UC Berkeley Graphic Design Certificate Program
TYPOGRAPHY Sophie Brinker
1 2 3 4
Introduction
Typeforms
“Typography is the craft of endowing human language with a durable visual form.” Robert Bringhurst, The Elements of Typographic Style
Anatomy of Type
Typesetting
5 6 7 8
Type Composition
Classification
Swiss Design Study
Colophon
1 INTRO
3
“...quiet simplicity is at the heart of typographic design” As I’ve learned about typography, I see that quiet simplicity is at the heart of typographic design. Accessibility is key to creating something inviting, legible & inspiring. Throughout this course I’ve learned to ask myself a number of reflective questions as I work on a piece. Do I feel calm as I take in the the work, or does it elicite a sense of confusion? How do my eyes move around the page & how does the negative space feel? These questions switch my mindset from “what do I like?” to “what is working?”.
As a painter I come to graphic design with an eye for illustrative beauty, which I believe has a place in graphic design, but only after you have a relationship with clear function & readability. With this book, I hope to combine my love of beauty & form with the simplicity & space I’ve learned is so important in design. How can I leave more white space than I feel comfortable with? How can I use only one typeface and see how dyanmic I can make the page? How can I find inspiration from Swiss design grids?
4
2 Project 1
TYPE FORM
5 |
Type Form
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Objectives
Approach
Throughout this project our goal was to create 9 letterforms and explore both Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign. By studying famous typographers we were inspired to create both simple & elegant designs. We also had a chance to create within a specific set of guidelines.
In this project I wanted to concentrate on the fine details. I noticed that all of the typographers we learned about were very attentive to the smallest curve in a letterform, and the negative space that the letterform makes. I wanted to start practicing that attention to detail.
Project 1
Project 1, Type Forms, Original
Type Form
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Project 1
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Project 1, Type Forms, Pattern
7 |
Type Form
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Project 1
Project 1, Type Forms, Color
Type Form
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Project 1
| 8
3 Project 2
ANATOMY OF TYPOGRAPHY
9 |
Objectives
Approach
In this project we used new layout skills to identify the structural aspects of type. We created an educational & functional poster where we labeled the different parts of letters. It was a fun & challenging project that required us to think about layout, color & communitcation within design.
I wanted to make my poster look like it was part of a kindergarten classroom for kids. I wanted it to feel like the alphabet posters you see in elementary schools. At first I modeled it off of posters I had seen in my classrooms, but I realized it didn’t have a modern feel. So I changed the shapes & color scheme.
Anatomy of Typography
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Project 2
Accordian Book, Project 2
Poster, Project 2
Anatomy of Typography
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Project 2
| 10
4 Project 3
TYPESETTING
11 |
Typesetting
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Objectives
Approach
In this project we learned about what makes a piece of text easy to read. What are the rules when it comes to making one’s work legible & easy on the eyes? We learned about leading, justification, tracking, and font choice. I learned about something I usually take for granted as I go through life!
In this project I wanted to practice noticing when something wasn’t easy to read. I though about the elements of this project as I read books, magazines, online articles, etc. This observation was a good way to see what makes work accesible. I wanted to replicate the design I saw in the world.
Project 3
LETTERS HAVE A LIFE AND DIGNITY OF THEIR OWN Letterforms that honor and elucidate what humans see and say deserve to be honored in their turn. Well-chosen words deserve well-chosen letters; these in their turn deserve to be set with affection, intelligence, knowledge and skill. Typography is a link, and it ought, as a matter of honor, courtesy and pure delight, to be as strong as others in the chain. Typography is just that: idealized writing. Writers themselves now rarely have the calligraphic skill of earlier scribes, but they evoke countless versions of ideal script by their varying voices and literary styles. To these blind and often invisible visions, the typographer must respond in visible terms. In a badly designed book, the letters mill and stand like starving horses in a field. In a book designed by rote, they sit like stale bread and mutton on the page. In a well-made book, where designer, compositor and printer have all done their jobs, no matter how many thousands of lines and pages they must occupy, the letters are alive. They dance in their seats. Sometimes they rise and dance in the margins and aisles. Simple as it may sound, the task of creative non-interference with letters is a rewarding and difficult calling. In ideal conditions, it is all that typographers are really asked to do—and it is enough. —Robert Bringhurst, The Elements of Typographic Style Flush Left 8/20 Adobe Garamond + 20 Tracking
Typesetting
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Project 3
| 10
