Advanced Typography Task 1 / Exercise : Typographic System and Type & Play

30/8/2023 - 13/92023 / Week 1 - Week 5

Dow Jia Zheng - 0354184 / 040604-14-1581

Advanced Typography / Bachelors of Design in Creative Media / Taylors Lakeside Campus

Task 1 / Exercise : Typographic System and Type & Play

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LECTURES

AdTypo_1_Typographic System

Typographic System is understood as historical in nature and there 8 eight major variation with an infinite number of permutations, typographical organization is complex because of the elements are dependent on communication in order to function, so if there no communication there no point of it being there, it is important for designer to remember when giving form to content it is import that communication is right at the forefront of that form so additional criteria as such as hierarchy, order of reading , legibility and contrast also come into play.

 

So some of the criticism of the 8 system is that you function within the ambit of 8 system, yet there infinite number of permutation within those system as well that being said that objection is generally that as you follow a particular system you are abdicating your intuition and a lot designer work happens to be relying on intuition.

 

Axial System where all elements are organized to the left or right pf single axis, but you use multiple axis as well.

 

Radial system where all element are extended from a point t of focus and that constitute radial, there can multiple point focus.

 

Dilatational System where elements expand from a center point in a circular manner, so you can have multiple rings of circle with information on other either side or in line with those circles.

 

Random System where there appear to have no specific pattern or relationship people who are organize in their life have greater difficulty in adopting this system where it could require a certain level of effort to be able eventually to understand it. Even though it is random there is a method in the chaos that is created within the page.

 

The grid system is the most common where there is a vertical and horizontal divisions.

 

Transitional System an informational system that is layered in banding of layered banding where banding would mean segregating information within certain bands.

 

Modular system is a series of non-objective elements that are constructed in as a standard units, where it allow you to move the individual units to different portions of the page as it can do so as the units is standardizes.

Bilateral System is where all the text is arranged symmetrically on a single axis, this is the system that tends to be used a lot of times in invitation cards and other type of formal invite.  

AdTypo_2_Typographic Composition

There are two aspect where typography pertains to the creation of letters and other are the arrangement of large amounts of text within a given space, so when talking about typographic composition it is also about the arrangement of the textual information in a given space. 

The Principle of Design Composition 

When wet think about composition, we think about the dominant principle underpinning design composition, which are emphasis, isolation, repetition, symmetry and asymmetry, alignment, perspective, to name a few.

However these abstract notions seem ambiguous when it comes to translating it into typographic layout or composition. They seem more relevant to imagery than complex units of information that consist different elements.

The ideas mentioned above and the application these ideas into real-life content (images, textual information and colour) on a page or screen can sometimes feel disparate. That said, Some of these principle are a little more easily translatable than the others.

The Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is a photographic guide to composition, it basically suggest that a frame (space) can be divided into 3 columns and 3 rows. The intersecting lines are used as guide to place the points of interest, within the given space.

Realistically no one would ever use the rule of thirds when there are other more favorable options.

Figure 1.1 : The Rule of Thirds

Typographic Systems

These 8 system we have covered in depth in theory and practical. From the 8 systems the most pragmatic and the most used system is the Grid System (or rather Raster System), which is derived from the grided compositional structures of Letter Press printing.

It was further enhanced by what is now come to be termed as the Swiss (Modernist) style of Typography, with its foremost proponents being Josef Muller Brockman, Jan Tschichold, Max Bill and such.

In reaction to this very ordered approach to Typography of the modernist era, a group of younger designers began to question and challenge this notion of order. Thus was born the post-modernist era in Typographical system where chaos, randomness and asymmetry were explored. Legibility and readability were relegated to the back seat however the betas examples seem to combine the two seamlessly. Its proponents include: David Carson, Paula Scher, Jonathan Barnbrook, to name a few.

There was a method to their madness. Order was replaced with apparent chaos but this chaos was exacting and 'new' for a generation that was being exposed to Punk anti-establishment thought and music. As such the asymmetry, random, repetition, dilatational and radial systems began to take root in the lexicon of designer. 

AdTypo_3_Context&Creativity

Handwriting

Why is handwriting important in the study of type/typography

We study handwriting because the first mechanically produced letterforms were designed to directly imitate handwriting. Handwriting would become the basis or standard for the form, spacing and conventions mechanical type would try and mimic.

The shape and line of hand drawn letterforms are influenced by the tools and materials used to make them. Sharpened bones, brushes, feather and steel pens all contributed to the unique characteristics of the letterform.

Additional factors included the material upon which the forms were written: clay, papyrus, palm leaf, animal skin (vellum and parchment) and paper.

Figure 1.2 : The Rule of Thirds

AdTypo_4_Designing Type

So why design another typeface? Xavier Dupre (2007) in the introduction of his typeface Malaga suggested two reasons for designing a typeface:

• type design carries a social responsibility so must continue to improve its legibility.

• type design is a form of artistic expression.

Let us explore the purpose and limitations behind some of the following typefaces.

There are many famous typefaces designer where in this lecture we will only identified only three.

"Adrian Frutiger is a renowned twentieth century Swiss graphic designer. His forte was typeface designing and he is considered responsible for the advancement of typography includes the typefaces; Univers and Frutigers."

Let us look at the typeface Frutiger, his name sake. Frutiger is a sans serif typeface designing by the Swiss type designer Adrian Frutiger in 1968 specifically for the newly built Charles de Gaulle International Airport in France. A more detailed history can be found here

Purpose: "The goal of this new typeface was create a clean, distinctive and legible typeface that is easy to see from both close up and far away. Extremely functional."

Consideration/Limitation: letterforms needed to be recognized even in poor light conditions or when the reader was moving quickly past the sign. He tested with unfocused letters to see which letterforms could still be identified.

