About the Course
This three-credit hour studio course will introduce students to the practice,
history, and theory of typography. Through design research, independent project work, and collaborative exercises; students will produce typographic solutions to applied and experimental problems using typography as their primary, if not exclusive, design element.
Course work will include independent student research, sustained project
work, and critiques, emphasizing the perceptual and contextual properties of typographic design. Lectures, readings, and guided discussions will supplement project work, introducing students to the topics of letter form design, printing history, typographic classification, and textual representations.
To successfully complete this course, students will be expected to understand
and emulate the principles of typographic practice that began in the early Renaissance and continue with contemporary digital design. Students will also
be expected to demonstrate both leadership and collaboration skills while
working with their fellow students towards the completion of project work.
Course Syllabus
[download pdf]
Course Deliverables
Total possible points: 875
Projects 1 - 4 @ 100 points each = 400 points
Exercises 4 @ 25 points each = 100 points
Final Typography History Research Presentation
[Includes an Annotated Bibliography = 100 points
Quizzes Related to Readings 3 @ 25 points each = 75 points
Final Examination = 100 points
Process Book / Portfolio = 100 points
Course Lectures / Presentations
Course Schedule
Resources
First Things First Manifesto, 2000
Typographic Design: Form and Communication Web Site
*See links in syllabi for additional resources related to Typography.
You will find an extensive list of suggested readings and resources, links
and design organizations, and type foundries.
Tuesday, January 13
Introductions
Review Syllabus + Course Structure
“Helvetica”, the Documentary
Watch this film in class, take notes of things that are of interest to you.
Teach the class what you find of interest by designing a short presentation.
Make presentations to class on Thursday. This is to be short, less than 5 minutes. Design an 11” X 17” infographic that illustrates the highlights of your concept for the presentation. Export document as a .pdf for presentation.
For example:
After viewing the film you found that Matthew Carter's work was intriquing. Spend some time researching who he is and what his typographic work looks like and is about.
Design a SIMPLE layout about his work on an
11” X 17” [portrait layout.] Include short bodies of text and a few images as examples.
Present what you learned back to the class. Include information about him and why he was included in the film.
Click here to see “Helvetica”, a documentary film by Gary Hustwit
Review Student Comittment Forms
Review student presentations about “Helvetica”
Opening Talk / Presentation
Presentations
Anatomy of Type Presentation
Evolution of Typography Presentation
Type History Overview
Survey of the History of the Western Alphabet
What is a zeitgeist?
Assign:
Example for Exercise 01
Type Specimen / Classification / Archive
Assign:
Exercise 02 / Type as Shape
[download .pdf]
Assign Readings:
What do Graphic Designers Need to Know?
Who Becomes a Graphic Designer?
Tuesday, January 20
Discuss readings
Review progress towards Exercise 01
Continue to Work on Exercise 02
Assignment:
Work on Exercise 02. Have your final solutions (3 min) ready for review.
Thursday, January 22
Review progres on Exercise 02
Refine layouts in Adobe Illustrator, scanning the best solution and then redrawing it using the pen tool to create a vector graphic.
Have your redrawn in Illustrator graphic printed and pinned up at the beginning of class on Tuesday, January 27
Assign Readings:
Typographic Design: Form and Communication, 5th edition,
by Rob Carter, Ben Day, Phillip B. Meggs, The Evolution of Typography, pages 1–27, The Anatomy of Typography, pages 29–43
Typography (Graphic Design in Context), by Denise Gonzales Crisp, William F. Temple, Foreword, Introduction, Chapter 01, Primer, pages 06–25
The Designer as Author
“Graphic authorship is taken for granted by many design theorists and it is gaining ground within practice, too. But the idea has received little sustained examination. What does it mean and what is really possible?”
Tuesday, January 27
Present Exercise 02
Discussion of Assigned Readings
In class activity [45 min]:
1. You will be given one particular movement in the history of design.
2. Explore the following topics related to that movement:
Typography / Art / Architecture / Fashion / Politics / Economy / World Culture / Literacy / Audience: Who were the readers of that time period?
3. Design a simple presentation with visual examples of each category.
4. Export as a .pdf and submit to box.unl
5.
Present your research to class.
Review Project 01
Assign Project 01
Produce 100 [minimum] thumbnail sketches or studies for the layouts. [approx. 25 each layout]
Set up document in InDesign:
3 column, 1" margins format
Explore type within the limitations of each layout's specification.
