforms may look symmetrical, but if you take a closer look, you will notice that the width on the left stroke is thinner than the right stroke. One of the examples to prove this point is shown below by using the Univers typeface.
Figure 1.1.2 Univers letter "A" (27/10/2024, week 5)

Each letterforms complexity can be shown by analysing the lowercase letter "a". For example, it can be seen by using the typeface Helvetica and Univers as comparison. Both letterforms have a different way on how the stems finish and how the bowls meet the stems.
Figure 1.1.3 lowercase letter "a" (27/10/2024, week 5)

Typography: Letters/Maintaining X-height

Curved strokes in letterforms, for example: the letter "s". The curved strokes must be above the median line, so it looks like the same size as the vertical and horizontal stroke they attach to.
Figure 1.1.4 curved strokes (27/10/2024, week 5)

Typography: Letters/Form/Counterform

Another thing to look out for, is the counterforms. A counterform is the space between each letter in a word.

Figure 1.1.5 counterforms (27/10/2024, week 5)

Typography: Letters/Contrast

Can be useful to differentiate information.
Figure 1.1.6 contrasts (27/10/2024, week 5)

INSTRUCTIONS


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TASK 2

On task 2, we were assigned to make a design out of text formatting and type expression. We were provided with 3 different texts and concepts to choose from. I decided to choose the text with the headline "A code to build on and live by". From the headline and the body of text that I read, I decided to emphasized the word build. To start, I sketched some type expressions of the word build. For a better understanding of the word build, I found some references from the internet and also Pinterest. This is my reference board:

Figure 2.1.1 reference board (27/10/2024, week 5)
Reference sources

After observing the references, I came up with these designs:

Figure 2.1.2 type expression sketches (27/10/2024, week 5)

I decided to settle with the fifth design, but when I digitalized it it was not that readable. So, I tried making several more type expressions on Adobe Illustrator. My sketches being the main source of my ideas and reference, I used different typefaces and placements to make more choices of the type expression. Here are the type expressions I made on Adobe Illustrator:

Figure 2.1.3 type expression sketches on Illustrator (27/10/2024, week 5)

After much consideration, I chose to settle with the fifth design. Since I thought it expresses the word "build" and has the best readability, in my opinion. After deciding the headline, I started formatting the body text in InDesign. Before I started formatting, I wanted to settle on a idea. So, here are my sketches before I moved the text to InDesign:
Figure 2.1.4 type formatting sketches (27/10/2024, week 5)

Though when I wanted to execute the ideas that I made, I figured that some of them was too illustrated and some of them lacked the readability. Mainly it doesn't show the flow or relationship between the headline and the body text clearly. So, I remade the sketches and transferred it to InDesign, here are the sketches I made and the result when I transferred it to InDesign:
Figure 2.1.5 type formatting result (27/10/2024, week 5)

For the results in InDesign, I made sure to not activate the hyphenate option to keep the words intact.
Figure 2.1.6 step 1 (27/10/2024, week 5)

Then I started kerning and letterspaced my body text, not exceeding 15 or -15. In addition, I made sure there was no orphans or widows.
Figure 2.1.7 step 2 (27/10/2024, week 5)

Lastly, I made sure that the amount of characters in a line varies from 50-65 characters.
Figure 2.1.8 step 3 (27/10/2024, week 5)

After the feedback, Mr. Vinod suggested that I should keep the text format just like the third and fourth sketch. For the headline, he recommended that I move it forward leaving the first column to be a white space. This is the result after the adjustments:
Figure 2.2.1 type formatting and expression revision 1 (28/10/2024, week 6)

After I made the adjustments, Mr. Vinod recommended that it will be better if the headline was aligned to the body text. So, I made the headline much bigger to make it more aligned. This is the result after some minor adjustments:
Figure 2.3.1 type formatting and expression revision 2 (04/11/2024, week 7)

For the final result, I adjusted some parts because I noticed that there are still some widows or orphans.

