art 132 two dimensional design for graphic design

ASSIGNMENT 4: WORD + IMAGE (20 pts)

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INTRODUCTION - LECTURE

Typography incorporates all the visual components of the written word. It is the art (and also technique) of arranging type to make written language legible and readable, with the goal of (typically) making it appealing.

Arranging type involves selecting typefaces, point size, line length, line-spacing (leading), letter-spacing (tracking), and adjusting the space between specific pairs of characters (kerning). Typography is the study of type and how to use it to aid in the communication of specific messages.

Designers use type to organize content, lead the eye around a page, command attention, and even move the reader through a document. It can be used to make artful design out of letters and words to emphasize the meaning of a design. Type also makes the content (text) easy for the reader to read and comprehend.

Poor use of type can cause comprehension problems and lead to real issues as seen in the 2000 presidential ballot debacle in Florida (see image below). Poor design, including the use of type, can have far reaching effects. For this reason, it's important for young designers to understand typography and the communicatory ability that is affords.

florida ballot design

(top) Contentious 2000 presidential election butterfly ballot from Palm Beach County, Florida; (bottom) Ballot redesign, Universal Principles of Design, William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, and Jill Butler. Typography can influence how people perceive and interpret information. There was confusion with the function of the Florida ballot. Confusion could have easily been remedied by better use of type and organization.

Typography surrounds us everywhere we go, but many people have never thought about it, or don't even notice it. Where do you notice type and fonts? Clothing or energy drink brands? Video games? Can you describe the feeling the type you see everyday is meant to convey? Look in your textbooks and notice how the information is displayed in terms of headlines, subheads, sidebars, and quotes. Comparing typography in textbooks raises awareness of why the text is presented as it is. Typography is an art form.

The History of Typography - an Animated Short

Typeface Anatomy: Download PDF

Understanding the anatomy of a typeface can help you conduct more productive critique and discussion about type. There are many intricate details when one looks closer at a type character itself (see the Typeface Anatomy pdf).

Looking at the handout, when comparing serif typefaces to sans serif typefaces, it's evident that serif typefaces in general have smaller x-heights and longer ascenders and descenders. The cap height is generally shorter than the length of the ascender. In addition, the letter "o" dips below the baseline just ever so slightly.

Knowledge of the anatomy of typography helps to look at a typeface more critically and make better informed decisions when selecting a typeface for a project. It will also helps when explaining why you chose a particular typeface to express a certain feeling or personality.

PAIRING FONTS

Font pairing takes a lot of practice and patience. Comparing or using different typefaces together and deciding if they communicate the desired message is as much an art as a learned skill. There is a craft to it, with no two designers pairing fonts in exactly the same way. The beauty lies in the infinite ways type can be combined to enhance communication. Keep in mind, there are typefaces that just don't work together stylistically and/or would send the wrong message.

Some general guidelines when pairing type are:

Typographyic Doubletakes: https://www.typography.com/blog/typographic-doubletakes

Type Designers:

More:

Artists that work with Type:

HIERARCHY

Hierarchy is the organization of elements on the page to draw the reader's eye to the first, second, third, etc. most important messages to be communicated.

What graphic designers do is organize information so it can be easily understood and easily followed. The focal point grabs the eye first, then another contrasting element takes the reader's eye from the focal point to the second most important point. Follow that up with yet another element that perhaps gives even more detail than the first and second layers did. This is the beginning of a typographic design.

All of the principles of design can be used to create hierarchy. For example, by pairing serif and sans serif typefaces together, the text can better illustrate and reinforce the intended message. Size is also a factor. The largest typographic element on the page doesn't particularly have to be the focal point. There are ample additional ways to create emphasis, such as with the use of color and space.

example of hierarchy

TYPE as IMAGE

type as image type visually representing meaning

ACTIONS

 

typefaces as modes of expressoin

TYPEFACES as MODES of EXPRESSION

noisy quiet

in out

TYPE + MEANING

DESCRIPTION:

This final assignment of the semester has several components:

The final output is of this assignment are animations with sound working with Adobe After Effects. The maincharacters of the animation are TYPE and SOUND. TYPE/ a VERB is presented to communicate its meaning, juxtaposing the this visual with SOUNDS that extend the meaning and viewers experience. Additionally, you will develop 3 navigation icons for moving in and around the animations suggesting a prototype for an interactive presentation.

WHAT TO DO:

IN CLASS THURSDAY APRIL 4

INTRODUCTION to ASSIGNMENT 4

PT1

READ the material above related to this assignment.

READ the following in your textbook, Graphic Design The New Basicsby Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips, © 2015

PT2

CONCEPT - COMPOSITION - PRINT + SOUND

DUE TUESDAY April 9. PT1 + PT2; CRITIQUE

IN CLASS TUESDAY April 9

HOMEWORK - continue this work in class on Thursday April 11

DUE THURSDAY April 11.

IN CLASS THURSDAY April 11

HOMEWORK

DUE TUESDAY April 16. CRITIQUE. Present 9 sounds files, 3 typeographic iterations of the verb selected with the icons developed

PT3

INTRODUCTION TO AFTER EFFECTS

IN CLASS TUESDAY April 16

IN CLASS THURSDAY April 18

HOMEWORK

 

IN CLASS TUESDAY April 23 + THURSDAY April 25

HOMEWORK

IN CLASS TUESDAY April 30

HOMEWORK

DUE THURSDAY May 2.

IN CLASS THURSDAY May 2

FINAL REVIEW of Assignment 4 animation + Final Portfolio Presentation!!!

Enjoy your summer!

VOCABULARY

Alphabet: a set of letters or symbols in a fixed order, used to represent the basic sounds of a language; in particular, the set of letters from A to Z.

Character (of type): a printed or written letter or symbol.

Hand lettering: is the art of drawing letters by hand, typically crafted for a single use (READ Smashing Magazine's article Understanding The Difference Between Type and Lettering—https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2013/01/understanding-difference-between-type-and-lettering/.)

Hieroglyphics: a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that combined logogram and alphabetic elements.

Ideograph: a written character symbolizing the idea of a thing without indicating the sounds used to say it.

Kerning: to adjust the spacing between two characters in a piece of text to be printed.

Leading: the amount of blank space between lines of print. Pictograph: a written symbol that depicts an object.

Pictograph: a written symbol that depicts an object.

Texture: surface quality that can be seen and felt.

Tracking: the uniform increase or decrease in the spacing between a range of characters.

Type: printed characters or letters.

Typeface: a particular design of type.

Typography: the style and appearance of printed matter; the art or procedure of arranging type or processing data and printing from it.

Symbol: a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.

.............

Serif typefaces have small projecting features at the end of strokes, added as an embellishment to the basic form of the character. Serifs were needed when type was chiseled into stone, before paper was invented. In practice, serif typefaces feel timeless, elegant, trustworthy and retro. Most newspaper and magazine text is set using serif typefaces because they are easier to read, especially when there is a lot of text set at small sizes.

Sans serif typefaces lack serifs, and therefore feel cleaner, simpler and more modern on the page. Sans serif fonts are easier to read on a computer, because the square nature of the pixel makes the subtle curves on serif type hard to render.

The combination of serif and sans serif typefaces can be used in headlines, subheads, and lists. They complement each other and can help organize information in a way to make it more understandable for the reader.

Script typefaces are reminiscent of hand writing and lettering. They try to bring the same authenticity that hand writing creates. They are often used sparingly in combination with other typefaces.

RESOURCES

Illustrator Tutorials

TYPE

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