LETTERS HAVE A LIFE AND DIGNITY OF THEIR OWN Letterforms that honor and elucidate what humans see and say deserve to be honored in their turn. Well-chosen words deserve well-chosen letters; these in their turn deserve to be set with affection, intelligence, knowledge and skill. Typography is a link, and it ought, as a matter of honor, courtesy and pure delight, to be as strong as others in the chain. Typography is just that: idealized writing. Writers themselves now rarely have the calligraphic skill of earlier scribes, but they evoke countless versions of ideal script by their varying voices and literary styles. To these blind and often invisible visions, the typographer must respond in visible terms. In a badly designed book, the letters mill and stand like starving horses in a field. In a book designed by rote, they sit like stale bread and mutton on the page. In a well-made book, where designer, compositor and printer have all done their jobs, no matter how many thousands of lines and pages they must occupy, the letters are alive. They dance in their seats. Sometimes they rise and dance in the margins and aisles. Simple as it may sound, the task of creative non-interference with letters is a rewarding and difficult calling. In ideal conditions, it is all that typographers are really asked to do—and it is enough. —Robert Bringhurst, The Elements of Typographic Style
Flush Right 8/20 Adobe Garamond + 20 Tracking
13 |
Typesetting
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Project 3
LETTERS
HAVE
A
LIFE
AND
DIGNITY
OF THEIR
OWN
Letterforms that honor and elucidate what humans see and say deserve to be honored in their turn. Well-chosen words deserve well-chosen letters; these in their turn deserve to be set with affection, intelligence, knowledge and skill. Typography is a link, and it ought, as a matter of honor, courtesy and pure delight, to be as strong as others in the chain. Typography is just that: idealized writing. Writers themselves now rarely have the calligraphic skill of earlier scribes, but they evoke countless versions of ideal script by their varying voices and literary styles. To these blind and often invisible visions, the typographer must respond in visible terms. In a badly designed book, the letters mill and stand like starving horses in a field. In a book designed by rote, they sit like stale bread and mutton on the page. In a well-made book, where designer, compositor and printer have all done their jobs, no matter how many thousands of lines and pages they must occupy, the letters are alive. They dance in their seats. Sometimes they rise and dance in the margins and aisles. Simple as it may sound, the task of creative non-interference with letters is a rewarding and difficult calling. In ideal conditions, it is all that typographers are really asked to do—and it is enough. — R o b e r t B r i n g h u r s t , T h e E l e m e n t s o f Ty p o g r a p h i c S t y l e
Justified 8/20 Adobe Garamond + 20 Tracking
Typesetting
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Project 3
| 14
LETTERS HAVE A LIFE AND DIGNITY OF THEIR OWN Letterforms that honor and elucidate what humans see and say deserve to be honored in their turn. Well-chosen words deserve well-chosen letters; these in their turn deserve to be set with affection, intelligence, knowledge and skill. Typography is a link, and it ought, as a matter of honor, courtesy and pure delight, to be as strong as others in the chain. Typography is just that: idealized writing. Writers themselves now rarely have the calligraphic skill of earlier scribes, but they evoke countless versions of ideal script by their varying voices and literary styles. To these blind and often invisible visions, the typographer must respond in visible terms. In a badly designed book, the letters mill and stand like starving horses in a field. In a book designed by rote, they sit like stale bread and mutton on the page. In a well-made book, where designer, compositor and printer have all done their jobs, no matter how many thousands of lines and pages they must occupy, the letters are alive. They dance in their seats. Sometimes they rise and dance in the margins and aisles. Simple as it may sound, the task of creative non-interference with letters is a rewarding and difficult calling. In ideal conditions, it is all that typographers are really asked to do—and it is enough. —Robert Bringhurst, The Elements of Typographic Style
Centered 8/20 Adobe Garamond + 20 Tracking
15 |
Typesetting
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Project 3
16
5 Project 4
TYPE COMPOSITION
17 |
Type Composition
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Objectives
Approach
This was our project of exercises, and I wanted to think of them that way. Our objective here was to exercise our understanding of type composition, and put into practice what we’ve learned. The goal was to refine these exercises so that by the end we had a firm grasp on the topic at hand.
I wanted to utilize my classmate’s knowledge as much as possible for these assignments. It was so helpful to share what we had created with one another as we refined our work. I noticed that I learned so much in our peer feedback sessions. about leading, tracking, indicators & overall layout.
Project 4
Exercise 1
Paragraph Indicators Objectives
Approach
In this project our goal was to practice different ways to indicate that a paragraph had begun. This included spacing, bolding, indents & exdents. We used different fonts to see how the overall piece was effected, and how the indicators could create a sense of structure.
In my work at a non-profit I am constantly creating flyers, grant summaries, online material, & sending informational emails. I was excited to use this project to practice which indicator felt most appropriate for which work project. As I was creating this assignment I was also practicing at work!
