Typography Compendium

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m ashley mcgowan

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compendium F A L L 2 01 4

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capline x-height

baseline

hairline

ascender

terminal

shoulder

arm eye

Acquainted apex

spur

tail

bowl

counter

descender

serif

fillet

crossbar

stroke

Assignment 1.1 // Anatomy of Type Typography is an intensely visual form of communication.

communication. As readers scan a page they are subconsciously

Because this visual language communicates thoughts and

aware of both functions: first they survey the overall graphic

information through human sight, its history can be seen

patterns of the page, then they parse the language, or read.

through world events, architectural development, and art

Good typography establishes a visual hierarchy for rendering

history. Typography is the balance and interplay of letterforms

prose on the page by providing visual punctuation and graphic

on the page, a verbal and visual equation that helps the reader

accents that help readers understand relations between

understand the form and absorb the substance of the page

prose and pictures, headlines and subordinate blocks of text.

content. Typography plays a dual role as both verbal and


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Acquainted Acquainted Acquainted Acquainted Bodoni Helvetica Baskerville Century School Book

Assignment 1.2 // Understanding Anatomy The alphabet is a series of elemental visual signs in a fixed

even though they have the same point size. To the designer, this

sequence, representing spoken sounds. Each letter signifies

means that one cannot mix historic families. They may have the

only one thing: it’s elementary sound or name. The twenty-six

same point size, but nothing is really similar. The one exception

characters of our alphabet can be combined into thousands

is that early Modernism defined ways to mix serif and san serif

of words, creating a visual record of the spoken language.

families in the same document, only as long as the usage was

This is the magic of writing and typography, which have been

defined. You can never succeed at missing serif families together

called “thoughts-made-visible” and “frozen sounds.” There is

or san serif families together. The only two anatomical attributes

remarkable range that exists between historic families of type,

that all type families share are the stroke and the baseline.


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Acquainted Acquainted Acquainted Acquainted

Assignment 2.2 // Understanding Anatomy A font is a set of characters of the same size and style

between characters must be carefully controlled to achieve

containing all the letters, numbers, and marks needed for

an evenness of tone with the font. Tremendous diversity

typesetting. A typographic font exhibits structural unity when

of form exists in the typographic font. Twenty-six capitals,

all the characters relate to one another visually. The weights

twenty- six lowercase letters, ten numerals, punctuation, and

of thick and thin strokes must be consistent, and the optical

other graphic elements must be integrated into a system

alignment of letterforms must appear even. The distribution

that can be successfully combined into innumerable words.

of lights and darks within each character and in the spaces


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Acquainted Acquainted Acquainted Assignment 3.1 // Anatomy and Cropping Fundamental to all typographic design is the interplay

Typically

between

letterform

organic in quality depending on the structure or style of

defines a particular counter form. Form and counterform are

the letter. An awareness of this inter- relationship of form

reciprocal values and completely interdependent and integral

and counter form is essential tin typographic design.

letterform

and

background.

Every

to a letter’s completeness as a design. The counterform is not just what is left over in the background. The counterform is a new entity that emerges through interaction with the form.

these

counterforms

are

either

geometric

or


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Assignment 4.1 // Kinetics Each individual square and its letterform is seen as an

articulate “aurally” and visually the typographic details within

independent typographic composition that investigates form

each composition, as well as, the whole.

and counter form, figure ground relationships, asymmetry/ symmetry, static and dynamic placement. The “totems” present sequential order and visual flow, while emphasizing rhythmic pattern and punctuation as dynamic flow. They also should


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Assignment 5.1 // Counterpoint When creating a visual hierarchy in typography space, a

Elements have a counterpoint relationship when they have

designer balances the need for harmony, which unifies a design,

contrasting characteristics, such as size, weight, color, tone,

with the need for contrast, which lends vitality and emphasis.

or texture. Counterpoint relationships bring opposition and

As in music, elements can have a counterpart or a counterpoint

dissonance to the design.

relationship. Typographic counterparts are elements with similar qualities that bring harmony to their spatial relationship.


