Typography - Final Compilation & Reflection

Azmina Fathima Haris (0337113)
Typography
Final Compilation & Reflection


INSTRUCTIONS

Exercises
Project 1
Project 2
Final Project

SUBMISSIONS 

Exercises 
Calligraphy
Week 1 - 4 (29/08/18 - 19/09/18)

Fig. 1.0 Final outcome - horizontal, vertical and circular strokes 

Fig. 1.1 Final outcome of letters written in Uncial

Fig. 1.3 Quotes done on graph paper

Fig. 1.4 Final outcome of quote done in Uncial

Lettering 
Week 4 -5 (19/09/18 - 26/09/18)

Fig. 1.5 Final outcome of lettering for "easygoing"

Fig. 1.6 Animated gif of lettering

Type Expression 
Week 6 (3/10/18)

Fig. 1.7 Final outcome of type expression

Fig. 1.8 Chosen type expression to animate

Fig. 1.9 Final outcome of animated gif

Projects 

Project 1 - Text Formatting & Expression


 

Fig. 1. 10 Printed book cover

Fig. 1.11 Printed book pages 1-2

Fig. 1.12 Printed book pages 3-4

Fig. 1.13 Printed back cover

Project 2 - Font Design 

Fig. 1.14 Font design of my initials

Final Project - Expression, Hierarchy & Composition

Fig. 1.15 Final outcome of the poster

Fig. 1.16 Final outcome of animated gif

Embedded pdf version of the final poster

REFLECTION

EXPERIENCE

Typography was something I found myself really looking forward to but in the end has been nothing but unexpected turns, one after another - there were ups and downs and what felt like dead ends. I found myself getting very frustrated with my progress (or lack of) and felt more lost than I have in any other module. Although, it has been very challenging, I loved learning new things - from calligraphy to animating a gif. And this is not all - I feel like I have learned quite a bit about myself too, I can be a huge perfectionist when it comes to my work and never be satisfied with something but at the same time I tend to lose all hope quickly. Typography has taught me that it's always too soon to give up and call it a day - even if you think you're done with it. Another important lesson I learned; not just from this module that too, was how important it was keep up with your work and leave nothing pending. Maybe it's that I had higher expectations for myself, but at the end of this semester I feel like I would have done/learned a lot more. Despite feeling this way I know I've tried my very hardest for this module. It was fascinating discovering this aspect of design and although it was hectic and nothing but hard work throughout, I enjoyed it.

OBSERVATION

I never realised up until know how something that we're surrounded by could be so invisible at the same time. Typography is definitely something that goes unnoticed - but once you do begin to understand and learn more about it, seeing something that looks off can be quite irksome. This only makes me appreciate the effort put in by designers all the more - text is something that is seemingly powerless but now I know how unappreciated the work of a designer is and how much work truly goes into a final piece. Working on font design especially, made me realise this - how a slight difference in the stroke width or a curve, that wouldn't be so noticeable can make the whole thing look slightly off. There many (almost too many) things that we have to keep in mind when designing and trying to present information in a legible way - line spacing and kerning, choice of typeface, weights and style, margins and alignment - all used in the best possible way to effectively communicate the message.

FINDINGS

Even though I feel like compiling and archiving all our work is tedious, I know someday I'll appreciate the effort I put into my e-portfolio and how much more organised I've become; it's nice to have a visual timeline documenting my journey through typography. Documenting everything, every step of the way has also been a way for me to reflect and figure out how I could have done things differently and where I could improve. I know there's much more left to learn, which makes me a little excited about the future semesters and how they will turn out for me. Even though I feel like I wasn't getting good enough ideas for my work, I hope doing more research and looking for more inspiration can help me - especially when it comes to the rules of typography, which is key to producing something that effectively communicates the message in the best possible way. Again, this makes me realise how unappreciated the role of designers and typographers are when it comes to designing something that in the end, has to go unnoticed for it to be considered effective and functional.