Type Composition
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Paragraph Indicators
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Project 4 |
18
Karl Marx had one. The Unibomber had one. When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776, he drafted the manifesto that launched the American Revolution. Graphic design would not exist as we know it today if F. T. Marinetti hadn’t published his manifestos and instigated Futurism. By inventing the idea of art as a branded public enter-prise, Marinetti compelled many poets, painters and designers after him to state their principles in compact, incendiary speech. A manifesto is a short document that “manifests” or makes public a set of ideas and goals. A manifesto is passionate, personal and vivid. Such calls to action went out of fashion during the mid20th century, replaced by more businesslike, professionally oriented statements of purpose and prin-ciple. But at the turn of the new century, just as at the turn of the old one, manifestos came back. Businesses started using “brand manifestos” to spell out the defining features of their products, and software companies and design firms started posting manifestos to publicize their approach in an edgy, direct way. Designers seem especially drawn to manifestos. A well-written manifesto is like a well-designed product. It communicates directly, it is broken into functional parts, and it has elements of poetry and surprise. And drafting one is more like writing an ad than writing a novel. Manifestos typically have a social function—they serve to bring together members of a group. Ten years ago, Bruce Mau published his “Incomplete Manifesto,” written as a list of commandments. These principles became the established creed of Mau’s own design office, but they can be used by anyone. Other designers with intriguing and influ-ential personal manifestos include product designer Karim Rashid and the infamous post-typographers Bruce Willen and Nolen Strals. Bruce Sterling’s “Manifesto of January 3, 2000” helped galvanize the con-temporary green movement, which is the epicenter of manifesto-writing today. Sterling, in addition to demanding an overhaul of all social, polit-ical and military systems, pushed designers to create “intensely glamorous environmentally sound products; entirely new objects of entirely new mate-rials; replacing material substance with information; a new relationship between the cybernetic and the material” (iPhone, anyone?). Also in 2000, Rick Poynor published the “First Things First 2000” manifesto, based on a text written by Ken Garland in 1964, a controversial document that called for designers to use their skills to improve environmental, social and cultural life rather than to sell hair gel and dog biscuits. —excerpted from Manifesto Mania by Ellen and Julia Lupton
Sophie Brinker, Avenir Next, 10/20
19 |
Type Composition
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Paragraph Indicators
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Project 4
Karl Marx had one. The Unibomber had one. When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776, he drafted the manifesto that launched the American Revolution. Graphic design would not exist as we know it today if F. T. Marinetti hadn’t published his manifestos and insti-gated Futurism. By inventing the idea of art as a branded public enterprise, Marinetti compelled many poets, painters and designers after him to state their principles in compact, incendiary speech. A manifesto is a short document that “manifests” or makes public a set of ideas and goals. A manifesto is passionate, personal and vivid. Such calls to action went out of fashion during the mid-20th century, replaced by more businesslike, professionally oriented statements of purpose and prin-ciple. But at the turn of the new century, just as at the turn of the old one, manifestos came back. Businesses started using “brand manifestos” to spell out the defining features of their products, and software companies and design firms started posting manifestos to publicize their approach in an edgy, direct way. Designers seem especially drawn to manifestos. A well-written manifesto is like a well-designed product. It communicates directly, it is broken into functional parts, and it has elements of poetry and surprise. And drafting one is more like writing an ad than writing a novel. Manifestos typically have a social function—they serve to bring together members of a group. Ten years ago, Bruce Mau published his “Incomplete Manifesto,” written as a list of commandments. These principles became the established creed of Mau’s own design office, but they can be used by anyone. Other designers with intriguing and influ-ential personal manifestos include product designer Karim Rashid and the infamous post-typographers Bruce Willen and Nolen Strals. Bruce Sterling’s “Manifesto of January 3, 2000” helped galvanize the con-temporary green movement, which is the epicenter of manifesto-writing today. Sterling, in addition to demanding an overhaul of all social, polit-ical and military systems, pushed designers to create “intensely glamorous environmentally sound products; entirely new objects of entirely new mate-rials; replacing material substance with information; a new relationship between the cybernetic and the material” (iPhone, anyone?). Also in 2000, Rick Poynor published the “First Things First 2000” manifesto, based on a text written by Ken Garland in 1964, a controversial document that called for designers to use their skills to improve environmental, social and cultural life rather than to sell hair gel and dog biscuits. —excerpted from Manifesto Mania by Ellen and Julia Lupton Sophie Brinker, Avenir Next, 10/20
Type Composition
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Paragraph Indicators
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Project 4 |
20
Karl Marx had one. The Unibomber had one. When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776, he drafted the manifesto that launched the American Revolution. Graphic design would not exist as we know it today if F. T. Marinetti hadn’t published his manifestos and insti-gated Futurism. By inventing the idea of art as a branded public enter-prise, Marinetti compelled many poets, painters and designers after him to state their principles in compact, incendiary speech.
