TYPOGRAPHY - TASK 2: TEXT FORMATTING & EXPRESSION

28/ 10 /2024 - 16 / 11 /2024 ( Week 6 - Week 8 )

Meerabella Charles (0369295)

Typography / Bachelor of Design ( Honours ) in Creative Media

Task 2

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Table of Contents :

• Lectures
• Instructions
• Process Work ( Research, Ideation, Final Outcome )
• Feedback 
• Reflection 
• Further reading

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Lectures : 

Week 6 :  Understanding

1. Symmetry vs. Asymmetry in Letter Forms

The uppercase letter forms appear symmetrical, a closer inspection reveals asymmetrical characteristics. For an instance, the Baskerville typeface shows different stroke weights, indicating that design is more complex than it seems.

Figure 1.1 (Baskerville uppercase letterform)

2. Individual Stroke Treatment

Each stroke in a typeface is treated with care to maintain harmony while allowing for unique expression. The designer's choices in stroke weight can create an illusion of symmetry, which is crucial for aesthetic appeal. 

Figure 1. 2 (Helvetica vs Univers letterform)

3. Maintaining Height

Curved strokes might rise above median or sink below the baseline in order to appear as the same size.

Figure 1. 3 (Maintaining the height)

4. Counter-form Sensitivity

Understanding the space outside the letter forms, known as counter form, is essential for readability. The balance between form and counter form impacts how text is perceived. 

Figure 1. 4 (Counter form)

5.Design Principles and Contrast

Variations in weight and style can create visual interest and help differentiate information. 

Figure 1. 5 (Example of contrast)

Week 7 :  Screen & Print

1. Print vs. Screen Mediums
-Despite the rise of digital media, print is still valued for its tangible nature. Many people enjoy the physical experience of reading printed materials compared to screens.

2. Impact of Technology on Typography
-Technology has made typography more accessible, allowing anyone to create designs, though this sometimes lowers quality. Typography now adapts to various screens, with differences depending on devices and systems.

3. Design Considerations for Print and Screen
-Serif fonts like Baskerville and Caslon are great for print because they’re easy to read. On screens, fonts are designed for clarity with wider spacing and simpler shapes.

4. Hyperlinks and Digital Navigation
-Hyperlinks are key to digital reading, making it easy to navigate. They’re often blue, underlined, and clickable for smooth user interaction.

5. Font Size and Readability
-A font size of 16 pixels works best for screens, matching about 10 points in print, to ensure readability at normal distances.

6. Dynamic vs. Static Typography
-Static typography can still show movement through creative layouts, while animated text, like kinetic typography, adds energy and emotion, especially in digital media.

Week 8 :  Independent Learning Week 

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Instructions  :  (Module Information )

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Process work & Ideation (Inspirations)

Figure 1. 6 ( Examples of layouts )

Figure 1. 7 & 1. 8

- First i started sketching on what kind of fonts and how I wanted to execute my text formatting 

-Next, once Im done, i started placing and did blocking to create some movement in my page 

Compilation of my 4 layouts and blocking. 

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Figure 1. 9 ( Headline designs )

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Figure 1.10.1

As for this layout, I used the letter 't' and 'i' by stretching the bottom of the letter T to give a fun vibe. Same method was used for the letter 'A' to represent both alphabets together to keep it simple yet visually appealing. The text was placed on the next page separated by two paragraphs. 

Figure 1.10.2

Figure 1.10.3

Figure 1.10.4

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Chosen layout

Figure 11 (Final)

Submissions (JPEG AND PDF)

PDF version with baseline grid

JPEG version with baseline grid

PDF version without baseline grid

JPEG version without baseline grid

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FEEDBACK 

Week 6 : We started on our task 2 by sketching and getting approval. On the same day we were encouraged to print it too.

Week 7 : Approval from Mr. Max, sir told me to change small changes and finalise it.

Week 8 : independent learning week.

REFLECTION

Experience

-Working on this task was an exciting journey of exploring ideas to convey messages through design while adhering to key text formatting rules. Task 2 allowed me to dive deeper into using Illustrator and InDesign, building on what I learned in Task 1 about type expression and formatting. Even though Task 2 was shorter, the skills and insights I gained were just as impactful.

Observations

-Seeing my classmates' work opened my eyes to how a single text can inspire endless creative possibilities. Some focused on shapes, others on gradients, or unique layouts. Sharing and discussing designs with peers not only broadened my imagination but also motivated me to push my creativity further, even if it sometimes made me feel the need to improve.

-Findings

Balancing creativity with the rules of text formatting can be tricky. Sometimes, it's necessary to adjust or break certain rules to align with the vision behind a design, as long as it serves the overall purpose effectively.

FUTHER READING

The book provides numerous examples of creative layout variations, and I've highlighted a few intriguing ones below:

• Invisible Typography: Achieved through typefaces with thin strokes, minimal contrast, or very small point sizes. However, maintaining legibility is essential!
• Text Overlapping Text: The focus is on creating differentiation, whether through scale, layering (background vs. foreground), contrast, structure, or size. Again, ensuring readability is key.
• When Legibility Takes a Backseat: Typography can be intentionally distorted or rendered unreadable while still conveying meaning. In this case, text is treated as a visual element, functioning more like an image to communicate on a different level.

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