TYPOGRAPHY | TASK 2: TEXT FORMATTING & EXPRESSION

• 09/05/23 - 23/05/23 (Week 6-Week8)
• Miao Xinjun, 0379525
• Typography
• Task 2: Typographic Exploration & Communication (Text Formatting and Expression).

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Lectures
2. Instructions
3. Process Work

3.1 Research

3.2 Ideation

3.3 Final Outcome

1. Feedback
2. Reflection
3. Further Reading

1. LECTURES

1.1 Week 4/ Typo_4_Task_Part 2

The Lecture is completed in Task 1 E-portfolio.

1.2 Week 5/ Typo_5_Understanding

Understanding Letterforms

The uppercase letter forms below suggest symmetry, but it is not symmetrical.

More noteworthy is the fact that each bracket connecting the serif to the stem has a unique arc:

Figure 1.2.1 A detail dissection of the letter 'A'

Letters

• The uppercase letter forms may appear symmetrical, but the width of the left slope is thinner than the right stroke (seems symmetrical). This reflects the designer's meticulous consideration of internal harmonious and individually expressive:

Figure 1.2.2 A detailed dissection of the symmetrical sans-serif font A

It is optical sensitivity of the designer. A certain stem in one stroke from the other allows for a sense of delicateness or dynamics (but very minimally). Our higher heightening of dynamism as opposed to a rigid structure of having equal weight on both sides.

• A comparison of how the stems of the letterforms finish and how the bowls meet the stems quickly reveals the palpable difference in character between the two:

Figure 1.2.3 Regarding the image of two overlapping letters

Subtle differences make a huge impact in the readability in the readability but also the outlook of the letters.

• One of the mistake that commonly made by beginner：

They tend to give a lot of character and They make a lot of different changes to the letter. This leads to a very decorative, but appreciated kind of letterform. You need to simplify your characters characteristics  within the strokes of your letters and it needs to be replicable in all the other letterforms as well.

( So consistency in replicating that particular uniqueness of that feature that you add into your letterforms is important.)

Maintaining x-height

• You should keep in mind that curved strokes, in order to appear to be the same size as the vertical and horizontal strokes they adjoin.

Median line: The median line is that the line above the baseline. (all letters forms that are curved generally will exceed the median line, but just a little bit.)

 Forms/ Counterform

Figure 1.2.4 form and counter

• Both the external space around letterforms and the internal negative space within them are equally important for enhancing readability and legibility in typography.

• Whenever you are planning a new letter and creating:

It is important for you to analyze an existing typefaces that fall under the same category.

Contrast

• The basic principles of Graphic Design apply directly to typography. (It is not necessary of applicable, only to graph design.)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Task 2: Typographic Exploration & Communication (Text Formatting & Expression )-20%

Typographically compose and express the given text.Task 2 builds on Task 1. We need to combine what we learned before with the new skills in Task 2 to finish it.

 We need to design a title that fits and expresses the text's theme. We can make multiple attempts, make six drafts, and execute a good layout as the final work after getting feedback.

No images are allowed(unless permitted), but some very minor graphical elements: line, shade, etc. might be allowed.

• Submit your final T2:

    - JPEG 300ppi, grayscale (with grid visible and without)
    - PDF (with grid visible and without)

• Learning Goals:

1.To demonstrate the use of Grids, Layouts and page flow.

2.To apply the necessary skills and sensibilities for effective typographic communication and achieve good reading rhythm with memorability.

<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ihoh0bqeZfa2JXtT4mMYURXA8trtx1hm/preview" width="640" height="480" allow="autoplay"></iframe>

3.PROCESS WORK

3.1 Research

Figure 3.1.1 Visual references for Bauhaus style design

3.2 Ideation

• From the three articles provided, I went with the Bauhaus theme

• Bauhaus: 1. Minimalism; 2.Squares, circles, half-circles, and triangles are classic Bauhaus elements. Swap out parts of the headline letters with these simple geometric shapes to capture the Bauhaus style; 3. Strong compositional feel: Add lines and tweak the title’s angle in your design to bring out this structured look

3.2.1 Headline Expressions Exploration 

Using the references I found, I tried six different title designs to express the Bauhaus theme.

Figure 3.2.1.1 Attempts 1-4  for headline exploration, week6

Figure 3.2.1.2 Attempts 5-6 for headline exploration, week 6

3.2.2 Layouts Exploration

Based on the six earlier headline expression exploration, I made seven drafts—Attempt 5 and Attempt 6 are different tries of the same design.