A manifesto is a short document that “manifests” or makes public a set of ideas and goals. A manifesto is passionate, personal and vivid. Such calls to action went out of fashion during the mid-20th century, replaced by more businesslike, professionally oriented statements of purpose and prin-ciple. But at the turn of the new century, just as at the turn of the old one, manifestos came back. Businesses started using “brand manifestos” to spell out the defining features of their products, and software companies and design firms started posting manifestos to publicize their approach in an edgy, direct way.
Designers seem especially drawn to manifestos. A well-written manifesto is like a well-designed product. It communicates directly, it is broken into functional parts, and it has elements of poetry and surprise. And drafting one is more like writing an ad than writing a novel. Manifestos typically have a social function—they serve to bring together members of a group. Ten years ago, Bruce Mau published his “Incomplete Manifesto,” written as a list of commandments.
These principles became the established creed of Mau’s own design office, but they can be used by anyone. Other designers with intriguing and influ-ential personal manifestos include product designer Karim Rashid and the infamous post-typographers Bruce Willen and Nolen Strals.
Bruce Sterling’s “Manifesto of January 3, 2000” helped galvanize the con-temporary green movement, which is the epicenter of manifesto-writing today. Sterling, in addition to demanding an overhaul of all social, polit-ical and military systems, pushed designers to create “intensely glamorous environmentally sound products; entirely new objects of entirely new mate-rials; replacing material substance with information; a new relationship between the cybernetic and the material” (iPhone, anyone?). Also in 2000, Rick Poynor published the “First Things First 2000” manifesto, based on a text written by Ken Garland in 1964, a controversial document that called for designers to use their skills to improve environmental, social and cultural life rather than to sell hair gel and dog biscuits. —excerpted from Manifesto Mania by Ellen and Julia Lupton
Sophie Brinker, Cochin, 10/15
21 |
Type Composition
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Paragraph Indicators
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Project 4
Karl Marx had one. The Unibomber had one. When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776, he drafted the manifesto that launched the American Revolution. Graphic design would not exist as we know it today if F. T. Marinetti hadn’t published his manifestos and insti-gated Futurism. By inventing the idea of art as a branded public enter-prise, Marinetti compelled many poets, painters and designers after him to state their principles in compact, incendiary speech. A manifesto is a short document that “manifests” or makes public a set of ideas and goals. A manifesto is passionate, personal and vivid. Such calls to action went out of fashion during the mid-20th century, replaced by more businesslike, professionally oriented statements of purpose and prin-ciple. But at the turn of the new century, just as at the turn of the old one, manifestos came back. Businesses started using “brand manifestos” to spell out the defining features of their products, and software companies and design firms started posting manifestos to publicize their approach in an edgy, direct way. Designers seem especially drawn to manifestos. A well-written manifesto is like a well-designed product. It communicates directly, it is broken into functional parts, and it has elements of poetry and surprise. And drafting one is more like writing an ad than writing a novel. Manifestos typically have a social function—they serve to bring together members of a group. Ten years ago, Bruce Mau published his “Incomplete Manifesto,” written as a list of commandments. These principles became the established creed of Mau’s own design office, but they can be used by anyone. Other designers with intriguing and influ-ential personal manifestos include product designer Karim Rashid and the infamous post-typographers Bruce Willen and Nolen Strals. Bruce Sterling’s “Manifesto of January 3, 2000” helped galvanize the con-temporary green movement, which is the epicenter of manifesto-writing today. Sterling, in addition to demanding an overhaul of all social, polit-ical and military systems, pushed designers to create “intensely glamorous environmentally sound products; entirely new objects of entirely new mate-rials; replacing material substance with information; a new relationship between the cybernetic and the material” (iPhone, anyone?). Also in 2000, Rick Poynor published the “First Things First 2000” manifesto, based on a text written by Ken Garland in 1964, a controversial document that called for designers to use their skills to improve environmental, social and cultural life rather than to sell hair gel and dog biscuits. —excerpted from Manifesto Mania by Ellen and Julia Lupton
Sophie Brinker, Avenir Next, 10/18
Type Composition
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Paragraph Indicators
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Project 4 |
22
Karl Marx had one. The Unibomber had one. When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776, he drafted the manifesto that launched the American Revolution. Graphic design would not exist as we know it today if F. T. Marinetti hadn’t published his manifestos and insti-gated Futurism. By inventing the idea of art as a branded public enter-prise, Marinetti compelled many poets, painters and designers after him to state their principles in compact, incendiary speech. A manifesto is a short document that “manifests” or makes public a set of ideas and goals. A manifesto is passionate, personal and vivid. Such calls to action went out of fashion during the mid-20th century, replaced by more businesslike, professionally oriented statements of purpose and prin-ciple. But at the turn of the new century, just as at the turn of the old one, manifestos came back. Businesses started using “brand manifestos” to spell out the defining features of their products, and software companies and design firms started posting manifestos to publicize their approach in an edgy, direct way. Designers seem especially drawn to manifestos. A well-written manifesto is like a well-designed product. It communicates directly, it is broken into functional parts, and it has elements of poetry and surprise. And drafting one is more like writing