Charrette Two: Let's Get Down to Business

INSPIRATION
"A typographic hierarchy expresses an organizational system for content, emphasizing some data and diminishing others... Designers provide ways into — and out of — the flood of words by breaking up text into pieces and offering shortcuts." Ellen Lupton

INSTRUCTIONS: Part 1
Using supplied copy, design a single-sided, standard size, 1-color, hand-drafted business card. Convey the contact info for this duel-purpose company such that it is clear that they have two different but related functions. Create an interesting, unique hierarchy, remembering that this is much more than just the relationship between big and small. Consider thicks and thins, curves and straight strokes, capitals and lowercases. Also, don't forget the white space — just because the tiny space is full of information does not mean there should be no complementary void.

INSTRUCTIONS: Part 2
Considering the feedback on your first business card design, re-create (do not redesign) your card in Illustrator. Your original concept of organization should remain in tact but use the computer to refine your design — increasing ledgibility and impact. The final card is still allowed only one side and one color, black. You may use only one or two typefaces from the list provided. Find relationships in the type that work together to create an interesting, unique hierarchy to further refine your design.

The goal of this exercise is to understand and preserve your original intent from your hand sketch. You believed this was the final but now that you can recreate the design "perfectly" with the computer, how will your card change in attitude, look & feel, character and overall impact. This is a larger metaphor for Project 2 — and all projects, really — as we design via sketches before moving into the defaulted world of computer-based design. Don't allow the computer to make decisions for you — you are the designer and every, single decision matters to the success of your design.

ADVANCED TYPE

Malorie


Paige


Jordan


Kim



COMPUTER TYPE:
Allie


Betsy


Cindy


Diego


Erin


Isaac


Katie


Lauren


Silvi


Theresa


Tricia

Project One: Finals

Click here to see how all these dots came to be. All final 4-letter words were designed on the same 9x9 grid of circles.

ADVANCED TYPE

Jordan

Malorie

Paige

COMPUTER TYPE

Betsy

Cindy

Erin

Isaac

Katie

Kim

Lauren

Silve

Theresa

Tricia

Project One: Connect the Dots

INSPIRATION
“A typographic sign is visually dynamic because of its interaction with the surrounding white space or void—the white of the paper. This form-to-void relationship is inherent in the totality of typographic expression.” Typographic Design: Form and Communication

“...It is the existence of intangible elements, the negative, in architectonic forms which makes them come alive, become human, naturally harmonize with one another, and enable us to experience them with human sensibility.” Amos Chang

INSTRUCTIONS
Given a four-letter word from the list below, develop a concept for a font whose forms consistently relate to the provided nine-by-nine grid of circles. Each circle in the grid must be either “on” or “off.” You have no curves or true diagonals. Pick one of the words below and render the letters from that word. Try ignoring the meaning of the word. Focus on formal aspects such as ascenders/descenders, serifs/no serifs, proportion, weight, etc. Sketch first using trace paper on top of the supplied printed grid, then work in Illustrator using the file provided.

ADVANCED TYPOGRAPHY STUDIO: Iteration Studies







COMPUTER TYPE: Iteration Studies

Charrette One: Sew Me What You Got

INSPIRATION
“The organization of letters on a blank page is the designer’s most basic challenge.” Ellen Lupton

“A typographic sign is visually dynamic because of its interaction with the surrounding white space or void—the white of the paper. This form-to-void relationship is inherent in the totality of typographic expression.” Typographic Design: Form and Communication

INSTRUCTIONS
Although this class is about designing with type, it is crucial to be intimately familiar with the anatomical workings of type. Subtle nuances that define the individual design of letters can be studied and expounded upon to better understand the subtleties and details of designing with type on any scale, be it letter, word, line or body. Using the supplied materials, create a lowercase letter a. Consider the following:

• Is it a serif, sans serif, or script?
• Does it include the upper terminal over the bowl, or is it italic style?
  
• What is its x-height? Width? Thickness?
• Is there variation in the weight of the lines (thicks/thins)?
• What does the counter (negative space) look like?

ADVANCED TYPOGRAPHY STUDIO





COMPUTER TYPE