Review printed examples
Assign Reading:
Typographic Design: Form and Communication, Syntax and Communication,
pages 47–72
Typography (Graphic Design in Context), Chapter 01, pages 26–63
The Elements of Typographic Style, Chapter 01: The Grand Design,
pages 17–24
Thursday, January 29
In class activity:
Create an outline of The Designer as Author
1. Working in groups of 3, produce an outline of the contents of the essay
Turn the outline, as a .pdf in to the course's box.unl by the end of class.
Review sketches and ideation for Project 01 with your classmates.
Look for unique ways that you and are your colleagues are “drawing with type” and composing with typographic forms and white space.
Continue to work on Project 01
Prepare 3 Iterations for layout 01, 02, 03
Present these to class for process review on Tuesday, February 03
Have them trimmed out to 10" X 10" format for review.
Tuesday, February 03
Review iterations for Project 01
Reflect, refine and develop more iterations for each layout.
Thursday, February 05
Review iterations for Project 01
Continue to work on Project 01
Prepare iterations for Layout 03 and Layout 04
Consider how all the layouts work together as a system.
Assign Reading:
Typographic Design: Form and Communication, Legibility, pages 73–90,
The Typographic Grid, pages 91–110
Typography (Graphic Design in Context), Reading Systems, pages 59–76
Tuesday, February 10
Quiz 02 / based on assigned readings
Class discussion / in-class activity to review the assigned readings
Work on Project 01
Exercise 03 - Kerning with Perfection
Ten Commandments of Typography
Thursday, February 12
Continue to work on Project 01
Review Project 02 Brief and start gathering materials
Exercise 03
“One Word -
!...with perfect kerning”
8” cap height.
Typeset
one word in the typeface of your studies from Project 01.
The word is your response to the
“Designer as Author”
How do you define “Authorship” in one word.
In class demonstration on kerning type using Illustrator, working with type as outlines.
Create an Adobe Illustrator file to be turned in and gathered to build the mechanical of artwork to send to print. The words will be cut into vinyl graphics using the UNL Arts Digital Lab and installed in the stairwells of Woods Art Building.
Process:
1. Design with Illustrator
2. Adjust kerning
3. Print it at 100%, using tiling and then piece it back together. Use artist's tape so that you can adjust the edges and it is easier to reposition.
4. Pin it up on a wall where you can stand back and study the kerning.
5.
Adjust kerning accordingly on your file.
6. Save file as .pdf.
7. Save file as .ai.
8. Collect files and put them in a folder labeled:
lastname_Project01_Exercise03_collect
9. Compress the folder
9. Upload it to GRPH223 box for UNL
http://box.unl.edu/
“Kern Type”
Your mission is simple: achieve pleasant and readable text by distributing the space between letters. Typographers call this activity kerning. Your solution will be compared to a typographer's solution, and you will be given a score depending on how close you nailed it. Good luck!
Tuesday, February 17
Work on Project 01
Thursday, February 19
Project 01 Formal Review
Richards Hall 2nd Floor critique space.
Project 01 Grading Rubric
Begin Project 02
Tuesday, February 24
Assign Project 02 - Cereal Box Recontextualized
Assign Reading:
Typographic Design: Form and Communication, Legibility, pages 73–90,
The Typographic Grid, pages 91–110
Typography (Graphic Design in Context), Reading Systems, pages 59–76
Typography Takes the Lead, pages 77 - 111
Thursday, February 26
Review sketches, ideation, type studies, grid design
Tuesday, March 03
Review sketches, ideation, type studies, grid design
Work on Project 02
Discuss printing of 36" X 36" prints and the installation of vinyl lettering
from the Kerning Exercise
Visiting Candidate for GD faculty / Data Visualization presentation:
Yoon Chung Han
Richards Hall, Room 15 / 4:00 p.m.
Yoon Chung Han Portfolio
Assign Reading:
Typographic Design: Form and Communication, Legibility, pages 73–90,
The Typographic Grid, pages 91–110
Typography (Graphic Design in Context), Reading Systems, pages 59–76
Typography Takes the Lead, pages 77 - 111
Thursday, March 05
Field Trip to Kinkos to print our 36" X 36" posters
Continue to work on Project 02
Develop new iterations and development existing layouts.