an ad than writing a novel. Manifestos typically have a social function—they serve to bring together members of a group. Ten years ago, Bruce Mau published his “Incomplete Manifesto,” written as a list of commandments. These principles became the established creed of Mau’s own design office, but they can be used by anyone. Other designers with intriguing and influ-ential personal manifestos include product designer Karim Rashid and the infamous post-typographers Bruce Willen and Nolen Strals. Bruce Sterling’s “Manifesto of January 3, 2000” helped galvanize the con-temporary green movement, which is the epicenter of manifesto-writing today. Sterling, in addition to demanding an overhaul of all social, polit-ical and military systems, pushed designers to create “intensely glamorous environmentally sound products; entirely new objects of entirely new mate-rials; replacing material substance with information; a new relationship between the cybernetic and the material” (iPhone, anyone?). Also in 2000, Rick Poynor published the “First Things First 2000” manifesto, based on a text written by Ken Garland in 1964, a controversial document that called for designers to use their skills to improve environmental, social and cultural life rather than to sell hair gel and dog biscuits. —excerpted from Manifesto Mania by Ellen and Julia Lupton
Sophie Brinker, Brandon Grotesque, 10/15
23 |
Type Composition
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Paragraph Indicators
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Project 4
24
Exercise 2
Column Grid
25 |
Type Composition
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Column Grid
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Objectives
Approach
This project was interesting and I had fun doing it. I didn’t realize there were so many ways you could mark a transition within a piece of text. We were to learn about these different markers, and how to use them effectively.
My approach with this project was experimentation. I changed my font choices many times & had fun trying different sizes of drop caps. It was interesting to see how much a font choice could change the overall feeling of the work.
Project 4
K
arl Marx had one. The Unibomber had one. When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776, he drafted the manifesto that launched the American Revolution. Graphic design would not exist as we know it today if F. T. Marinetti hadn’t published his manifestos and instigated Futurism. By inventing the idea of art as a branded public enterprise, Marinetti compelled many poets, painters and designers after him to state their principles in compact, incendiary speech. A manifesto is a short document that “manifests” or makes public a set of ideas and goals. A manifesto is passionate, personal and vivid. Such calls to action went out of fashion during the mid-20th century, replaced by more businesslike, professionally oriented statements of purpose and prin-ciple. But at the turn of the new century, just as at the turn of the old one, manifestos came back. Businesses started using “brand manifestos” to spell out the defining features of their products, and software companies and design firms started posting manifestos to publicize their approach in an edgy, direct way. Designers seem especially drawn to manifestos. A well-written manifesto is like a well-designed product. It communicates directly, it is broken into functional parts, and it has elements of poetry and surprise. And drafting one is more like writing an ad than writing a novel. Manifestos typically have a social function—they serve to bring together members of a group. Ten years ago, Bruce Mau published his “Incomplete Manifesto,”
written as a list of commandments. These principles became the established creed of Mau’s own design office, but they can be used by anyone. Other designers with intriguing and influential personal manifestos include product designer Karim Rashid and the infamous post-typographers Bruce Willen and Nolen Strals. Bruce Sterling’s “Manifesto of January 3, 2000” helped galvanize the con-temporary green movement, which is the epicenter of manifesto-writing today. Sterling, in addition to demanding an overhaul of all social, political and military systems, pushed designers to create “intensely glamorous environmentally sound products; entirely new objects of entirely new mate-rials; replacing material substance with information; a new relationship between the cybernetic and the material” (iPhone, anyone?). Also in 2000, Rick Poynor published the “First Things First 2000” manifesto, based on a text written by Ken Garland in 1964, a controversial document that called for designers to use their skills to improve environmental, social and cultural life rather than to sell hair gel and dog biscuits. —excerpted from Manifesto Mania by Ellen and Julia Lupton
Sophie Brinker, Baskerville, 11/14, +10 tracking, Align Left, Right Rag
Type Composition
|
Column Grid
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Project 4 |
26
K
arl Marx had one. The Unibomber had one. When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776, he drafted the manifesto that launched the American Revolution. Graphic design would not exist as we know it today if F. T. Marinetti hadn’t published his manifestos and instigated Futurism. By inventing the idea of art as a branded public enterprise, Marinetti compelled many poets, painters and designers after him to state their principles in compact, incendiary speech. A manifesto is a short document that “manifests” or makes public a set of ideas and goals. A manifesto is passionate, personal and vivid. Such calls to action went out of fashion during the mid-20th century, replaced by more businesslike, professionally oriented statements of purpose and prin-ciple. But at the turn of the new century, just as at the turn of the old one, manifestos came back. Businesses started using “brand manifestos” to spell out the defining features of their products, and software companies and design firms started posting manifestos to publicize their approach in an edgy, direct way. Designers seem especially drawn to manifestos. A well-written manifesto is like a well-designed product. It communicates directly, it is broken into functional parts, and it has elements of poetry and surprise. And drafting one is more like writing an ad than writing a novel. Manifestos typically have a social function—they serve to bring together members of a group. Ten years ago, BruceMau published his “Incomplete Manifesto,” written as a list of commandments.
