Advanced Typography - Task 2: Key Artwork and Collateral

13/9/2023 - 16/10/2023 Week 3- Week 8
Ng Jia Ern 0363033
Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Task 2 - Key Artwork and Collateral

CONTENT

1. Lectures
2. Instructions
   Exercise 1: Key Artwork
        Final Submission
   Exercise 2: Collateral
        Final Submission
3. Feedback
4. Reflection
5. Further Reading

LECTURES

Lectures [1] and [2] refer to Task 1

[3] Context & Creativity

Handwriting

Why is handwriting important in the study of type/typography?

We study handwriting because the first mechanically produced letterforms were designed to directly imitate handwriting. Handwriting would become the basis or standard that for form, spacing and conventions mechanical type would try and mimic.

Early typefaces were created to imitate handwriting, setting the standard for letter shapes, spacing, and design conventions. Handwriting's uniqueness is influenced by the tools and materials used, like pens and different writing surfaces. Understanding handwriting helps us appreciate the historical roots of typography and how it has evolved.

Evolution of the Latin alphabet

Development of Western handwriting

1. Cuneiform

2. Hieroglyphics

3. Early Greek

4. Roman Uncials

5. English Half Uncials

6. Carolingian Minuscule

7. Black Letter

8. Movable Type

Han'gul

Printing using wood blocks was practised in China, Korea, and Japan, with the earliest known printed book, the Diamond Sutra, dating back to AD 868 in China. China attempted movable type printing but faced challenges due to the vast number of characters and materials used. However, Korea succeeded in the late 14th century by casting movable type in bronze and introducing the Han'gul script, marking a significant advancement in printing technology before Gutenberg's Bible in Europe in 1439.

Development of Eastern Handwriting

Evolution of Middle Eastern Alphabets

The Evolution of the Chinese script

The yet-undeciphered Indus Valley Civilization

The Brahmi script - the earliest writing system developed in India

Southeast Asia

The oldest writing systems present in Southeast Asia were Indian scripts. But the most important is Pallava, a South Indian script originally used for writing Sanskrit and Tamil.

This is the Kedukan Bukit inscription from Sumatra, written in Old Malay using the Pallava script.

Pra-nagari, an early form of the Nagari script, was used in India for writing Sanskrit.

Kawi, Indonesia's most important historical script is based on Nagari, but indigenous to Java. Kawi was used for contacting other kingdoms. It was so widespread and became the basis of other scripts in both Indonesia and the Philippines.

Laguna Copperplate Inscription. Written in Kawi

Incung comes from a South Sumatran grouping of scripts known as Rencong.

Other scripts that are assimilated from Indonesian communities into Peninsula Malay Communities: Rajang script, Batak script, Bugis script (Lontara), and Javanese script.

Jawi, an Arabic-based alphabet, was introduced to South and Southeast Asia alongside Islam. In ancient Hindu societies with class distinctions, Islam encouraged teaching for proselytization, allowing traders engaged in missionary work to spread Jawi among the previously illiterate lower classes. Over time, it became important in modern Malaysia for literary works, even though misconceptions about its origin persist due to a lack of pre-Jawi inscriptions. This history underscores the complex interplay of culture and religion in the development of writing systems in the region.

Programmers and Type Design

Software giants like Google employ more Asian programmers & designers, more & more vernacular/"multi-script" (a term coined by Muthu Nedumaran) typefaces are being produced.

Baloo, a multi-script typeface by Ek Type

Local Movements and Individuals

murasu.com in Malaysia (spear-headed by Muthu Nedumaran), created a programming language to encode different types of vernacular writing systems, which is now being used in phones & desktop.

Huruf, a local group of graphic designers interested in the localized lettering of Latin and vernacular letters painted or inscribed on walls and signages are among the more prominent organizations digitizing and revitalizing typefaces in Malaysia.

Ek Type and Indian Type Foundry are organizations that made vernacular typefaces.

[4] Designing Type

Why design another new typeface?

Type design is a form of artistic expression and carries a social responsibility so one must continue to improve its legibility.

The purpose and limitations of typeface:

Frutiger

Frutiger typeface

Purpose: “The goal of this new typeface was to create a clean, distinctive and legible typeface that is easy to see from both close up and far away. Extremely functional.”

Limitations: Letterforms needed to be recognized even in poor light conditions or when the reader was moving quickly past the sign. He tested with unfocused letters to see which letterforms could still be identified.

Verdana

Verdana typeface

Purpose: The font was tuned to be extremely legible even at very small sizes on the screen due in part to the popularity of the internet and electronic devices.

Limitations: The Verdana fonts exhibit characteristics derived from the pixel rather than the pen, the brush or the chisel. Commonly confused characters, such as the lowercase i j l.

Bell Gothic typeface solves multiple technical and visual problems related to the existing phonebook typeface.

Bell Gothic typeface

General Process of Type Design

1. Research

We need to understand type history, type anatomy and type conventions before designing typefaces. We should also know terminologies, side-bearing, metrics, hinting…

It is important to determine the type’s purpose or what it would be used for, what different applications it will be used in.

2. Sketching

Sketch of Johnston Sans, designed by Edward Johnston, sketch by Eiichi Kono

Two methods:

Traditional tool set (brushes/ pens, ink and paper)

Then scan them for the purpose of digitization. Need to be confident with your hands and have better control using it.

Digital toolsets

Sketch directly into a font design software (much quicker, persistent, and consistent) but this can sometimes impede the natural movement of hand strokes.