Figure 1.3 : Frutiger Arabic

Adrian Frutiger received many honors, "at the university in the "holy city of India", Varanasi, he felt he had received the highest of honors, without medals or certificates. He had designed a new Devanagari front for modern typesetting and printing processes at the request of the Indian Design Institute. His goal was to simplify the sacred characters, without compromising their ancient calligraphic expression. As Frutiger sat waiting on the cool floor of a high vaulted room in the university, surrounded by religious dignitaries in ceremonial regalia, a group of "wise men" contemplated and discussed his first draft for quite some time. Finally they spoke of their judgement: they "approved" his draft of the new Devanagari and saw no "desecration of something that was, for them, sacred".

Figure 1.4 : Adrian Frutiger at the National Institute of Design (NID), India 1964. 

Matthew Carter is the son of Harry Carter, Royal Designer for Industry, contemporary British type designer and ultimate craftsman. Carter trained as a punchcutter at Enschede by Paul Radish, responsible for Crosfield's typographic program in the early 1960s, Mergenthaler Linotype's house designer 1965-1981.

Many of Carter's fonts were created to address specific technical challenges, for example those posed by early computers... Let us look at Verdana (1996) for Microsoft

Purpose: the font was tuned to be extremely legible even at very small sizes on the screen due in part to the popularity of the internet and electronic devices.

Considerations/limitations: The Verdana fonts exhibit characteristics derived from the pixel rather than the pen, the brush or the chisel. Commonly confused characters, such as the lowercase i j l.

Figure 1.5 : Frutiger Arabic

Edward Johnston is the creator of the hugely influential London "Underground" typeface, Which would later come to be knows as "Johnston Sana" (1916).

He was asked to create a typeface with "bold simplicity" that was truly modern yet rooted in tradition. Johnston's design, completed in 1916, combined classical Roman proportions with humanist warmth.

Purpose: London's Underground railway ordered a new typeface for its posters and signage from the calligrapher Edward Johnston. 

Figure 1.6 : "Underground" typeface

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INSTRUCTIONS

Links: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wyeAKCfCmwhsmkIRUgHAkAf-bhDErkX4/view?usp=sharing

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Task 1: Exercise 1 Typographic System 

Typographic System are the understanding of system of visual organization gives the designers and in-depth knowledge of the design process. The traditional ties that bind design education and the visual process to the rigid horizontal and vertical grid system of letterpress are no longer the sole means of order. It is possible for the designer to use a more fluid means to create typographic messages through the eight systems of typographic organization. These systems expand the visual language of typographic communication and invite the reader into the text.” (Elam, 2007) The 8 systems mentioned above are to be explored using the following content:

Figure 2.1 : Axial System

The axial system that I created is simple as I have no experience in it, so I decided to play it safe and make it simple.

Figure 2.2 : Radial System

Figure 2.3 : Dilatational System

Figure 2.4 : Random System

Figure 2.5 : Grid System

Figure 2.6 : Modular System

Figure 2.7 : Transitional System

Figure 2.8 : Bilateral System

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Final Outcome

Figure 2.9 : Typographic System (PDF)

Figure 2.10 : Typographic System (Grid & Guides)

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Task 1: Exercise 2 Type & Play

In exercise 2 Type & Plays where we will be asked to select an image of man-made object such as structures or something from nature. Ensures that images does not contain many elements otherwise it will very hard. Where students will analyze, dissect and identify potential letterforms within the dissected image where the forms would be expected and also ultimately digitized.

IDEATION: Basilique St Denis

Figure 3.1: Basilique St Denis

Figure 3.2: Extraction

Figure 3.3: Design Process

Figure 3.4: Type "TEAMD" in JPEG

Figure 3.5: Type "TEAMD" (PDF)

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Final Outcome

     Figure 3.6: Poster in (JPEG)

Figure 3.7: Poster in (PDF)

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Feedback:

Week 1 General Feedback:

Font Forge is alternate to font lab
Be ready for the last project as it is hard, better start early.

Week 2 General Feedback:

The content must remain in the column Radion system must be pointing into one point
Bilateral system must remain symmetrical

The text of the dilatational system must not stick to the line asit will undermine it readability, instead must remain separated from it.

Do not create huge element of design in system, so that it does cause distraction.
Create a balance between the color

Only one extra color can be use

Allow space for other text

Week 3 General Feedback:

The letter form can be found in not just natura, but in man-made object as well. Do not make it too complicated for your self and there is must be consistency in the letter form as well.

Personal Feedback:

Change the poster to feet with the Typo.

Week 4 General Feedback:

Our Lecturer told us our design have to have a meaning and a representation of something .

Week 5 General Feedback:

No feedback...

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Reflection

Experience

The lecture that was in the video provided Mr Vinod has greatly enhance my understanding in Advance Typography such as the Grid System and the Type & Plays as well. The lecturer encourage us to review our design work to find mistake and improvement.

Observation 

From what I have observe my knowledge and skills in the use of web tools such as adobe illustrator and photoshop have since been improve greatly. Not only that I am able to keep up with some of the class thanks to the video provided Mr Vinod.

Findings

Throughout this semester I have discovered are some area of the lecturer and exercise that I struggles to keep up with, but most of the time I was able to manage. As well as my undersetting in designing a new typeface have also increase as that typeface can be found every in man-made object and structure or in nature such as water, river, trees and other can be bases to a new typefaces.

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Further Reading

Figure 4.1 : Typographic Systems

This book explained about the typography structural system where these system of framework can be broken down into eight major variation with infinite variety of compositions within each system, where once the essential visual organization system are understood, the designer can fluidly organize words or images within a structure, combination of structures, or create a variation of a structure. Typographic organization is complex because the elements are dependent on communication in order to function where additional criteria such as hierarchy, order reading, legibility and contrast come into play.