Typography - Task 3/Type Design & Communication

7.11.2023 - 19.12.2023  / Week 7 - Week 13

Siang Huey Yee / 0369549

Typography/ Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media

Task 3: Type Design & Communication

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OUTLINE

• LECTURES
• INSTRUCTIONS
• FEEDBACK
• REFLECTIONS
• FURTHER READING

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LECTURES

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Week 7:

Class Summary (Week 7- 7/11/2023)

• Upload the final task 2 exercise to the Facebook group for getting feedbacks from the lecturer
• Proceeds to Task 3 exercises

Week 8 (Independence Learning Week)

Week 9:

Class Summary (Week 9- 21/11/2023)

• Upload three different writing styles for each of the three pens with different nibs by writing ODHNG/odhng (uppercase or lowercase).
• Received feedback from the lecturer to decide which writing styles to proceed with for digitization.

Week 10:

Class Summary (Week 10- 28/11/2023)

• Upload the digitised type design to the Facebook group for getting feedbacks from the lecturer.
• Modify the chosen writing styles based on the lecturer's feedback.

Week 11: 

Class Summary (Week 11- 5/12/2023)

• Upload final digitised type design to the Facebook group for getting feedbacks from the lecturer.
• Modify the chosen writing styles based on the lecturer's feedback to finalise the type design.

Week 12: 

Class Summary (Week 12- 12/12/2023)

• Upload the digitised type design that transferred to FontLab 7 to the Facebook group to receive feedback from the lecturer. 
• Modify the digitised type design according to the lecturer's feedback and export the finalised type design for the creation of our own font.

Week 13: 

Class Summary (Week 13- 19/12/2023)

• Upload the black and white poster to the Facebook group to receive feedback from the lecturer.
• Modify the black and white poster according to the lecturer's feedback to finalise this task 3 exercise.

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INSTRUCTIONS

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<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hZP2QI3yo69O52oGjUGE73FbhRzgzYUT/preview" width="640" height="480" allow="autoplay"></iframe>

Task 3: Type Design & Communication

For Task 3, we need to design a typeface on our own. We should start by creating rough sketches using three pens with different nib types, writing 'ODHNG' or 'odhng' to explore various options before moving on to digitize the type design using Adobe Illustrator and later FontLab. The letters required for design in Adobe Illustrator are (o l e d s n c h t i g , . ! #). Additionally, we are tasked with creating a typeface that prioritizes legibility, readability, and consistency. We must focus on aspects such as baseline, x-height, ascender and descender lines, cap height, median, and letter width.

1. Dissection of the letters 

Figure 1.1 "Hogb" being dissected, Week 7 (10/11/2023)

Observation: 

I have observed that all the vertical straight strokes of Univers LT Std font have the same width, but the horizontal straight strokes in this font do not share the same width as the vertical strokes, as depicted in the letter 'H' dissection in the figure above. Furthermore, the circles in the letters 'g' and 'b' are irregular, exhibiting a slight oval shape.

2. Sketches

Figure 1.2 3 Different Type of Pens, Week 9 (21/11/2023)

Figure 1.3 Pen 1 Sketches, Week 9 (21/11/2023)

Figure 1.4 Pen 2 Sketches, Week 9 (21/11/2023)

Figure 1.5 Pen 3 Sketches, Week 9 (21/11/2023)

I have chosen the Pen 2 sketch 3) design as my final digitalize type 

Figure1.6 Pen 2 Sketch 3, Week 9 (21/11/2023)

3. Digitisation

I chose a writing style for digitization that features a type with a rounded tip stroke, characterized by a blob at the beginning and end. This concept was inspired by the Sharpie Pen, which has a bold fine point. When starting to write on paper, more ink is deposited, creating a thicker, rounded tip known as a blob.