27 |
Type Composition
|
Column Grid
|
Project 4
These principles became the established creed of Mau’s own design office, but they can be used by anyone. Other designers with intriguing and influential personal manifestos include product designer Karim Rashid and the infamous post-typographers Bruce Willen and Nolen Strals. Bruce Sterling’s “Manifesto of January 3, 2000” helped galvanize the con-temporary green movement, which is the epicenter of manifesto-writing today. Sterling, in addition to demanding an overhaul of all social, political and military systems, pushed designers to create “intensely glamorous environmentally sound products; entirely new objects of entirely new mate-rials; replacing material substance with information; a new relationship between the cybernetic and the material” (iPhone, anyone?). Also in 2000, Rick Poynor published the “First Things First 2000” manifesto, based on a text written by Ken Garland in 1964, a controversial document that called for designers to use their skills to improve environmental, social and cultural life rather than to sell hair gel and dog biscuits. —excerpted from Manifesto Mania by Ellen and Julia Lupton
Sophie Brinker, Bodini 72 Old Style, 12/15, +10 tracking, Align Left, Right Rag
Karl Marx had one. The Unibomber had one. When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776, he drafted the manifesto that launched the American Revolution. Graphic design would not exist as we know it today if F. T. Marinetti hadn’t published his manifestos and insti-gated Futurism. By inventing the idea of art as a branded public enter-prise, Marinetti compelled many poets, painters and designers after him to state their principles in compact, incendiary speech.
A manifesto is a short document that
“manifests” or makes public a set of ideas and
goals. A manifesto is passionate, personal and vivid.
product designer Karim Rashid and the infamous post-typographers Bruce Willen and Nolen Strals.
Bruce Sterling’s “Manifesto of January 3,
Such calls to action went out of fashion during the
2000” helped galvanize the con-temporary green
professionally oriented statements of purpose
writing today. Sterling, in addition to demanding
mid-20th century, replaced by more businesslike, and prin-ciple. But at the turn of the new century, just as at the turn of the old one, manifestos came back. Businesses started using “brand manifestos”
to spell out the defining features of their products, and software companies and design firms started
posting manifestos to publicize their approach in an edgy, direct way. Designers
seem
especially
drawn
to
manifestos. A well-written manifesto is like a welldesigned product. It communicates directly, it is broken into functional parts, and it has elements
of poetry and surprise. And drafting one is more like writing an ad than writing a novel. Manifestos typically have a social function—they serve to bring
together members of a group. Ten years ago, Bruce Mau published his “Incomplete Manifesto,” written
movement, which is the epicenter of manifesto-
an overhaul of all social, polit-ical and military
systems, pushed designers to create “intensely glamorous
environmentally
sound
products;
entirely new objects of entirely new mate-rials; replacing material substance with information;
a new relationship between the cybernetic and
the material” (iPhone, anyone?). Also in 2000, Rick Poynor published the “First Things First
2000” manifesto, based on a text written by Ken Garland in 1964, a controversial document that
called for designers to use their skills to improve environmental, social and cultural life rather than to sell hair gel and dog biscuits.
—excerpted from Manifesto Mania by Ellen and Julia Lupton
as a list of commandments.
