Typography | Task 2: Typographic Exploration & Communication

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Typography | Task 2: Typographic Exploration and Communication

  • Date: 26/05/2025 - 09/06/2025 (Week 6 - Week 8)
  • Aishath Eshal Shihab, 0381863
  • Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media - Taylor's University 
  • Task 2: Text Formatting & Expression
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1. Lectures
  2. Instructions
  3. Process
  4. Feedback
  5. Reflections
  6. Further Reading

 

LECTURES

Week 5: Understanding

    Understanding Letterforms 

       The uppercase letterform suggest symmetry but they are in fact not. A close examination shows that the width of the left slope is thinner than the right stroke. Both Baskervilla and Univers show  the care type designers take when creating letter forms that are internally harmonious and individually expressive.
       The complexity of each individual letterform can be demonstrated by examining the lowercase "a" of two seemingly similar sans-serif typefaces - Helvetica and Univers. A comparison shows the palpable difference in character between the two.

    Maintaining X-Height 

       X-height describes the size of the lowercase letterforms but curved strokes like "s" rise above the median or sink below the baseline to appear the same size as the vertical and horizontal stroke they adjoin.

    Form 

       Counterform: The counterform space describes and is contained by the strokes of the form. When letters join to form words the space between them is included in the counterform.  This is particularly important when working with letterforms like "r" that have no counters. Counterform aids in readability, too much space reduces readability. Examining letterforms provide a good feel for how the balance between the form and counter is achieved and a palpable sense of the letterforms unique characteristics.

     Contrast 

       The basic principles of graphic design apply directly to typography. Contrast produces simple variations like small+organic/large+machined, small+dark/large+light, etc. 

 

INSTRUCTIONS

 Module Information Booklet

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Task 2: Typographic Exploration & Communication (Text Formatting and Expression)

    Description -

        In this task you will be asked to express typographically the a 2-page editorial spread (200mm x
200mm per page). Choose 1 from the 3 text options provided. No images are allowed (unless permitted). However, some very minor graphical elements, i.e. line, shade, etc. might be allowed. You will use Adobe InDesign to compose and express the text within the given size. You may use Adobe Illustrator to create the headline expression should you feel the need to do so. However, the final layout (text formatting and layout) is to be completed in Adobe InDesign. Execute a good layout, with an expressive and appropriate
headline in line with the spirit/message of the text. Ensure you are only using the prescribed 10 typefaces. No colour may be used in this task.

    Marking Criteria -

  •   The typographic expression has been explored in great variety and creatively.
  • The expression conceptually and typographically communicates the meaning being conveyed.
  • The textual information is extremely well formatted (font size, line-length, leading, alignment, cross alignment, reading rhythm, information hierarchy, widows and orphans).
  • The layout and composition is suitable, impactful, memorable, and engaging.

    Timeframe -

        Week 06 - Week 07  

    Deadline -

        Week 08 

    Learning Goals - 

        a)  To demonstrate the use of Grids, layouts and page flow.
        b)  To apply the necessary skills and sensibilities for effective typographic communication and achieve good reading rhythm with memorability.

PROCESS

Reference

Figure 3.2 Reference Image 2 Week 6 (28/05)
 
Figure 3.1 Reference Image 1 Week 6 (28/05/2025)





Figure 3.4 Reference Image 4 Week 6 (28/05)

Figure 3.3 Reference Image 3 Week 6 (28/05/2025)

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 
Figure 3.5 Reference Image 5 Week 6 (28/05/2025)

Sketches

Figure 3.6 Initial Layouts Week 7 (02/06/2025)

These are the first 6 layouts I drafted. After presenting them to Mr. Max he told me that my best 2 were the first and third , but I should work on them a little bit more.


Figure 3.7 Updated Layouts Week 7 (03/06/2025)
This was the outcome after I worked on the layouts a little bit more. I  added a few elements and rearranged the headlines. Mr. Max suggested I use the "Punk's Design Revolution:" from the second layout and "Breaking the Rules" from the first layout to make one more layout.
 
Figure 3.8 Further Updated Layout Week 7 (03/06/2025)
This is my last sketch before I fixed the ragging on the right of the paragraphs, aligned the text to the baselines and lowered the opacity of  the stars as it was taking too much attention away from the text.
 