  

Figure 1.7 Digitizing type in Adobe Illustration 1, Week 10 (28/11/2023)

Figure 1.8 Digitizing type in Adobe Illustration 2, Week 10 (28/11/2023)

Figure 1.9 Digitizing type in Adobe Illustration 3, Week 10 (28/11/2023)

Final Type Design in Adobe Illustrator

Figure 1.10 Final Type Design in Adobe Illustrator, Week 11 (5/12/2023)

Figure 1.11 Final Type Design- JPEG, Week 11 (5/12/2023)

Figure 1.11 Final Type Design- PDF, Week 11 (5/12/2023)

4. FontLab 

After finalizing the type design in Adobe Illustrator, I transferred it to FontLab for additional digital font development. Later, it can be exported and become a font created by me.

Figure 1.13 FontLab 1, Week 12 (12/12/2023)

Figure 1.14 FontLab 2, Week 12 (12/12/2023)

Figure 1.15 FontLab Side Bearings and Kerning 1, Week 12 (12/12/2023)

Figure 1.16 FontLab Side Bearings and Kerning 2, Week 12 (12/12/2023)

Figure 1.17 FontLab Side Bearings and Kerning 3, Week 12 (12/12/2023)

5. Black and White Poster

Figure 1.18 "Hueyyee" Typo Poster (Black Version) - JPEG, Week 12 (12/12/2023)

Figure 1.19 "Hueyyee" Typo Poster (White Version) - JPEG, Week 12 (12/12/2023)

Figure 1.20 "Hueyyee" Typo Poster (Black Version) - PDF, Week 12 (12/12/2023)

Figure 1.21 "Hueyyee" Typo Poster (White Version) - PDF, Week 12 (12/12/2023)

Final Black and White Poster

Font Download: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BV8wutD6dzhmSKfWNpOr33uyTK9B5GpD/view?usp=sharing

Figure 1.22 "Hueyyee" Typo Poster (Final) - JPEG, Week 13 (19/12/2023)

Figure 1.23 "Hueyyee" Typo Poster (Final) - PDF, Week 13 (19/12/2023)

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FEEDBACK

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Week 9- Type Design & Communication (Sketches)

Specific Feedback:

I should maintain consistency in designing my own letters and pay attention to the width and height of each letter to ensure they have similar dimensions.

General Feedback:

All the sketches for the word designs should be numbered to avoid confusion with others when seeking feedback from the lecturer.

Week 10- Type Design & Communication (Digitisation)

Specific Feedback:

I should ensure that my digitized letters, such as "O," "C," and "G," have almost the same width. These three letters share a similar shape, and the curve of the letter "G" can be copied and pasted from the letter "C" to maintain design consistency.

General Feedback:

The digitized letters should have added baseline, cap height /x-height to guide the letters, preventing them from being misaligned, appearing untidy, or messy.

Week 11- Final Type Design & Communication

Specific Feedback:

I need to pay closer attention to the round tip of the stroke to ensure consistency in the size of all the blobs for maintaining a consistent type design.

General Feedback: -

Week 12- FontLab

Specific Feedback:

I need to adjust the side bearings of certain letters, such as O, T, L, and S, where these letters have inherent white space that necessitates smaller side bearings.

General Feedback:

The artboards should have a height and width of 1000pt to ensure that the lettering is neither too small nor too large when transferring to FontLab 7. 

Week 13- Final Black and White Poster 

Specific Feedback:

I should ensure that the letter 'S' is aligned in the same line to maintain consistency in the alignment design.

General Feedback:

The black and white poster should not be using too much graphical elements. 

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REFLECTIONS

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Experience

Embarking on the journey of designing a typeface independently has been both challenging and rewarding. The hands-on experience of creating rough sketches using three distinct pens with varying nib types, and expressing the letters 'ODHNG' or 'odhng' in different styles, allowed for a deep exploration of design possibilities. Sketching physically helped create a connection with the digital transformation that followed.

Observations

Throughout the process, I have observed how each pen stroke affected the character and personality of the typeface. Sketching repeatedly helped me understand the subtleties of letterforms and how they visually impact the design. Transitioning from analog to digital tools, such as Adobe Illustrator and FontLab, highlighted the significance of precision and attention to detail in bringing the envisioned type design to life.