FINAL TEXT FORMATTING AND TYPE EXPRESSION SUBMISSION

Figure 2.3.2 final type formatting and expression result (05/11/2024, week 7)
Figure 2.3.3 final type formatting and expression result with grids (05/11/2024, week 7)

Figure 2.3.4 final type formatting and expression result with and without grids pdf (05/11/2024, week 7)

HEAD LINE
Typeface: Serifa Std
Font/s: Serifa Std - 55 Roman, Serifa Std - Bold ("BUILD")
Type Size/s: 48 pt (not including "BUILD")
Leading: 50 pt (not including "BUILD")
Paragraph spacing: 0

BODY
Typeface: ITC New Baskerville Std
Font/s: ITC New Baskerville Std - Roman
Type Size/s: 10 pt
Leading: 12 pt
Paragraph spacing: 12 pt
Characters per-line: 55
Alignment: left justified
Margins: 10 mm top + left + right + bottom
Columns: 2
Gutter: 5 mm

FEEDBACK

Week 6:
General Feedback: Mr. Vinod reminded us to not distort the typefaces that was used in the headline and also reminded us to pick one from the fonts that is provided. He also told us to keep an eye out for the line length of our text since it can lead readers to think that it is a different story on each column of text. He also informed us to pay attention to the paragraph spacing, since it has to be in pt not mm. We also needed to express the headline according to its original meaning. In addition, we were informed to keep the placement of our headline and text away from the edge.

Specific Feedback: The feedback I received form Mr. Vinod about my work was that it needs to have better composition. Mr. Vinod also reminded me that the headline that I made was not leading the readers to read the body text. Mr. Vinod recommended me to move my headline a lot closer to the body text that was already arranged properly, leaving the extra space as a a white space for my text.

Week 7:
General Feedback: -
Specific Feedback: Mr. Vinod recommended me to make the size of the headline bigger. He also recommended me to make the headline more aligned to the body text.

REFLECTION

Experience
For week 6 & 7, we were given a few texts that we have to choose from and from what we chose we have to do type formatting and type expressions. During the making of the task I was a bit bewildered, because I was a bit lost on how I should go on with the text formatting. I was afraid that I can't show the viewers that there is a relationship between the headline and body text or that the viewers flow of reading will be interrupted because of bad formatting. I also realized that I should practice more on InDesign, because my technical skills was not the best.

Observation
When it was time for Mr. Vinod to give feedbacks, I have seen a lot of my peers work and they all have a different perception of the key words from the headlines that were provided. Each one of their designs was different, but also good in their own unique way. Because of the differences, I was finding myself comparing my work with theirs. I was having some trouble about how to make the headline lead the readers smoothly to the body text, because I personally think that my layout lacked it. I figured that I should experiment more with this specific topic to get a better understanding on how to create a good layout for people to read easily. I wished that I would spend more time practicing it. But in the end, I am satisfied with the final work I have given and I will continue to practice.

Findings
Before starting the task, I thought that making 3 different layouts are enough to pick from. But, in the end I settled to make 8 different layouts. Because during the making of the layouts, I have come to a conclusion that by experimenting more and giving yourself a lot of choices might be better to see which one of your work you are satisfied with. In addition, you might actually find a new inspiration to make a better composition. So in the upcoming future, I will allow and give myself time to make a lot of choices to choose from to achieve a work that I am proud of. In addition, I think that I should give myself some more time to practice using InDesign to make my technical skills better.

FURTHER READING

Week 6:

Figure 5.1 further reading book 3 (02/11/2024, week 6)

This week I read the chapter "TYPOGRAPHY", from page 59-65. This book was first published in Great Britain by Sheed and Ward 1931. Which was then published in Penguin Classics 2013.

The book states that uppercase and lowercase Roman letters are a distinct alphabet. Both of these letterforms including italic are 3 alphabets that are commonly used by English people.

However, in modern England, these 3 alphabets are considered different. But, no matter how familiar we are with these 3 alphabets, their differences are not easy to discover. Because their differences are between the letterforms. Though typical differences are just as important. That is because Roman capitals have to be upright, and lowercase letterforms have to be smaller than capitals.

Italics are commonly created with a moderate amount of slope and cursive freedom, and a variation of sloping and cursive Roman capitals have been created to match. However, this practice has been overdone by enhancing/overdoing the slope and curviness of italics. This practice has led to abandon the use of italics for single words. Sloping capitals should only be used as initials, they go well enough with italic lowercase letterforms, but they do not compliment each other.

Week 7:

On week 7, I continued the book I read on week 6. Which is a book titled "AN ESSAY ON TYPOGRAPHY" by Eric Gill. The book was first published in Great Britain by Sheed and Ward 1931. Which was then published in Penguin Classics 2013. I read page 66 & 67 for this week on the chapter "TYPOGRAPHY".

The book informed the readers that typography is a reproduction of lettering with the ability to move letter types. It was originally created by pressing ink surface of letters made of wood or metal to a paper or vellum. The inconsistent quality of the printing is caused by the uneven paper or the hardness of the paper and the mechanical problems it is facing has caused early printers notable for it. To make it less inconsistent, the printed letter was then changed into a colored letter.

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