These principles became the established
creed of Mau’s own design office, but they can be used by anyone. Other designers with intriguing and
influ-ential
personal
manifestos
include
Sophie Brinker, Avenir Next, 10.5/16, +10 tracking, Justified right
Type Composition
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Column Grid
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Project 4 |
28
Exercise 3
Mo dular Grid
29 |
Type Composition
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Modular Grid
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Objectives
Approach
This project was all about thinking in heirarchy & grids. We learned about how to differentiate between title, subtitle, author and body text using a few different methods. We learned to keep it simple, and to play with font sizes to find the right balance.
This approach was very similar to the column grid exercise. I approached this project with a goal to change what I create numerous times and to experiement with balance. I realized that the simpler the dynamic between parts, the better. Clarity is key.
Project 4
Verbal and Visual Equations An examination of interactive signs excerpted from Typographic Design: Form and Communication By Ben Day and Philip Meggs Language, in any of its many forms, is a self-contained system of interac-tive signs that communicates ideas. Just as elocution and diction enhance and clarify the meaning of our spoken words, typographic signs can be manipulated by a designer to achieve more lucid and expressive typographic communication. Signs operate in two dimensions: syntactic and semantic. When the mind is concerned with the form of a sign, it is involved with typographic syntax. When it associates a particular meaning with a sign, it is operating in the semantic dimension. All objects in the environment can potentially function as signs, repre-senting any number of concepts. A smog-filled city signifying pollution, a beached whale representing extinction, and confetti implying a celebration--each functions as a sign relating a specific concept. Signs may exist at various levels of abstraction. A simple example will illustrate this point. Let
us consider something as elemental as a red dot. It is a sign only if it carries a particular meaning. It can represent any number of things: balloon, ball, or Japanese flag. The red dot can become a cherry, for example, as the mind is cued by forms more familiar to its experience. The particular syntactic qualities associated with typographic signs determine a specific meaning. A series of repeated letters, for example, may signify motion or speed, while a small letter in a large void may signify isolation. These qualities, derived from the operating principles of visual hierarchy and ABA form, function as cues, permitting the mind to form concepts. Simple syntactic manipulations, such as the repetition of letters, or the weight change of certain letters, enable words visually to mimic verbal meaning. In language, signs are joined together to create messages. Words
as verbal sign, grouped together in a linear fashion, attain their value visĂ -vis other words through opposition and contrast. Words can also evoke meaning through mental association. These associative relations are semantically derived. Since typography is both visual and verbal, it operates in a lin-ear fashion, with words following each other in a specific sequence, or in a nonlinear manner, with elements existing in many syntactic combinations.
Sophie Brinker, 11/13.2 Baskerville Scale Change / Style Change
Type Composition
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Modular Grid
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Project 4 |
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Verbal and Visual Equations An examination of interactive signs excerpted from Typographic Design: Form and Communication By Ben Day and Philip Meggs Language, in any of its many forms, is a self-contained system of interac-tive signs that communicates ideas. Just as elocution and diction enhance and clarify the meaning of our spoken words, typographic signs can be manipulated by a designer to achieve more lucid and expressive typographic communication. Signs operate in two dimensions: syntactic and semantic. When the mind is concerned with the form of a sign, it is involved with typographic syntax. When it associates a particular meaning with a sign, it is operating in the semantic dimension. All objects in the environment can potentially function as signs, repre-senting any number of concepts. A smog-filled city signifying pollution, a beached whale representing extinction, and confetti implying a celebra-tioneach functions as a sign relating a specific concept. Signs may exist at various levels of abstraction. A simple example will illustrate this point.
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Type Composition
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Modular Grid
Let us consider something as elemental as a red dot. It is a sign only if it carries a particular meaning. It can represent any number of things: balloon, ball, or Japanese flag. The red dot can become a cherry, for example, as the mind is cued by forms more familiar to its experience. The particular syntactic qualities associated with typographic signs determine a specific meaning. A series of repeated letters, for example, may signify motion or speed, while a small letter in a large void may signify isolation. These qualities, derived from the operating principles of visual hierarchy and ABA form, function as cues, permitting the mind to form concepts. Simple syntactic manipulations, such as the repetition of letters, or the weight change of certain letters, enable words visually to mimic verbal meaning. In language, signs are joined together to create messages. Words as verbal sign, grouped together in a linear fashion, attain their value vis-Ă -vis other words through
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Project 4
opposition and contrast. Words can also evoke meaning through mental association. These associative relations are semantically derived. Since typography is both visual and verbal, it operates in a lin-ear fashion, with words following each other in a specific sequence, or in a nonlinear manner, with elements existing in many syntactic combinations.