Figure 3.2.2.1 Attempts 1-4 for digital exploration, week 6

Figure 3.2.2.2 Attempts 5-7 for digital exploration, week 6

After the first feedback, Attempt 2 was seen as something that can be enhance better with some more graphic elements and design.

Attempt 5 and 6 were made after the first feedback. Both are based on Attempt 2, using the same headline design to show the Bauhaus theme.

• Shortlisted Layout

Figure 3.2.2.3 Layout 6, week6

• HEAD LINE

Typeface: Univers LT Std
Font/s: Univers LT Std, 65 Bold
Type Size/s: 200 pt (BAUHAUS), 51 pt (The Movement That Changed Design)
Leading: 51 pt (The Movement That Changed Design)
Paragraph spacing: 0

• BODY

Typeface: Bembo Std
Font/s: Bembo Std Regular
Type Size/s: 22 pt
Leading: 24 pt
Paragraph spacing: 11 pt
Characters per-line: 47-57
Alignment: left justified
Margins: 80 mm left + right + bottom + top
Columns: 2
Gutter: 90 mm

3.3 Final Outcome

Figure 3.3.1 Final text-formatting layout with grids (JPEG), Week 7

Figure 3.3.2 Final text-formatting layout without grids (JPEG), Week 7

Figure 3.3.3 Final text-formatting layout with grids (PDF), Week 7

Figure 3.3.4 Final text-formatting layout without grids (PDF), Week 7

• HEAD LINE

Typeface: Univers LT Std
Font/s: Univers LT Std, 65 Bold
Type Size/s: 200 pt (BAUHAUS), 51 pt (The Movement That Changed Design)
Leading: 51 pt (The Movement That Changed Design)
Paragraph spacing: 0

• BODY

Typeface: Bembo Std
Font/s: Bembo Std Regular
Type Size/s: 22 pt
Leading: 24 pt
Paragraph spacing: 11 pt
Characters per ine: 47-57
Alignment: left justified
Margins: 80 mm left + right + bottom + top
Columns: 2
Gutter: 90 mm

4.FEEDBACK

• Week 7

General Feedback:

Some can have graphic elements added to enhance the effect. Pay attention to readability in headline design.

Specific Feedback:

Someone is good and clean and it can be enhance better with some more graphic elements and design. However, If you make too much transformation and distortion when designing a layout, it will cause the design to lack readability and fail to convey the article's theme.

Layout 6 can be tried as the final but please fix all the formatting details.

Week 8:

General Feedback:

No serious issues, but there are some details that need to be adjusted.

Specific Feedback:

For the two spaces where the text is located, the distances between the two tops and bottoms should be consistent with each other. The position of the subtitle is fine, but it can be slightly adjusted for better results. Always pay attention to readability.

5.REFLECTION

5.1 Experience

After finishing Task 1, I started working on Task 2 right away. Over the two weeks of study, I combined what I’d learned before Week 6 with new concepts from later lectures to create drafts and the final work for Task 2. I hoped the final outcome of Task 2 would build on Task 1 and show an improvement. Even though Task 2 was based on Task 1, there were still many details I had to focus on. Throughout the process, my lecturer gave me patient guidance, which helped me finish the task successfully. I also managed to avoid some of the flaws from Task 1, at least to some extent.

5.2 Observations 

Compared to before, I completed Task 2 more efficiently with my lecturer's help. Not only that, but I also gained a clearer understanding of the flaws in my Task 1 work. When handling text layout, I made an effort to avoid uneven spacing. I noticed that font sizes, letter spacing, and different spatial arrangements for headline and body text all create distinct layout effects.

5.3 Findings

I found that I can now use Id and Ai more skillfully to complete tasks, and I've made real progress after getting feedback. Even simple text layouts have details that can't be ignored—complexity isn't always better. I also focus on balancing space distribution on the page and ensuring text is readable.

6.FUTHER READING

Thinking With Type. (2004)

This book has enriched my understanding of "text". It introduces the development of typesetting work from 'handwritten' to 'printed'. Meanwhile, as the development of the times, the text has changed from being readers-oriented to now being "user-oriented", and the relationship between the two sides has also transformed from the initial "one-way" to a "two-way".

In typography, 'text' is defined as an ongoing sequence of words, distinct from shorter headlines or captions. Contemporary designers and writers produce content for various contexts, screen conditions, and digital devices, each posing its own limits and opportunities.

In the 21st century, modern artists and critics asserted that each medium is specific. Today, the medium is not always the message. Design has become a "transmedia" enterprise, as authors and producers create worlds of characters, places, situations, and interactions that can appear across a variety of products.

Vertical Alignment