TYPOGRAPHY - FINAL PROJECT
Rifath Ali (0335738)
Typography
Final Project - Typography: Expression, Hierarchy and Composition
LECTURE NOTES
INSTRUCTIONS
Final Project: Typography: Expression, Hierarchy and Composition
Week 10: Poster Design
30/10/2019
30/10/2019
As a part of our final project we were asked to
design a protest poster that will feature our belief about design and society;
its purpose. We brought in materials needed for the project and started off
with sketching out our manifesto. At first, I chose the line “Design must build
communities, not divide it”. But Mr. Vinod pointed out that the line is too
grammatically correct for a protest sign. He recommended that I go with “Design
Communities, Not Destroy It”.
I started working on different arrangements for
the phrase. I sketched out multiple mockups of the design with different
strokes and styles. I mainly used markers and paint to draw it out on paper.
Fig.1.01: Sketch 1
Fig.1.02: Sketch 2
Fig.1.03: Sketch 3
Fig.1.04: Sketch 4
Fig.1.05: Sketch 5
Fig.1.06: Sketch 6
Fig.1.07: Sketch 7
After the sketches, I started working on the A2 placard. I Practiced a few strokes on my sketch book while working on the placard. I decided to use some typographic expression with the word “Destroy”. I also emphasized on the words “Design Not Destroy”.
Fig.1.08: Final Placard
Week 11: Project Briefing & Digitization
06/11/2019
For our final project, we were asked to typographically express a social message revenant to our societies and communities. Since we already came up with our wordings and placards during week 10, we were asked to digitize it. We had to choose an appropriate typeface from the ones given to us before. After digitizing it, we need to animate it and print and frame an A3 size of the poster we designed.
Since we already designed our protest poster in
previous class, we were asked to digitize it for our final project. We also had
to use type expression when digitizing it. As we were instructed to use one of
the 9 typefaces given to us before, I experimented with few of the typefaces. First,
I tried Univers Black and then Gill Sans Bold and Regular. As I wanted to emphasize
on “Design, Not Destroy” I used bold letters for these words. Typography:
Expression, Hierarchy and Composition
Fig.1.09: Typeface Experimentation; Univers
Black and Gill Sans Bold and Regular
With the type expression, I wanted to create something that shows destruction more than the way I did with the poster design. I wanted to create a broken rock wall with the word “Destroy”. So, I stared to build up the letters with small circles to represent pebbles and rocks.
Fig.1.10: Type Expression; Process of creating
letters to represent rocks
However, during the feedback session it was pointed out that this approach uses too much graphical elements. So, I decided to go back to the initial design of the poster. After the changes I showed the progress for further feedback. This time Mr. Vinod and Mr. Shamsul mentioned that the center alignment gives it the “Keep Calm and..” posters and asked to try a different alignment. I changed it to left alignment and changed the typeface of the words “Communities,” and “It” to Univers Condensed.
Fig.1.11: Type Expression; Art Board 1 - Digitizing
the initial type expression from the poster.
Art Board 2 – Alignment changed to left, typeface of the words “Communities,” and “It” changed
Art Board 2 – Alignment changed to left, typeface of the words “Communities,” and “It” changed
Once I showed the changes to Mr. Vinod, he mentioned that the typeface I used for the words “Design”, “Not” and “Destroy” are too bold and to use a thinner typeface like how I have done when designing the protest placard in the previous class. After that, I decided to change the entire typeface and experiment further. I tried out Univers Condensed and Light Condensed, Futura Book and Light, and Gill Sans Regular and Light.
Fig.1.12: Typeface Experimentation; Univers
Condensed and Light Condensed, Futura Book and Light, and Gill Sans Regular and
Light
I was still not happy with the type expression of the word destroy so I decided to change it by cracking the letters. I tried this out on the three typefaces I experimented with. I also worked on a different layout with hyphenating the word “Communities”.
Fig.1.13: Type Expression: Crack
Fig.1.14: Type Expression on three typefaces
and new arrangement (Art Board 3)
Week 12: Animation
13/11/2019
I showed the designs I worked on to Mr. Vinod and Mr. Shamsul. They preferred
the design with Gill Sans and asked to give some spacing between “Communities,”
and “Not”. Also, asked to add a full stop after “It”. They also gave me some pointers
on how to animate the poster.
Fig.1.15: Poster Draft 2 Screengrab; Design Communities, Not Destroy It.
After the poster, I stared on the animation. I wanted to create the frames from the point of the crack forming to all the pieces falling to the base. I created a total of 32 frames for the animation.
Once I generated the GIF, I realized the cracked parts were falling too slow. Mr. Vinod also recommended to make it drop faster. So, I deleted every other frame after frame 7. This reduced the total number of frames to 22.
As the final part of the project, I printed out the poster and had it framed. Since the frame is larger than the A3 poster size, I printed it out on A2 and trimmed to fit the frame.