Scale / Style Change + Typeface Sophie Brinker, 11/13.2 Didot (body), 27/32.4 Futura (title)
Verbal and Visual Equations An examination of interactive signs excerpted from Typographic Design: Form and Communication By Ben Day and Philip Meggs f Language, in any of its many forms, is a self-contained system of interac-tive signs that communicates ideas. Just as elocution and diction enhance and clarify the meaning of our spoken words, typographic signs can be manipulated by a designer to achieve more lucid and expressive typographic communication. Signs operate in two dimensions: syntactic and semantic. When the mind is concerned with the form of a sign, it is involved with typographic syntax. When it associates a particular meaning with a sign, it is operating in the semantic dimension. All objects in the environment can potentially function as signs, repre-senting any number of concepts. A smog-filled city signifying pollution, a beached whale representing extinction, and confetti implying a celebration--each functions as a sign relating a specific concept. Signs may exist at various levels of abstraction. A simple
example will illustrate this point. Let us consider something as elemental as a red dot. It is a sign only if it carries a particular meaning. It can represent any number of things: balloon, ball, or Japanese flag. The red dot can become a cherry, for example, as the mind is cued by forms more familiar to its experience. The particular syntactic qualities associated with typographic signs determine a specific meaning. A series of repeated letters, for example, may signify motion or speed, while a small letter in a large void may signify isolation. These qualities, derived from the operating principles of visual hierarchy and ABA form, function as cues, permitting the mind to form concepts. Simple syntactic manipulations, such as the repetition of letters, or the weight change of certain letters, enable words visually to mimic verbal meaning.
In language, signs are joined together to create messages. Words as verbal sign, grouped together in a linear fashion, attain their value vis-Ă -vis other words through opposition and contrast. Words can also evoke meaning through mental association. These associative relations are semantically derived. Since typography is both visual and verbal, it operates in a lin-ear fashion, with words following each other in a specific sequence, or in a nonlinear manner, with elements existing in many syntactic combinations.
Scale / Style Change + Typeface + Graphic Element Sophie Brinker, 12/14.4 Gill Sans (body), 26/31.2 Bodini 72 (title)
Type Composition
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Modular Grid
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Project 4 |
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6 Project 5
CLASSIFICATION
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Classification
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Objectives
Approach
Our objectives were to create 3 posters using the Vox System. We went and researched the time periods of the fonts we had chosen and designed from there. We used the three posters to visually communicate the evolution of type. We continued to use all we had learned so far in the course.
My approach to this project was different than the rest. I wanted to go out of my comfort zone to be as relevant and modern as I could. I tried to use clean lines and contrasting colors to communicate my message. I think overall it was successful and it showed me that I am able to be versatile!
Project 5
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Project 5, Type Classification Posters
Classification
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Project 5 |
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7 SWISS DESIGN
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Swiss Design
Objectives
Approach
For this project we were to study a prominent Swiss Designer to learn about their life and work. We were to communicate what we learned using our knowledge of typography that we have picked up in this class.
In this project I wanted to find someone from the Bauhaus since that is a place I am curious about. It was fascinating to learn more about Johannes’ life before the Bauhaus and what brough him there.
Johannes Itten Johannes Itten was born in Switzerland in 1888. He trained to become a kindergarten teacher but then studied under an abstract painter in Geneva. He then went on to teach at the Bauhaus where he invited many infulential people to guest teach. He developed a “preliminary course” there which every student was required to teach. He was a cult follower and only ate vegetarian food. The cult was called Mazdaznan and based in the United States. He practiced meditation and worked on developing his intuition. His meditation practice was a big source of creativity for him, and informed his work. He also developed beautiful color wheels (see the star below). He actually had a big effect on make-up artists because of his pallets, and cosemetologists still use his wheels today. These wheels influenced the idea of “seasonal” color pallets that applies to fashion as well. His work was also shared a number of times in the Dark Night Rises Batman movie since the director was so inspired by him. I think it’s amazing that the work he did, though he isn’t extremely famous, influences almost everyone’s lives in some way or another! It is very powerful to create something so timeless. He was also passionate about abstract art as you can see below. He played with colors & shapes to evok feelings in whomever was witnessing the painting. I love the piece here on the bottom right hand corner, depicting a village scene at night. I wonder if this was a real place that he was inspired to paint!
Swiss Design |
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8
THANK YOU 1. Designer Sophie Brinker 2. Instructor Ayca Kilicoglu 3. Typeface Latin Modern Roman (Regular) 4. School UC Berkeley 5. Program Graphic Design 6. Course Typography Fundamentals
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Colophon
UC Berkeley Graphic Design Certificate Program
THE END Sophie Brinker