Just My Type: A Study of Typography by kathrynmartin9-gmail

d k JUST MY TYPE A Study of Typography Kathryn Sturgis

INTRODUCTION

HI THERE! I’m Kathryn, a graphic design student at UC Berkeley Extension. While my background is in education, I have always had an interest in design. In 2019 I decided to pursue this passion of mine by enrolling in UC Berkeley Extension’s Professional Certificate in Graphic Design. In this book you will find a collection of the projects that I completed in the Typography Fundamentals course. I have found it fascinating to learn about the rules of typography and how the tiniest details affect the way we receive and perceive information in all aspects of our lives. Taking this class has given me such an appreciation for the amount of decisions that go into setting type. I look forward to continuing to hone my typography skills and put into practice everything I have learned in this class.

CONTENTS

01 02 03 04 05

Project 1 // Prototypeface // page 6

Project 2 // Type Anatomy Booklet // page 12

Project 3 // Typesetting // page 18

Project 4 // Type Classification Posters // page 36

Assignment // Swiss Designer Research // page 40

PROTOTYPEFACE 01

OBJECTIVES & APPROACH

The assignment was to create a prototype typeface of 9 letters by using a bitmap or calligraphic method. Each character should be able to stand alone as an interesting mark as well as work with the others in the set. The characters in the prototypeface should look like a group with strokes, shapes, angles, serifs and other parts reused from character to character. I began my doing many thumbnail sketches of possible designs for my prototypeface. After settling on a design concept, I sketched proportional letters on graph paper. Next, I imported those sketches into Adobe Illustrator and began to create the typeface using basic lines and dots. I reused the main elements from character to character to achieve letters that were completely uniform. For the color versions, I chose to apply a gradient to one while highlighting the dots in a different color on the other.

Initial concept rough sketch

Second round of sketches

Project 1 // Prototypeface

TYPE ANATOMY 02

OBJECTIVES & APPROACH

The objectives of this project were to introduce type terminology, identify the structural aspects of type and label the different kinds of strokes, junctions & negative spaces used to create letterforms, while also gaining layout skills: hierarchy, negative space, focal point, and impact. Using the typeface Adobe Garamond and 26 letters from the alphabet, we were required to identify the anatomy of a typeface, choosing at least 26 anatomical words. I began my process by researching type anatomy and the history of the Garamond typeface. For my booklet, I chose to illustrate the anatomical terms by selecting words that were related to the Garamond typeface, such as type, Claude, serif, Roman and Adobe. I also included a brief explanation on the definition or significance of the words I selected, so that anyone who picked up the booklet could have a brief overview of the word, regardless of whether they had prior knowledge of typography. I also aimed to select a color palette that evoked the feel and time of the typeface.

Project 2 // Type Anatomy

TYPESETTING 03

OBJECTIVES & APPROACH

The objective of this project was to understand typesetting rules, demonstrate accurate and aesthetically pleasing typesetting, while recognizing how different type treatments and alignments require unique handling of type. In Exercise 1, we worked on typesetting the same text centered, justified, rag right and rag left. Exercises 2 and 3 focused on beginnings, so we demonstrated different paragraph indicators in Exercise 2 and text/column grid beginnings in Exercise 3. Finally, in Exercise 4 we worked on hierarchy when placing a text with a title, subheading and byline. While exercise 1 required us to use Garamond as the typeface, for the other exercises we were free to choose any typeface. I used a variety of both serif and sans-serif fonts in order to familiarize myself with a wider variety of typefaces. After I selected the typeface, I made adjustments to the column width, tracking, kerning, hyphenation and justification settings. I inserted line breaks where necessary in order to create a more aesthetically pleasing rag. Throughout the exercises, I aimed to use leading of at least 4 points more than the font size and follow the typography rules we had learned about in class. This project was probably the most challenging for me, but I feel like I learned a lot from the process of working with the text.

Flush Left Rag Right / Adobe Garamond 8/12

LETTERS H AV E A LIFE A ND DIGNIT Y OF THEIR OW N 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

Project 3 // Exercise 1 // Typesetting

Flush Right Rag Left / Adobe Garamond 8/12

LETTERS H AV E A LIFE A ND DIGNIT Y OF THEIR OW N Letterforms that honor and elucidate what humans see and say deserve to be honored in their turn. Well-chosen words deserve wellchosen 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

Project 3 // Exercise 1 // Typesetting

Justified / Adobe Garamond 8/12

L ET T ER S H AV E A L IFE A ND DIGN I T Y OF T H EIR OW N 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

Project 3 // Exercise 1 // Typesetting

Centered / Adobe Garamond 8/12

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

Project 3 // Exercise 1 // Typesetting

Indent / Farnham 8/12

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 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 principle. 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 contemporary 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 materials; 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

Project 3 // Exercise 2 // Beginnings: Paragraph Indicators

Exdent / Gill Sans Nova 8/12

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 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 principle. 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 contemporary 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 materials; 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

Project 3 // Exercise 2 // Beginnings: Paragraph Indicators

Bold First Words / Orpheus Pro 8/13

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 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 principle. 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 contemporary 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 materials; 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

Project 3 // Exercise 2 // Beginnings: Paragraph Indicators

Extra Leading / Baskerville URW 8/12

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 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 principle. 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 def ining features of their products, and software companies and design f irms 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 of f ice, but they can be used by anyone. Other designers w it h i nt r ig u i ng a nd i n f luent i a l p er son a l m a n i festos i nclude 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 contemporar y g reen 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 materials; 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

Project 3 // Exercise 2 // Beginnings: Paragraph Indicators

Bold First Sentence / Orpheus Pro 8/13

Karl Marx had one. The Unibomber had one. When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence in 1776, he drafted the manifestothat 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 principle. 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 contemporary 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 materials; 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

Project 3 // Exercise 2 // Beginnings: Paragraph Indicators

Drop Cap / Bodoni 8/12

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 designersafter 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 principle. 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 contemporary 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 materials; 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

Project 3 // Exercise 2 // Beginnings: Paragraph Indicators

Initial Cap / Gill Sans Nova 8/12

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 principle. 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.

