Typography - Task 2: Typographic Exploration and Communication

27 Sept 2022 - 16 Oct 2022 (Week 5 -Week 7)
Vincent Lee // 0359386
Typography // Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media // Taylor's University (TDS)
Task 2: Typographic Exploration and Communication (Text Expression and Formatting)

LIST
Instructions
Task 2: Typographic Exploration and Communication
Feedback
Reflection
Further Reading

LECTURES

All lectures 1 to 6 are completed in Task 1: Exercise 1 & 2.

Week 5

Class Summary 5

Mr. Vinod briefed us on this task as it is the combination of type expression and text formatting exercise. We are required to choose one from the three contents, and start sketching/ draft the expression and layout for this task. In the headline, there are several words but we just need to choose the key words that represent the spirit of the headline. Besides, we are limited to the 10 typefaces that being provided since the first day of typography class.

Notes for Task 2:

A layout should be interdependent and placed off each other well.

A bad layout is when you have the expressions one island the text one island. The information do not seem interact or relate each other.

The headline and body text should not be seen as two separate entity.

Dynamics layouts required dynamic margins.

Two typefaces can be apply separately for headline and body text however, do remember the rules that two typefaces, one has to be serif, one has to be sans-serif. As the point of having two typefaces is to create contrast in the information.

Typo_Task 2_Process Demo

Letter-spacing, kerning and positioning of headline need to be taken into consideration when dealing with this kind of work.

Notes for Task 2:

Width and height - 200mm, file name: Type Formatting

6 pages, margins 10mm/ column 2 to 3, gutter 5mm, then create.

To create facing pages (side by side):

- pages > select all pages > right click

- turn off allow selected spreads to shuffle

- then drag the second page to the first page, it is done when the first page appears bracket.

Place to insert headline from AI

Try several layouts, once complete, cover the whole with patches to see the division between the whole white areas and grey areas.

Week 6

Class Summary 6

During our class, Mr. Vinod checked our first task and gave us feedback. Then, we looked at each other's digital draft layout for our second task and gave opinions. Mr. Vinod gave us more guidance on what we should include in our work and how to improve. He told us to explore more and try different solutions. We learned that learning means applying what we learned from the previous task to the next one.

Mr. Vinod reviewed our digitized drafts and allowed us to look at senior's works for reference, but reminded us not to copy them exactly. He introduced us to the Bauhaus philosophy and suggested some things to pay attention to when working on our second task, such as the headline size, font, leading, line length, margins, and the connection between the headline and body text. We should also avoid being influenced too much by senior's work and provide visual research, progression of layout, several types of layout, and use patches to see the space and composition within the space.

Notes for Task 2:

Headline huge, goes across two pages is acceptable sometimes.
Check font size, font/ the type, leading , line length, margins and etc., that we have done in Task 1: Exercise 2.
cannot have 2 island of text, the headline and body text need to inter-relate/ interact with each other as they are one unit.
form connection between text and headlines.
be careful not to be overly influenced by senior's work as there is a lot of influence can be seen in the draft layout.
can provide visual research, progression of layout, several types of layout
use patches to see the space and the composition within space.

Week 7

Class Summary 7

We are instructed to submit our final design to the Facebook group but review and feedback were not given as this is a project, thus we need to have our own judgement and intuition that we had gained during working on Exercise 1 & 2, then apply it in this task. The submission for this task is on 16 Oct 2022, Sunday. Last, Mr. Vinod gave a wrapped on this task on move to Task 3: Type Design and Communication.

INSTRUCTIONS

Module Information Booklet

Task 2: Text Expression and Formatting

1. Visual References

Before I started to do sketching, I have did some visual research based on bauhaus to have clearer understanding the design elements. Thus, I can make used some of the elements and combine in this task.

Figure 1.1 - Visual Exploration for Type Expression.
(from Chrome)

Figure 1.2 - Visual Exploration for Type Expression
(from Chrome)

In 1919, Walter Gropius, a German architect, created the Bauhaus architecture school in Weimar, Germany. Functional shapes, abstract shapes sparingly utilised as décor, plain colour schemes, holistic design, and standard synthetic fibers like concrete, steel, and glass are all aspects of Bauhaus architecture.