Tuesday, March 10
Exercise 04 - Reading a Can of Food
Work on Project 02
Project 02 / Process Review
Review type classfication systems
Attend Visiting Artist Lecture:
Andrea Dezsö is a visual artist who works across a broad range of media including drawing, painting, artist's books, embroidery, cut paper, animation, sculpture, site-specific installation and public art.
{write 2 - 3 paragraphs about the artist for extra credit.}
Richards Hall, Room 15 / 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 12
Work on Project 02
Have 3 Iterations / layouts printed and folded for process review.
Tuesday, March 17
Project 02 Final Critique
Discussion of Final Research Paper & Presentation
Review the timeline in Typographic Form & Communication,
consider topics for further research.
GD Faculty / Data Visualization Candidate Presentation:
Milena Radzikowska
Richards Hall, Room 15
4:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 19
Install Project 01 in stairwell of Woods Art Building. Bring a tape measure and your tool kit!
Assign Project 03
Project 03: Survey of the History of the Western Alphabet
Type History Research + Booklet Design / E-publishing
GD Faculty / Data Visualization Candidate Presentation:
Michael Stamper
Richards Hall, Room 14
4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 24 - No Class Spring Break
Thursday, March 26 - No Class Spring Break
Beautiful and Ugliness in Type Design
Tuesday, March 31
Project 03: Survey of the History of the Western Alphabet
Type History Research + Booklet Design / E-publishing
Meet with groups and discuss general concept / art direction for your book.
Book Design / Resources
1.
MOUSSE Publishing
“Mousse is publisher of catalogues, essays and curatorial projects, artist books and editions. Mousse Publishing follows a publication from its preliminary conception and design to its promotion and distribution, working in close dialogue with clients that include museums, public and private institutions and galleries across the globe. Mousse Publishing's books are internationally distributed by a network of leading distributors and can be found in 270 specialized bookstores and museum bookshops throughout the world.”
http://moussemagazine.it/
2.
Book Map
Create an outline of your assigned topic (in class activity).
Reference the timeline in your text book:
Typographic Design: Form + Communication
Individually design layout concepts, develop typographic systems, ideation and direction of research for Project 03
1. Read through the following links and design page layout options.
Begin by sketching various options for page layout. Sketch template.
2. Design spreads exploring typeface options and systems: typography, visual hierarchy, grid, margins, image placement etc.
Complete the following studies:
1. Comprehensive Type System Analysis = 6 detailed type studies with
the following 5 levels in the system of hierarchy [title, header, subhead, main body text, caption, pull quote]
Implement 6 studies, one typeface with each study. Explore all the variations in the typeface.
Example:
title / Meta Bold / Uppercase [21/25 pt.]
header / Meta Serif Bold Uppercase [16/20 pt.]
subhead / Meta Bold uc/lc [16/20 pt.]
main body text / Meta Book [10/13 pt.]
caption / Meta Book [ 6 pt.]
2. Show investigation of a minimum of 3 grid systems. [3 column, 5 column etc.]
3.
Design 2 spreads for the grid system you decide works best for your content.
Incorporate a type system's studies and analysis, visual heirarchy, image placement etc. into the layouts
Suggestions for research / ideation:
Experiment with the various options using the Fibonacci system handout.
Fibonacci Sequence for hierarchy / type systems handout
Familiarize yourself with the following:
Elements of effective page layout and setting good type
The Secret Law of Page Harmony
25 Rules for Setting Type
Reading Assignment:
"Thinking with Type" by Ellen Lupton
Grid
Thursday, April 02
Present sketches and individual layouts for review. A minimum of 10 spreads are to be developed. Print out your top 5 spreads for pin up review.
Decide which layouts options are working best for your group.
Continue to work on Project 03. Develop layout options further. Work towards final solution that will contribute to the layout for your group’s booklet design.
Continue to research and gather contents for your booklets. Consider image resolution and dpi. Make certain the images you choose are scanned at the best resolution and optimized for light file export.
Tuesday, April 07
Select page layout for group booklet design and populate your group’s contents using the layout and system you decide on.
Assign Research Presentation - 100 pts.
Project Brief
Turn in 3 topics for your research presentation.
Consider the zeitgeist of the time of your era of research, be specific and relate the topics back to the learning outcomes for the course.
Continue to work on Project 03
Develop Draft 01 (80% of the text and image in place) for Project 03
for review.
In class demonstration on printing to booklet in InDesign.
Thursday, April 09
Review Draft 01 / Consider form + content, systems, layout.