3. Digitization

Among the leading software are: FontLab and Glyphs App.

Can use Adobe Illustrator to design or craft the letterforms and then introduce it into the specialized font apps.

Attention should not only be given to the whole form at this stage but also to the counter form. The readability of the typeface is heavily dependent on it.

4. Testing

Prototype Stencil (Stenz) was developed and designed by Vinod J. Nair.

Testing is important to refine and correct aspects of the typeface.

Prototyping is also part of the testing process and leads to important feedback.

5. Deploy

Even after deploying a completed typeface there are always teething problems that did not come to the fore during the prototyping and testing phases. Thus, the task of revision doesn’t end upon deployment.

The rigour of the testing is important so that the teething issue remains minor.

Typeface Construction

Construction grid for the Roman Capital using 8 x 8 cells.

Using grids (with circular forms) can facilitate the construction of letterforms and is a possible method to build/create/design your letterform.

Construction and considerations:

Depending on their form and construction, the 26 characters of the alphabet can be arranged into groups, whereby a distinction is made between a group for the capitals and a group for lowercase letters.

Visual correction:

Extrusion of curved (and protruding) forms past the baseline and cap line

The white space between the letters should appear the same.

INSTRUCTIONS

Task 2A: Key Artwork

Instruction
What is a Key Artwork?

In the context of this task, the key artwork is a wordmark/lettering, but it is also an artwork. As a wordmark/lettering, it is used to identify a person but it is also used as an artwork that might adorn a lapel pin/T-shirt/poster (collateral). The key artwork can be disassembled into constituent shapes to form vibrant patterns that continue to maintain and expand its visual identity.

Explore and compose as many permutations and combinations of your name in the form of a wordmark/lettering. The final key artwork must be an elegant solution, well balanced and composed, not complicated or confusing that leads to a functional and communicable key artwork. This key artwork will subsequently be used in Task 2(B) collateral.

1. Mindmap

Make a mind map, create a mood board or an inspo, determine a direction and decipher it in words. Produce explorations of possible wordmark/lettering of your name (first name or pet name or pseudonym) with a minimum of at least 4-5 characters.

Mindmap about me, 19/9/2023

Why choose star as a symbol in my wordmark?

I like galaxies and I hope to be like a solitary star in the universe. I aspire for my future works as a designer to shine brightly, just like a star.

Star shine brightly in the night sky, guiding people and offering a sense of direction, I would choose a star as a symbol to represent my hopeful and forward-looking attitude.

2. Research

I search for inspiration on Pinterest and explore the e-portfolios of senior students. In the end, I create a mood board that serves as a reference for my design direction.

Moodboard, 19/9/2023

3. Sketches

Final Draft on Week 4

4. Refinement

5. Final Outcome

Task 2B: Collateral

Instruction

1. Go to the colour hunt site and pick a colour palette for your brand's identity

2. Identify at least 3 collaterals (T-Shirt, Tote Bag, etc.)

3. Expand your key artwork identity into your chosen collateral.

4. View Pentagram site for inspiration and study how identities are expanded.

5. Animate your key artworks

6. Take a black-and-white self-portrait

7. Create an Instagram account for your brand, and consider creative ways of displaying your work.

W8 DURING THE INDEPENDENT LEARNING WEEK

Aside from attempting your different task 3 topics (testing, making, digitising) in order to identify which one works for you, print your task 2 key artwork on a t-shirt and wear it to class on W9 (mandatory). Your printer might require at least 3-4 days for printing. So get it done now. Your design, your shirt, your decision.

You can try the place below or any other place near to your home:

Place: AAP (Asia Apparel) https://asiaapparel.my/

NO. 31-1 & 33G, JALAN USJ 1/1B,REGALIA

BUSINESS CENTRE, 47620 SUBANG JAYA,

SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN

Tel: 0102219591

Mon — Fri: 9AM – 6PM

Process

1. Colour Palette

I chose a colour palette from the colour hunt website, which uses purple and yellow for my collateral design.

2. Expansion Design

I've experimented with various colour combinations and found that this colour scheme looks great.

Then I chose Optima Type Family as my brand typeface.

Optima Typeface

Some expansion of my wordmark

business cards assets

Duplicate and combine to create a pattern

wordmark and other assets - Week 6

3. Mockup on collaterals

a. Business Cards

Falling Psd Business Cards Mockup Set from pixeden

Free Realistic Business Card Mockup from ls.graphics

b. Badge

Free round badge mockup from mockups-design.com

c. T-shirt

Printed T-shirt - Week 8

d. Stamp

The process of carving rubber stamps by myself

e. Hat

Cap mockup from freepik

f. bookmarks

Bookmark mockup from freepik

Paper food bag mockup from ls.graphics

4. Animated key artworks

Animated logo - Week 7

I also animate my expansion design.

5. Self-portrait

I took a portrait photo of myself with a camera and used photoshop to turn it to black and white.

Added wordmark on my portrait

6. Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/jiaern44/

Final Task 2 Submission:

1 Key Artwork (KA) in BW & colour (for colour one version where your KA appears in primary colour but against the lightest colour in your palette; another version where it appears in reverse)

2 KA animation in GIF (convert your MP4, or whatever to GIF)

3 introduce final KA: colour palette, 3 collateral (simulated, 1024²px @150/300ppi)

4 IG handle and link or hyperlinked

5 Desktop screen grab of your IG page and tiles (9). Your profile must feature a bio that explains the

purpose/job-scope/reason for being

FINAL SUBMISSION