Week 13: Final Project Submission
20/11/2019
Mr. Vinod and Mr. Shamsul checked my work and pointed out the fact that there is too much white space. They suggested that I use an image or a texture of a wall as the background. Therefore, I captured an image of a wall and also downloaded a wall texture file to use for the poster.
Fig.1.21: Poster Final Draft; Background changed. Art Board 1 – Captured image, Art Board 2 – Downloaded image
Mr. Vinod and Mr. Shamsul approved the design with the captured image. So, I brought the changes to the animation frames as well.
Fig.1.22: Type Expression Animation; Final draft frames for animation
Fig.1.23: Final Draft Animation Frames; Frames loaded into Photoshop timeline
Once the final animation was done, I made a printout of the new design on an A2 paper and trimmed it to fit the frame. This was the final step of the project. Following are all the final results.
Fig.1.24: Final Poster Jpeg; Design Communities, Not Destroy It.
Fig.1.25: Final Poster PDF; Design Communities, Not Destroy It.
Fig.1.26: Final Animation; Design Communities, Not Destroy It.
Fig.1.27: Final Poster Framed; Design Communities, Not Destroy It.
FEEDBACK
Week 10
General Feedback: For the poster, we were asked
to use the same point size for all the letters of the font we generate. And for
the by line, we are to use Helvetica or Ariel 7pt. Mr. Vinod once again
reminded us to update our feedback as soon as we get it.
Specific Feedback: Regarding Project 2; Mr.
Vinod and Mr. Shamsul said it was a good and I did a good job. Regarding the Poster;
Mr. Vinod pointed out that the line is too grammatically correct for a protest
sign. He recommended that I go with “Design Communities, Not Destroy It”
Week 11
General Feedback: Do not leave too much white
space on the posters. User a larger point size which shows the typeface we
designed. Adjust the leading as well so that it doesn’t seem like islands of
text.
Specific Feedback: Do not over complicate
things. Once simplicity is achieved, don’t lose it. Craft it to make it better.
Mr. Vinod suggested I stick with my poster design and use thinner typeface.
Week 12
General Feedback: Mr. Shamsul asked to reduce
the size of the file to A4 and to export it to a JPEG file for the animation.
He also asked to keep the resolution at 72pt.
Specific Feedback: Give more spacing between
“Design Communities,” and “Not Destroy It”. And to add a full stop after the
“It”. Mr. Vinod said the animation was good, but to make it more realistic to
drop the letters in one go.
Week 13
General Feedback: All the final results (JPEG, PDF,
and Animated GIF) are to be placed last in the instructions section. Show the continuous process of the
design first.
REFLECTIONS
Experiences: During the Week 10 poster design I
was able to gain experience of using design techniques other than the digital media.
Especially with using paint and markers was a learning experience for me. When I started digitizing the poster in Week 11,
I gained further experience on type expression and how to minimize the use of
graphical elements and to express with the typeface itself. Working on the
animation during Week 12 gave added experience with frame animation.
Observations: The main observation made during poster
design was how different materials bring different characteristics to the finished
product. The use of markers and paint has a very distinctive look that can be
used for type expressions. When digitizing the poster, I got a better
understanding of how different typefaces change the tone of the message being
delivered. During the animation, I once again observed how the greater number
of frames I create with close intervals, the slower it gets.
Findings: When creating the poster, I found out
how the angling of the brush and the marker creates different strokes. With the
digitization of the poster, I found out how the same word can be expressed in
different ways. This helped in coming up with different variations for the poster.
During animation it was clear that the speed of it can affect the message we
are trying to convey with the GIF.
FURTHER READINGS
New Modernist Type by Steven Heller & Gail Anderson
30/10/2019 –
06/11/2019 (Week 10 – Week 11)
This book focuses on the development and usages of different typefaces over time. It looks at some of the works published and highlights on the concepts behind the designs. The book is divided into sections based on the categories the typefaces falls under. Functional, Classical, Constructivist, Stencil, Comic, and Decorative are just some of the few areas the book focuses on.
During this week I read through the
Functionality category where it demonstrate how the modern design emphasizes on
clean and clear communication of the designs. The chapter talked about what inspired
the designers to create these posters and book covers. It also highlighted on how
different graphic elements works with the typefaces being used. Such as the use
of colors and angles of the type.
Eye Candy: A study on the effect of typefaces on taste by David Ho Ming Aun
08/11/2019 – 13/11/2019 (Week 11 – Week 12)
This research paper focuses on the responsible use of typefaces in culinary experience and how it influences the taste and expectations of the customer. The research was conducted on three methods; Interview, Experiment and Post-Experiment Interview. It was found out that a sweet sampling accompanying a round typeface would be sweeter and less sour. Also, a sour sample accompanied with an angular typeface would be rated sourer and less sweet.
I found this research paper very intriguing as
the variables of it was something that I did not consider before. This was an eye-opening
experience to the areas of research relating to typefaces. As this research
highlights and supports papers published previously, it provides more opportunities
to look further in this area of studies.
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