Continue to work on Project 03.
Tuesday, April 14
Review of
Project 03
Project 03: Survey of the History of the Western Alphabet
Type History Research + Booklet Design / E-publishing
Submit .pdf to issuu for presentation in class.
Grading Rubric / Evalution of Project 03
We will review the layouts and offer suggestions for improvements on content development as well as typographic systems. You will make these revisions for Thursday.
Design a front cover and back cover for your chapter. Everyone has their own cover design for your chapter. I will demonstrate how to print it in class on Thursday. You will turn in your printed and bound chapter on Thursday for evaluation.
Submit ideas for topics for your
Research Presentation on Thursday.
Type up three concepts, be brief, 1 - 2 sentences and print it out for Thursday.
Assign Project 04
Developing type studies for personalized wordmark / logotype
Create your own personal typographic lockup
Print a two-sided name card for your personal use.
[Rules and conditions will be assigned for how you may typeset your card]
More about the typographic lock up.
Assign: 50 iterations of name card layout. Explore variations within one family of type. Refer to project brief. Export your layouts as a multipage .pdf and print that. This will serve as a typology or a systematic method for displaying your type studies. Print out the multipage .pdf along with your top 5 designs, printed at schale, for review at the beginning of class on Tuesday.
Note* at least 40 of your iterations will explore the typefaces from the lists for each project.
Be prepared to address why you you made the decisions that you did. Practice discernment. Edit. Why did you choose the typeface that you did?? Question everyting.
Thursday, April 16
Print Project 03 booklets in class. Have your cover art ready and all the changes made to your chapter. We will print your booklets in class and you will turn them in for evaluation.
Work on Project 04, developing 50 iterations of name card layout
Check in on Exercise 01 - Type Library and Classification
Review Research Presentation Topics and suggestions for resources.
Tuesday, April 21
Present 50 iterations for Project 04
Prepare artwork for final review of
Project 04
Work on Research Presentations
Thursday, April 23
Final Critique Project 04
Turn in artwork for Project 04.
Create outlines of type
Generate a mechancical / file
that will go to UNL Printing Services for produciton of your name cards. Demonstration in class.
Tuesday, April 28
Presentations of Research
Grading Rubric for Evaluation of Presentations
Compilation of Project 03:
Survey of the History of the Western Alphabet
Thursday, April 30 - Last day of class
Turn in Process Books and Research Presentation
Tuesday, May 05
Final Exam Review
Woods Art Building / Room 208
7 - 8:30 p.m.
Link to “Research Presentations”
Link to “Survey of the History of the Western Alphabet”
Helpful links / final exam review
Typography Deconstructed
The Evolution of Design
Victor Margolin's epic World History of Design charts the practice's perceptual shift in approach from pragmatic to artistic.
Exercise 01 / Turn in
Instructions on sharing your Type Classification Library / Exercise 01
Thursday, May 07
Final Exam
3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Receive Printed Cards / Project 04
Project 04 Grading Rubric
Research Presentations Grading Rubric
Something fun to work on over the summer....
Design a process book of your progress, research and accomplishments
in GD / art courses you have taken so far. Take this content and organization and place it into a interactive format.
Design a simple web site, using WordPress, Wix, Other's Peoples Pixels, Squarespace, etc. Get into it! Familiarize yourself with as much technology as you can. Practice what you know and create!
Some thoughts about Fall 2015 at UNL~
Design + Social Justice Symposium
September 14 - 17, 2015
The graphic design program at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln’s Department of Art and Art History is planning a Design + Social Change Symposium, September 14-16. The symposium will examine the role that graphic design plays in social change through a series of lectures and exhibitions featuring images and newspapers from the Black Panther Party.
Protesters rally outside Baltimore City Hall a day after charges were announced against police officers in Freddie Gray’s death.
We propose a reversal of priorities in favor of more useful, lasting and democratic forms of communication - a mindshift away from product marketing and toward the exploration and production of a new kind of meaning. The scope of debate is shrinking; it must expand. Consumerism is running uncontested; it must be challenged by other perspectives expressed, in part, through the visual languages and resources of design.
First Things First Manifesto, 2000
SUMMER
Rick Poynor
On the Trail of The Eater of Darkness
Published by Putnam Capricorn, 1959. Cover design by Milton Glaser
Type Reviews Archer
Hoefler & Frere-Jones
Slab Serif
Typefaces of 2008