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UPPERCASE

lowercase

EHFILT

fijlt

KYMNY

k

VW

vwxy

AZ

z

BDGPJRPU

abdghmnpqru

SCQO

ecos

Assignment 6.1 // Structure The most elementary forms of letters are a visual “code� of

sans serif or serif. An entire alphabet can be categorized using

simple strokes that is recognizable through our experience

only six basic underlying visual combinations of strokes as the

with handwriting. Each of the upper and lower case letters

example.

is distinct in structure. All are built by combining vertica, horizontal, slanted, and curvilinear strokes. Letterforms derive their character from combinations of these basic strokes and not from being light or bold, wide or narrow, roman or italic,


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Typographic Page // Intro When developing a type and image relationship, you have to

a typographic study that “interprets� a relationship to the form

recognize that type and image are fundamentally different

of the chair they designed. The goal is to discover relationships

languages. The challenge is to develop similarities so that

in form and division of space. Then, using the designer’s

two different things look like one single thing. The key is the

name, the name of the chair, and the date of its manufacture,

ability to find and exploit relationships. To make relationships

impose the words in a typographic study that demonstrates

you need to relate using proximity, alignment, and form.

relationships to the chair.

Using the initials of your designer, impose the letterform in


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Typographic Page // Designer’s Initials


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Typographic Page // Designer-Chair-Date


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Typographic Page // Final


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LUDWIG MIES VAN DER ROHE.

the barcelona chair.

AN AID TO MODERN DESIGN.

Front / Back Cover

BEHIND THE CHAIR

BA

o

The n of m tio crea

HAI A C sign.

de dern

LO RCE

N

s in R aid

the

The Barcelona chair was designed by

LUDWIG MIES VAN DER ROHE for the German Pavillion in the Internation Exposition in 1929. Van der Rohe’s designs in both his furniture and architecture were simplistic and clear; he saught to create structures that had minimal framework and open space. This is evident in the Barcelona chair’s design.

CH

Even though there are industrial qualities seen, the chair entails a lot of hand

AI

craftsmanship. In 1953 van der Rohe relin-

R

quished his rights and name on the design to Knoll. This collaboration renewed the popularity of the chair.

Inside / Content

Hangtag // Structuring Multi-Page Typographic Layout

Basic competencies:

repetition within variety /

typographic contrasts

visual rhythm

form and counterform

visual compensation

counterpart | counterpoint

proximity

Compositional principles:

scale: point line and plane

visual hierarchy

unity within variety

form to void relationships optical alignments axial emphasis/ common movements

A N T. ELEG IC. LIST S I MP AL. T I ON F UNC


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Hangtag // Final Images


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Hangtag // Final Images


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The Bucket // Intro and Title Everyone loves to sit back and enjoy an alcoholic drink on

pallette, typography and bottle shape. I decided to base my

occasion. The most casual observer is aware of the current

name of my company around the Carribean folklore diety,

revolution that is taking place for the design of the packaging

Mama de Leau. This is french for “Mother of the River�. It gives a

and label. Many companies need to have a good image behind

back story for the rum in a playful manner.

their idea. The focus of this project was to design a label and package for a spiced rum drink. There was much research needed in order to determine the name of the brand, the color


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The Bucket // Rum Label Flat Design

Mama De L’eau blended with caramel spice & other natural flavors

GOVERNMENT WARNING (1) ACCORDING TO THE SURGEON GENERAL, WOMEN SHOULD NOT DRINK ALCHOHOLIC BEVERAGES DURING PREGNANCY BECAUSE OF THE RISKS OF BIRTH DEFECTS. (2) CONSUMPTION OF ALCHOHOLIC BEVERAGES IMPAIRS YOUR ABILITY TO DRIVE A CAR OR OPERATE MACHINERY, AND MAY CAUSE HEALTH PROBLEMS.


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The Bucket // Final Images


Typography ///

The Bucket // Final Images


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