Final Outcome

 

 
Figure 3.9 Final Outcome - JPEG Week 7 (06/06/2025)

Figure 3.10 Final Outcome - PDF Week 7 (06/06/2025)

Figure 3.11 Final Outcome With Guides And Grids - JPEG Week 7 (06/06/2025)

Figure 3.12 Final Outcome With Guides And Grids - PDF Week 7 (06/06/2025) 

HEAD LINE

Typeface: Gill Sans MT
Font/s: Gill Sans MT Bold
Type Size/s: 148 pt
Leading: 36 pt
Paragraph spacing: 0

BODY

Typeface: Adobe Caslon Pro
Font/s: Adobe Caslon Pro Regular
Type Size/s: 15 pt
Leading: 17 pt
Paragraph spacing: 17 pt
Characters per-line: 35
Alignment: left justified
Margins: 20.814 mm top, 11.289 mm bottom, 15.522 mm left + right
Columns: 2
Gutter: 7.056 mm
 

FEEDBACK

 Week 6: 

     General Feedback - You can use Adobe Illustrator to make the headline before copying it on to InDesign. This could make it easier to design the headline using type expression.
     Specific Feedback - The layouts look better with more white space and in a cleaner/simpler look. Play with the headline but legibility is most important for the body text.

Week 7:

     General Feedback - 
     Specific Feedback - The headline needs to represent punk more, reference breaking the rules and don't try to play it safe. For the final outcome put together ideas from all the layouts.
 

REFLECTIONS

 Experience

     My experience with this task was that it was a little bit more difficult to express Punk and Breaking the Rules using type expression because these things go against uniformity and clarity which is important to keep  the text legible. I also struggled to establish a flow in my layout which I most work on.

Observations

    I observed that even though the headline was out of the box and "messy" I still had to keep the body text neat and legible. This contrast made me believe that they would not go well together but in the end it did. I also noticed that even with only one or two designs for the headline, with creativity you can create six sketched by playing with all the layout possibilities.

Findings 

    At the end of this task I found that it is important to have a clear flow of text, the text cannot start and end in random areas, the reader must be able to read the next line of text uninterrupted. I also figured out that you can use Adobe Illustrator to create a headline using type expression and then copy it to Adobe InDesign to do the layouts. Before I thought we could only use one application to do a project.
 

FURTHER READING

Figure 6.1 Book Cover Week 8 (09/06/2025)

This book is I.D.E.A.S. Computer Typography Basics and as the title states, the book is about the fundamentals of computer typography. The author says that the main goal of typography is readability. No matter how pretty or unique it is, if the typography makes the information harder to read, it has failed its main duty. But I did my further reading on the different categories of font.

Font Categories

  1. Serif:
    This is the most common text or "body" copy font. "Serifs" are the little feet and hands that hang off the edge of letter strokes typically adding a thick/thin look. Serif fonts are considered the easiest to read and come in three subcategories:
    •  Oldstyle- based on classical Roman inscriptions, the letters are very open, wide, and round with pointed serifs with a contrast between heavy and light strokes.
    • Modern- based on fonts digitised over 200 years ago, they have a greater deal of mechanical perfection than Oldstyle with a greater difference between heavy/light strokes and thin/squared off serifs.
    • Square Serif- or Slab Serifs are a contemporary style used for small amounts of text like advertising copy, subheads and headlines. The letters have square serifs and mostly uniform strokes with little contrast. 
  2. Sans Serif:
    These fonts are "without serifs", as the name implies, and usually have an even stroke weight. They can evoke a more modern look for a report but can be harder to read than serif fonts. They can be used for larger amounts of body copy if applied carefully, although normally used for subheads and headlines.
  3. Mono-Spaced:
    While most fonts are proportionally spaced, mono-spaced fonts take up the same amount of space regardless of the letter. They are usually typewriter-style fonts.
  4. Display:
    Display and Decorative fonts are designed to be headlines font for catching attention. They should rarely, if ever, be used for body text.
  5. Script:
    This type of font are designed to mimic handwriting so the letters normally touch each other. They may be more traditionally used for formal invitations and they should never be used in all capital letters.
  6. Text:
    Based on hand drawn letters by early monks for religious books, text fonts have an "Old-World" feel to them. Mostly used for certificates, diplomas, and invitations, they should also not be used in all capital letters.
  7. Dingbats:
    Small pieces of art used to enhance the design of the type or page, Zapf Dingbats and Wingdings are the most common dingbats but there are hundreds, if not thousands of different designs available.

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