2. Headline Designs

Figure 2.1 - Refer to Bauhaus art to create headline,Week 6 (04 Oct 2022)

The designs of type expressions are constructed in Adobe lllustrator based on the shapes of Bauhaus art, thus most of the designs that I have created can clearly found shapes like circle, semi-circle and triangle. In constructing designs for Deign 2a & 2b, the letter ate placed on the inner edge of the circle as distortion of letter are not permitted.

3. Sketches of Layouts

Figure 3.1 - Thumbnail Sketch Layouts, Horizontal - JPEG, Week 6 (04 Oct 2022)

Figure 3.2 - Thumbnail Sketch Layouts, Vertical - JPEG, Week 6 (04 Oct 2022)

After designing my type expressions, I moved to create some layout sketches. I used several type expressions and alter the layout arrangement to achieve better impact of the type formatting. I design it in vertical and horizontal direction, so I can have few options for my final. Besides, I also added some shapes around the canvas to create connection. The overall designs of my type formatting is simple and to create sophistication.

4. Progression of Layouts (Digitisation)

Figure 4.1 - Layout Design #1, Week 5 (27 Sept 2022)

Figure 4.2 - Layout Designs, Week 6 (04 Oct 2022)

Figure 4.3 - Layouts Blocked Out, Week 6 (04 Oct 2022)

5. Shortlisted Layouts

Figure 5.1 - Layout Design #4, Week 6 (04 Oct 2022)

HEAD
Font/s: Futura Std, Bold (Headline), Futura Std, Heavy Oblique (Lead-In Text)
Type Size/s: 25 pt (The, of, on), 15 pt (Lead-In Text)

BODY
Font/s: Futura Std, Book
Type Size/s: 10 pt
Leading: 12 pt
Paragraph spacing: 12 pt
Characters per-line: 58 characters
Alignment: Left Aligned
Margins: 12.7 mm

Column: 2

Figure 5.2 - Layout Design #5, Week 6 (04 Oct 2022)

HEAD
Font/s: Futura Std, Bold (Headline), Futura Std, Heavy Oblique (Lead-In Text)
Type Size/s: 25 pt (The, of on), 15 pt (Lead-In Text)

BODY
Font/s: Futura Std, Book
Type Size/s: 10 pt
Leading: 12 pt
Paragraph spacing: 12 pt
Characters per-line: 58 characters
Alignment: Left Aligned
Margins: 12.7 mm

Column: 2

6. Attempt after Week 7 class

Figure 6.1 - Layout Design #6, Week 7 (11 Oct 2022)

Figure 6.2 - Layout Blocked Out, Week 7 (11 Oct 2022)

HEAD

Font/s: Futura Std, Medium & Bold (Headline), Futura Std, Book Oblique (Lead-In Text)
Type Size/s: 31 pt (The Impact of), 28 pt (on Modern Culture), 19 pt (Lead-In Text)

BODY

Font/s: Futura Std, Book
Type Size/s: 11 pt
Leading: 12 pt
Paragraph spacing: 12 pt

Characters per-line: 55 characters
Alignment: Left Aligned

Margins: 12.7 mm

Column: 2

Final Task 2: Typographic Exploration and Communication

I decided to choose layout #6 as my final as I like the element used and the layout arrangement. It is simple yet does have the expression of Bauhaus.

Figure 6.3 - Clear Layout, JPEG, Week 7 (11 Oct 2022)

Figure 6.4 - Layout with guides and grids visible, JPEG, Week 7 (11 Oct 2022)

HEAD

Font/s: Futura Std, Medium & Bold (Headline), Futura Std, Book Oblique (Lead-In Text)
Type Size/s: 31 pt (The Impact of), 28 pt (on Modern Culture), 19 pt (Lead-In Text)

BODY

Font/s: Futura Std, Book
Type Size/s: 11 pt
Leading: 12 pt
Paragraph spacing: 12 pt

Characters per-line: 55 characters
Alignment: Left Aligned

Margins: 12.7 mm

Column: 2

Figure 6.5 - Clear Layout, PDF, Week 7 (11 Oct 2022)

Figure 6.4 - Layout with guides and grids visible, PDF, Week 7 (11 Oct 2022)

FEEDBACK

Questions:

Do the expressions match the meaning of the words?

   2. Are the expression well crafted (crafting/lines/shapes)?
       2a. Do they sit well on the art-board
     2b. Are the composition engaging? Impactful?
   3. Are there unnecessary non-objective elements present?
   4. How can the work be improved?