Project 3 // Exercise 3 // Beginnings: Text/Column Grid

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 principle. 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. Desig ners seem especially draw n 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

First Paragraph / Marion 10/14 and 8/13

—excerpted from Manifesto Mania by Ellen and Julia Lupton

Project 3 // Exercise 3 // Beginnings: Text/Column Grid

Scale Change / Proxima Nova 8/12

Verbal and Visual Equations An examination of interactive signs excerpted from Typographic Design: Form and Communication — Ben Day and Philip Meggs

Language, in any of its many forms, is a self-contained system of interactive signs that communicates ideas. Just as elocution and diction enhance and clarify the

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.

In language, signs are joined together to create messages. Words as verbal sign, grouped together in a linear fashion, attain their value vis-à-vis other words through

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, representing 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.

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.

oppositio 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 linear fashion, with words following each other in a specific sequence, or in a nonlinear manner, with elements existing in many syntactic combinations.

Project 3 // Exercise 4 // Hierarchy/Modular Grid

Scale Change + Typeface Change / Myriad Pro, Chapparal Pro

Verbal and Visual Equations An examination of interactive signs excerpted from Typographic Design: Form and Communication —Ben Day and Philip Meggs Language, in any of its many forms, is a self-contained system of interactive 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, representing 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-à-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 linear fashion, with words following each other in a specific sequence, or in a nonlinear manner, with elements existing in many syntactic combinations.

Project 3 // Exercise 4 // Hierarchy/Column Grid

Scale Change + Typeface Change + Graphic Element / Freight Big Pro, Freight Sans Pro

Verbal and Visual Equations An examination of interactive signs excerpted from Typographic Design: Form and Communication —Ben Day and Philip Meggs

Language, in any of its many forms, is a self-contained system of interactive signs that

Signs may exist at various levels of abstraction. A simple example will illustrate this point. Let us

In language, signs are joined together to create messages. Words as verbal sign, grouped

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, representing 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.

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.

together in a linear fashion, attain their value vis-à-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 linear fashion, with words following each other in a specific sequence, or in a nonlinear manner, with elements existing in many syntactic combinations.

Project 3 // Exercise 4 // Hierarchy/Modular Grid

CLASSIFICATION OF TYPE 04

OBJECTIVES & APPROACH

The assignment was to design three type classification posters in the Vox Classification System, for two serif and one sans-serif typefaces. The objectives were to research the various periods and design from its influence, to visually communicate the evolution of type and to practice the principles of typography that we have studied. I started by researching the Vox Classification System and selected the typefaces of Didot, Plantin and Avenir. I then spent time searching Pinterest for inspiring posters. Next, I did over 50 thumbnail sketches on paper. When I had come up with a concept, I began designing in Adobe InDesign. I wanted my posters to be cohesive as a set, so I chose to have basic shapes as a common element, assigning each typeface a shape. For the color palette, I chose warm sunset-inspired colors to tie them together. I also chose to employ a lot of white space, so that the posters were clean and easy to read.

SWISS DESIGNER RESEARCH 05

OBJECTIVES & APPROACH

The assignment was to research a major Swiss designer and submit 250 words and examples of work, while designing a page that considers the principles of typography covered in this class. I chose to research Emil Ruder, as I was drawn to the bold, clean nature of his designs. When designing my page, I incorporated elements of Swiss Design, such as the use of negative space and flush left, rag right text. I also chose to use the typeface Neue Haas Unica because it was inspired by Helvetica and Univers, two typefaces that came out of the Swiss Design movement.

Assignment // Swiss Designer Research

Emil Ruder

“Typography has one plain duty before it and that is to convey information in writing.”

Emil Ruder, a typographer and graphic designer from Zurich, was one of the prominent figures behind the Swiss Design movement. He began his design career at the early age of 15, when he took on a role as an apprentice typesetter. He went on to study at the Zurich School of Arts and Crafts, where he was introduced to the work of Jan Tschihold and the Bauhaus, both of which heavily influenced his career. In 1947 he became a typography instructor at the Basel School of Design. It was there that he met iconic Swiss designer Armin Hoffman, with whom he taught typography classes. In 1967 Ruder published a book outlining his philosophies and practices, titled Typographie: A Manual for Design. This book became widely used as a textbook for graphic design programs in Europe and North America, thus cementing Ruder’s legacy within the field of typography and further spreading the principles of Swiss Design. Like most designers who contributed to the Swiss Design movement, Ruder favored sans-serif typefaces and asymmetrical compositions that employed the use of negative space. Many of his designs feature flush left, rag right text and utilize only black and white or a palette limited to a few colors. Throughout his career, Ruder stressed that the purpose of typography was to communicate ideas through writing. Ruder, along with his contemporaries within the Swiss Design movement, mastered the geometric grid system, which has had a lasting influence on the field of graphic design, as well as web design.

Designer Kathryn Sturgis Instructor Ayca Kilicoglu Typeface Acumin Pro School UC Berkeley Extension Program Professional Certificate in Graphic Design Course Typography Fundamentals