Typography - Task 2: Typographic Exploration & Communication

on

04/10/2022 - 18/10/2022 (Week 06  - Week 08)

Ahmad Firas Bin Ahmad Fisal (0345121)

Typography | Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media | Taylor's University 

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


LECTURES

Lectures 1 to 6 are documented in;
Task 1: Exercise 1 - Type Expression & Exercise 2 - Text Formatting


INSTRUCTIONS


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For Task 2, we are required to create a 2-page editorial spread (200x200 per pg) with the provided choices of texts. No images, colours or graphical elements except for minor components such as lines, shade, etc. might be allowed in the final work. We are also required to use Adobe InDesign to typographically compose and express the text and the usage of Adobe Illustrator for creating the headline expression is allowed.


Task 2: Typographic Exploration & Communication

1. Sketches

A rough sketch for the digital layout was done in Procreate to see what the composition of my mental idea is like in a spread form. 


Figure 1.1 - Task 2 (Sketch #1) (03/10/2022)


I've decided to do a second sketch to reflect newer ideas that came to mind while sketching out the first one. The 2nd sketch is also adapted from inputs that were given by my peers during the feedback session

Figure 1.2 - Task 2 (Sketch #2) (03/10/2022)


2. Layout Progress

I've decided to use InDesign right away and compose the text beforehand to ensure that everything fits into the intended composition because if I created the expression of the headline before compositing the body text, the chances for me to rearrange everything is higher. So, below are figures that further show my process of fixing the ragging, hyphenations and other attributes needed to ensure that it is smoother looking and that the reading rhythm is there.

Font: ITC Garamond Std | Typeface: Book | Ultra Narrow | Ultra Narrow Italic

Figure 1.3 - Layout for Task 2 (10/10/2022)



I've also decided to use Adobe Illustrator to create my Main Headline because of the Warp effect to the text that I was able to achieve in order for it to fit my initial vision of mimicking a Globe shape.
Figure 1.4 - Headline making in Adobe Illustrator (10/10/2022)



Placing the finished headline to the main layout to further inspect for any changes needed. Upon checking, it is also better for me to reduce the stroke size to the circle line because the initial thicker stroke used as pictured below is too overpowering when compared with the layout as a whole.

Figure 1.5 - Main headline placement (10/10/2022)


It is now much better looking with thinner strokes and also subheadline is placed above the first paragraph of the body text because it fits with the visual hierarchy. By nature, we tend to read from left to right. Hence, why my decision to put the subheadline there rather than somewhere closer to the main headline as per initially planned from Sketch #1

Figure 1.6 - Subheadline placement (10/10/2022)



Figure 1.7 - Layout of the Spread with Headlines (10/10/2022)




Final Work (Task 2: Typographic Exploration & Communication)

Figure 1.8 - Final Work for Task 2 (JPEG) (12/10/2022)

Figure 1.9 - Final Work for Task 2 with Grids (JPEG) (12/10/2022)



HEAD

Font/s: ITC Garamond Std (Ultra Narrow & Ultra Narrow Italic)
Type Size/s: 40 pt and 12 pt
Leading: 42 pt and 14 pt
Paragraph spacing: 14 pt

BODY

Font/s: ITC Garamond Std (Book)
Type Size/s: 12 pt
Leading: 14 pt
Paragraph spacing: 14 pt

Characters per-line: 48
Alignment: Left Align

Margins: 12.7 mm 
Columns: 2
Gutter: 5 mm


FEEDBACK

Week 6-7:
*No formal feedback was given to my work from our lecturer except for feedback from our peers

Peers' Feedback: Initial sketch is great and the verbal vision intended is well thought for. However, minor changes to the body text layout and also the usage of minor elements such as lines were advised to elevate my whole idea.



REFLECTION

Experience 

This project indeed feels more fast-paced than before because we were expected to know the dos and don'ts for this project since it is a combination of previous tasks and exercises into one. We heavily relied on feedback from our peers rather than the lecturer himself this time.

Observations

I also observed that most of the feedback I'd receive from my peers was in line with my plans to make the changes beforehand. It was comfortable knowing that we agree on the changes that were needed to make the spread better looking to the readers/viewers.

Findings

I find that the peers' style feedback feels more hands-on only if we already know the foundation of the task at hand. In this case, since this is a task where previous bits of knowledge were combined, I find that I had better direction moving forward in this task without having to wait for our lecturer's feedback.



FURTHER READING


Chapter 3: Legibility - Typographic Details

In typography, attention to detail is crucial. The matter of letters, words and lines of type is the designer's responsibility to be alert of. It is encouraged for new learners to adhere to the principle rules before deciding to find their style and break free from those rules. These practices will eventually become second nature to every typographic designer out there.

Chapter 4: The Typographic Grid

Grids are rooted in the earliest writing forms which are columnar cuneiform tablets from the Mesopotamian age. The development of the modern grid is the result of many pioneering efforts such as the movements of Futurism, Constructivism and Dadaism among others. The grid finally emerged as a programmatic system of mathematical precision in Switzerland and eventually achieved universal acceptance as a visual organisational tool. Now, grids are common to the point that we sometimes do not aware of their usage on a daily basis. Grids serve as the underlying structure for modelling and archiving human thought, interactions and events.


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