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?

Week 6 (Digitise Lay. 01)

Specific Feedback -

Being questioned on the idea expressing presented, and the choice of typeface, expression and font used is not appropriate, they use sans serif, thus I was being told to give concerned on the font used to express the concept.

General Feedback -

My work does not reflect anything about Bauhaus. Required to do more research to understand the topic then add the characteristics into it. The formatting of text is nice. The expression and black patches serve no purpose.

Peer's Feedback -

Good job on presenting the layout, however the expression is not Bauhaus. Several ideas to create connection between the headline and body text is advised. Being told to adjust the body text to avoid widows and orphans.

Week 8

Specific Feedback -

Complete. Good exploration and layout. Headline Exp has room for improvement. Keep it up.

General Feedback -

Competency level: Mastering

REFLECTIONS

Experience

During the two weeks given to complete the task, I found that I was not well-prepared to study the content, leading to incorrect information and an inappropriate layout design. However, after Week 6, I conducted visual research on Bauhaus art and tried to apply its elements to my design. The experience was challenging on my second attempt since I needed to have a clear understanding of the font to create hierarchy. Nevertheless, I was impressed with my peers' designs, which showed well-constructed placement of Bauhaus elements.

Observation

I noticed that my minor mistakes caused my overall project results to be deducted. However, I found that I am on the right track since doing layout arrangements for text formatting. Still, I need to improve since my peers have deepened their understanding of the module's requirements. I also realized that my creativity and application of the Bauhaus concept to this task were weak, and I lacked the courage to take risks in my design. Compared to my peers' designs, I saw that my layout lacks connection, even though the headline's elements are placed throughout the content.

Findings

I learned that work cannot be done precisely in a day. During this task, I learned how to combine type expression and text formatting and create visual balance in the overall layout. However, I also discovered that I need to practice more in creating type expression and study my peers' designs to improve my layout's interrelatedness between the headline and body text. Therefore, I plan to create several more layouts to develop my skills.

The font used—some fonts require more line spacing than others to keep their ascenders and descenders from touching.
The line length—longer lines require more leading for easier reading.
The type size—the larger the type size, the more line spacing is required. This rule mostly refers to body copy; headlines, which are normally set larger, may actually be set with tighter line spacing.

Type size and line spacing are both measured in points and are inseparable, their sizes are normally written together. They are commonly written in this manner: 10/12, pronounced “ten over twelve.” This indicates that the type size is ten points and the line spacing is 12 points, or has two extra points of space over the type size.

Line Spacing for Headlines and Subheads

More advanced layout programs provide additional options, including specifying line spacing by a percentage of the type size and by adding on a set amount to the type size. Normally, the percentage option, or auto leading, should be avoided because it can make larger heads look too spread out. When in doubt, use the exact method for all line spacing.

Figure 1.2 - Comparison of percentage and absolute line spacing.

Special Formatting

Hyphens and Dashes

Hyphens are usually used only to divide words or numbers, but they also are used to break words from one line to the next. Most programs have settings to auto- matically hyphenate words; although, occasionally, the user may need to manually hyphenate a word. Headlines and subheads should never be hyphenated. For words that are hyphenated but should not be broken at a line ending, a non-breaking hyphen should be used.

Line Breaks

Often, lines (particularly headlines and subheads) need to be broken for readability. However, just typing a return to break the line can alter formatting when paragraph spacing, rules, and indents are used. To avoid this problem, most programs allow line breaks; these are usually inserted by typing a shift-return, rather than a normal return. Using a shift-return also maintains the integrity of the paragraph. For example, if a subhead was set to keep all lines together and keep with next paragraph, the entire subhead will retain the settings. If standard returns are used, just the last line of the subhead will retain the correct settings.

Figure 1.3 - Examples of line break.

Summary:

Although it may seem that the “rules” of typography are endless (and this report certainly does not cover all of the rules), the goal should be to present a readable finished product. It is not necessary to apply all the rules at once. The user should decide which rules are critical and then scan the work for mistakes. After time, formatting that seemed difficult will become second nature.

QUICK LINKS

Task 1: Exercise 1 (Type Expression) & 2 (Text Formatting)

Task 3: Type Design & Communication (Font Design)

Special Task: Type Design & Communication (AngPow Design)

Final Compilation and Reflection

Vincent Lee | 0359386