OUGD603 / Extended Practice
Brief
Brief Length 6 Weeks
Area of Graphic Design
Design Publication
You will be required to undertake a period of focused, in-depth and sustained research into an area of graphic design appropriate to your design strategy. You should apply a range of research methods in the investigation of issues, practices, practitioners and companies relating to your own particular area of study. This should culminate in the design and production of a Case Study in the form of a book (or print based delivery), interactive DVD or website.
The main area of graphic design that has interested me this year is type design, specifically the revivalist approach to type design. My dissertation written and practical elements both considered typeface revival as well as one of my briefs for Extended Practice.
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Concept
Lost Letterforms is a large format, coffee table publication based around the subject matter of typeface revivial. The publication itself uses three typefaces that have been revived: - Haas Unica, a recent revival by Monotype. - Doves Type, a typeface revived from lead type found in the Thames. - Times Modern Swash - Revived by Joe Leadbeater for the publication. The content itself is based around pre-digital publications sourced by Joe Leadbeater. These books are honoured within the publication, with selected letterforms digitalised. These letterforms are used as a base for a typeface, with characteristics and precise measurements taken. These details can be used to create the rest of a consistant typeface in the future. Another aim of the publication was to recontextualise these letters, taking them out of a place in history, and honour for their shape and form.
OUGD603 / Extended Practice
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Large Format Publications
After a visit to Graphic Thought Facility studio in London, I felt really inspired to produce a large format, hardback publication. The intention of the book was to honour and recontextualise these found letterforms, so a large format publication is a great way to show these letters at a dramatically different point size.
Design Publication
Large Format Publications
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Above: All publications produce by Graphic Thought Facility studio in London.
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Collecting Antiquinarian Books
The process of collecting the letterforms for the publicaitions acted as a methodology that could produce endless results, simply due to the fact that nothing specific was looked for. Many of the publications used for research were picked from charity shops, whilst others were purchased cheaply online. Purchasing the books online often produced more random results. This is because online images do not show most of the pages, meaning I would never really know what I was buying.
Design Publication
Antiquinarian Books
3 / 10
Above: All publications produce by Graphic Thought Facility studio in London.
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Book Production
Visit To Pressision Printers
Design Publication
I visited Pression in Leeds, a creative printers, who specialise in unique print jobs. After conversing with one of the managers, I was quoted ona single, print job for the publication. The price was far beyond anything I could afforf (hundred of pounds). This made me reconsider the production of the publication, but also taught me that if I want to produce something similar in the future, it will have to be at mass to cut cost.
Book Production
Producing The Cover
The clothboand cover was produced myself, which taught me a new skill. Producing the cover was surprisingly easy, but attaching the perfect bound book to the cover involved lots of care and was difficult to align properly.
4 / 10
OUGD603 / Extended Practice
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Final Publication 01
Above you can see an image of the finalised cover, with vinyl type overlayed. If the book was produced professionally this would be screen printed, but the risk was too high for submission.
Design Publication
Final Publication 01
5 / 10
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Final Publication 02
The inside cover of the book.
Design Publication
Final Publication 02
6 / 10
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Final Publication 03
An introduction typeset in Haas Unica. The aim of the introduction is to inspire readers to look for lost letterforms after viewing the examples inside the book.
Design Publication
Final Publication 03
7 / 10
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Final Publication 04
All the pages with digitalised typefaces are white text on black. This is to connote technicality, as well as emphasizing the study of the form, with no colour as distraction.
Design Publication
Final Publication 04
8 / 10
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Final Publication 05
The books that were used to find letterforms were photographed and included in the book. All images are at a 1;1 scale, so users can gain an understand of the original sized typographic references.
Design Publication
Final Publication 05
9 / 10
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Final Publication 06
As well as research through antiquinarian publications, I have also kept an ongoing photographic log of lost letterforms in signage. These were also included, and analysed in the same way.
Design Publication
Final Publication 06
10 / 10