Findings

The task underscored the importance of legibility, readability, and consistency in type design. Balancing elements such as baseline, x-height, ascender and descender lines, cap height, median, and letter width became pivotal for creating a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing typeface. The challenge lay in maintaining these parameters while infusing creativity into the design. The selection of letters (o l e d s n c h t i g, . ! #) served as a practical guide, prompting thoughtful consideration for each character's design.

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FURTHER READING

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Figure 3.1 Typography Referenced 

Authors of the Book: Allan Haley, Richard Poulin, Jason Tselentis, Tony Seddon, Gerry Leonidas, Ina Saltz, Kathryn Henderson with Tyler Alterman

Based on the given list of recommended readings from the lecturer, I did my third further reading with the book "Typography Referenced". 

Figure 3.2 Introduction - Letters with Sign language and Braille language (pg 5)

Type History and Timeline (pg 8-30) By Allan Halley

Figure 3.3 Type History and Timeline (pg 8)

• Fifth Century BCE - Greek lapidary letters, letters carved into hard surfaces, were one of the first formal uses of Western letterforms. The Greeks adopted the Phoenician alphabet for their own needs, and as a result, changed several letters and created the foundation for Western writing. 

• Second Century BCE - Roman lapidary letters exemplified transitional letterforms from ancient Greek to the more modern Roman shapes and proportions. 

• First Century BCE - Roman monumental capitals are the foundation for Western type design, as well as the ancestor of all serif typefaces 

• Fourth and Fifth Centuries CE - This time period saw square capitals, formal hand-written letters that evolved from Roman monumental capitals.

• Eighth through Eleventh Centuries - Thanks to Charlemagne, Carolingian minuscule became the basis for the standard lowercase (332) alphabet. 

• Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries - 
• The first person to print with metal type, Johannes Gutenberg (1394–1468) did create the art of typography.
• Nicolas Jenson (77) (1420–1480) was one of the first printers to cut and use fonts based on Roman rather than northern European Fraktur letterform
• William Caxton (1421–1491), a man credited with introducing to England the craft of printing with movable type, was first a successful businessman and government official before beginning his typographic career

• Sixteenth Century -

• Garamond (74) (1500–1567) was the most distinguished type designer of the entire Renaissance period which he was instrumental in the adoption of Roman typeface designs in France as a replacement for the commonly used Gothic, or blackletter (192), fonts. 

• The work of Robert Granjon (75) (1513–1589) is closely associated with Garamond, Granjon is credited with introducing italic type form as a complement to the roman faces popular at the time. 

•  Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries - During this period, English gunsmith-turned-type-designer William Caslon I (72) (1692–1766) founded the Caslon Type Foundry.

Figure 3.4 Type History and Timeline (pg 11)

Type Design and Development (pg 31-51) By Gerry Leonidas

• The Past and Inspiration - designer needs to take into account the constraints of the type-making and typesetting technology, the characteristics of the rendering process (whether printing or illuminating), and the past responses to similar conditions by countless designers

• Tools and Concept - typeforms are inextricably linked to writing, determine the fundamental relationships between strokes and empty space at the heart of typeface design

• From a Letter to a Typeface - designer must balance complementary and contrasting features across a large character set, allows integration of unique features that impart personality and style while maintaining readability 

• Design by Team - enabled designers to function outside of a heavy engineering designers to function outside of a heavy engineering world as sole traders so it enabled the explosion of character sets and families to unprecedented levels

• Rendering Environment 

• Space Matters - the most important element in a typeface is the space between letters

• Character Expansion
  
  
• Familiar Shapes, New Interpretations - embodies functionality and usability and has intrinsic value through its utilization

Type Classification and Identification (pg 52-67) By Allan Haley 

• Most typefaces fall into one of three basics groups: those with serifs (little feet and tails), those without serifs, and scripts (designed to look like cursive handwriting)

Figure 3.5 Type Classification and Identification 1 (pg 52)

Figure 3.6 Type Classification and Identification 1 (pg 53)