a design process
TYPO GR A P HY
Lauren Withers
A publication of the School of Visual & Performing Arts Typography: a design process, Lauren Withers
All content is copyright in the name of Lauren Nicole Withers, October 2014 Visual Communications Design Department of Art & Design School of Visual & Performing Arts Purdue University West Lafayette, Indiana
CONTENTS
TABLE of
01 02 20 42 46 50 52 54
INTRODUCTION an overview
HAND SKETCHES
quantity over quality
DIGITAL SKETCHES time to bring it to life
FINAL THREE
decisions, decisions
FINAL DESIGN here it is!
BIOGRAPHY
about the designer
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS a special thanks
COLOPHON
book specifications
PROBLEM:
Take two assigned letterforms while utilizing ten listed
(1) integrate the two letters
to create a unique design (2) maintain equality
between the two letters along with readability
(3) design process
my thoughts... When this project was first assigned and I heard the vast variety of possible routes to take I was overwhelmed. We were allowed to utilize the ten different typefaces of baskerville, bodoni, caslon, garamond, times new roman, futura, gill sans, helvetica, optima, and univers. From each of these typefaces we could then explore the options of bold, regular, italic, and light. This made this project go from what seemed doable to very intricate in detail.
INTRODUCTION an overview
I was given the letters of D (d) and G (g). I really liked this combination because there were many possibilites to be explored but frustration quickly set in once I hit a roadblock on where to take these designs. The overall project didn’t sound too demanding being that it was a single project to be completed in 16 weeks. In comparison to previous semesters this seemed like a cakewalk but I knew that the standards were high making me tentative to produce anything but good designs. However, it was recommended to put all of my ideas on paper regardless if they were strong or weak which helped get over that hesitancy and move forward through the process. There was a lot of internal struggle to create a one of a kind design that pleased myself and met the list of specifications. Accompanied with struggle was a lot of indecision & uncertainty about which direciton to take. Within the pages of this book you will be exposed to the process that leads to my final design. You will see the ups and downs as well as the paths explored during this design’s development.
01
Hand
SKETCHES
Inside this section there are many hand drawn sketches from the early weeks of being assigned this project. I originally started this process in pencil with the idea that it would be easier to fix mistakes but quickly switched to black pens and markers. This made it easier for me to not only see visually but also to put an idea on paper, regardless if it was strong or weak. This was the experimenation process because of the push to get ideas out whether they were working or not. However, they helped drive me pass the poor designs and look at the aspects and qualities such as contrast, shape, size, space, overlapping, rotating and more for each letterform. There are not many sketches that go in one specific direction but rather a variety of probable routes. Majority of the sketches you will see are brainstorming and me getting comfortable with the two letters I was assigned. There wasn’t a strong focus on style, elimination or really any defining features of each letterform but rather seeing what worked whether it was combining lowercase and caps, rectilinear versus curvilinear, small or big, etc.
QUaNTITY QUALITY
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
TRANSITION
next step!
The enlarged designs on the next few pages are both directions I chose to convert from hand sketches to digitally produced creations to allow myself a smooth transition. I found these two to be the strongest at this stage of the process and possible final design concepts. These in particular stood out at first due to the equal level of readability. Reflecting back on this whole project I noticed how much I focused on the aspect of equal readability in the beginning stages rather than all the requirements of the project which explains why these two designs were chosen.
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15
WHY THIS DESIGN
With this particular design the focus was to create a sense of diversity and differentiation between the two letterforms by using different typecase and utilizing placement to manipulate the level of equality in terms of readability between the two letters.
16
17
WHY THIS DESIGN
This design was chosen based on the sense of balance as well as unity between the two letters. They provide an equal sense of weight and order of readability due to the way that specific parts of each letter define the form. For example, the bar of the G branching from the stem of the D. There is still a unification from the sharing of shape between the two letterforms yet the small bar of the G creates a completely new form and is what keeps the G from blending into the D.
18
19
Digital SKETCHES 20
time to bring it to life
In this section you will view many different and new ideas but with better line quality and differentiation in terms of fonts and style. I’ve also included new ideas that came to mind during this process as well as tweaking and manipulating previous ideas in order to expand each design to its full potential. This step allowed me to envision a final product through some of these designs since the final outcome would be completed digitally. This stage gave me a better understanding for how the final product would look allowing for an even deeper connection with these typefaces and letterforms.
21
INTO THE DIGITAL
These designs on the following pages are digital experimentations of the sketches found on page 17. I utilized different typefaces as well as sizes, placements, and overlays to explore different options for possible final designs. After completing these designs I felt that they were too typical of a solution and continued on in search of a better, more in depth design. This first step in creating these combinations gave me the push I needed to dive head first into the digital aspects of this project.
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23
24
25
Should I
PUSH these ideas?
26
27
28
29
It’s
getting
30
The designs on pages 30-32 are all variations of one particular concept and manipulation of different pieces of the letterform. The larger image is the strongest design that emerged from this idea due to the illusion created with the stroke of the G to the serif on the D making it strong as well as the two letterforms not overpowering one another.
As you can see there was also a focus on the serif of the D in some sketches. The purpose was to see how much of the D I needed in order to maintain its form as a D. The larger image was my final result in this experimentation.
31
32
33
34
This set of designs highlights the differences in letterform and typefaces by the use of an uppercase D in contrast to a lowercase G. The larger image is the strongest because of the shape it creates. The bowl of the G acts as the counter for the D allowing the two forms to work together as one also allowing for even weight and readability among the letters.
35
Or is
this one? 36
the
37
38
I chose to highlight these sketches because of the form they create. The loop of the G in combination with the outside stroke of the D in comparison with the use of serif versus sans serif points out each letter’s individual qualities but at the same time brings them together. The way the G works through the D really makes for a dynamic composition. Also, you can see that I really focused on the serifs and what style worked best. Some were too heavy and others faded away or the D was lost completely without any serifs. Therefore, I chose a blocked serif type were it wasn’t too heavy but didn’t get smaller at any point helping the D keep its defining qualities.
39
THIS has
to be it!
40
41
THREE
Final
decisions decisions In this section there are the three top designs I have created using the letters D and G. Each has similar qualities that follow the guidelines of the project but each has its distinct characteristics that make it stand out. I originally chose them based on the new form the create with one another though after deeper analyzation there are many other reasons that make them stand out. Here’s a preview of the three possibilities for my final design.
42
There is a unique form created by the curvilinear stroke of the G that implies a serif form in the upper lefthand rectinlinear corner of the D. The bowl of the G as well hints at the stem of the D without overpowering the dark sans serif form with its dynamic shape and motion in comparison to the D’s stationary mass. The use of space with the positive and negative forms created really makes for a well-rounded critically thought out design. The process for this design can be found on page 31 along with more details.
43
As stated previously, this composition is a finalist due to the shape it creates together. The bowl of the G acts as the counter for the D unifying two unlike forms through a similar detail. Equal weight and readability also helps enhance this design. The contrast in case type also helps separate the two while maintaining balance through the use of positive and negative space within the letterforms. The process of this design can be found on pages 35 & 36.
44
This particular design was originally my final design until I started experimenting with other ideas as you have seen. I hadn’t exhausted all other options which is why I opted to have three finalist versus just settling on this as my final design. This design stood out because of the outside curve of the D in contrast with the use of serif and sans serif typefaces pointing out each letter’s individual qualities but at the same time unifing them. The serif face of the D allows it to hold its ground and maintain shape while working with the bowl of the G wrapping in the interior of the D creating a good sense cohesion & equality. The bowl of the G also creates nice form by following it’s natural shape within the curve of the G. The process of the third possible final design can be found on pages 37-40.
45
Final DESIGN
the moment you’ve been waiting for...
46
HERE IT IS!
This design successfully and effectively meets all the requirements of this project to:
(1) integrate the two letters
to create a unique design (2) maintain equality between the two letters along with readability (3) design process
The cohesiveness of the my letters, D and G and combining aspects of each such as the stem of the D creating the counter of the G make for a dynamic composition. This design was the best option. It utilizes each letterforms individual shape to create one unified form between two opposing letters while maintaining the necessary balance to be able to read both letters at one time versus one before the other. Through the use of shape, style, size, space, overlapping forms, and elimination I achieved a strong well-thought out design composition. It met all the specifications set for the project as well as my own for pushing myself and not settling.
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about the
Biography
Designer Design is always something I have enjoyed doing whether it was as simple as a basic high school art class to a long process to create something tangible such as this book. I really enjoy simple clean typography which would explain the use of white space and basic fonts you’ve seen throughout these past 50 pages.
I enjoy all types of design and really like to expand my exposure to different areas. I would like to explore all types of design to be a well-rounded designer and allow myself to work anywhere producing good work. With dedication anything is possible. Thank you for experiencing my typographic process!
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
a special thanks Dennis Y Ichiyama, Professor
Wendy Olmstead, visiting instructor Scot Benham, Haywood Printing Co. Inc. Lafayette, Indiana K Lynia Coates, Xerox Services Cathy Aper, Xerox Services
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COLOPHON book specifications
Paper
Cougar Natura 80# Cover, 70# Text
Typefaces
Baskerville regular, Baskerville bold italic, Baskerville semibold italic, Garamond italic, Bodoni FLF, Helvetica light, Helvetica regular, Helvetica Neue condensed black, Helvetica bold, Times New Roman regular, Times New Roman bold, Times New Roman italic
Binding
Perfect bound
Printing
Xerox Corp. Purdue Print & Digital Services
Bindery
Haywood Printing Co. Inc. Lafayette, Indiana
Printer
IGen4 Diamond Edition
Edition
6 Copies
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