TYPOGRAPHY TASK 1 : EXERCISE 1& 2- TYPE EXPRESSION & TEXT FORMATTING

March 30, 2022

TYPOGRAPHY TASK 1 : EXERCISE 1& 2- TYPE EXPRESSION & TEXT FORMATTING

Week 1 (30/3/22) - Week 5 (27/4/22)
Student: Tai Ser Yeet (0345798)
Programme: Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Task: Exercise 1 - Type Expression & Text Formatting

LECTURE

WEEK 1 - INTRODUCTION & BRIEFING

The first lecture session began with Mr. Vinod explaining the projects for the semester and the ample resources we could find on the Typography Facebook Group. One particular sentence which was preached by Mr. Vinod was that grades do not determine your worth. Thus, even if you had obtained bad grades, it does not mean that you are not an excellent designer because both matters are not in tandem with each other. Later, he gave an extensive self-introduction and elaborated on his past works which I thoroughly enjoyed very much. It inspired me to work harder and also brought a sense of excitement, knowing that I have a skillful and competent lecturer which could provide useful critiques of my artwork. After Mr. Vinod's introduction, my new coursemates & I took turns introducing ourselves instead. It was truly a pleasure to meet everybody physically for the first time.

PRE-RECORDED LECTURE :

EARLY LETTERFORM DEVELOPMENT: PHOENICIAN TO ROMAN

Fig 1.1, Evolution from the Phoenician letter (LEFT), 4th century B.C.E. – Phoenicians votive stele Carthage, Tunisia. (RIGHT), Week 2 (6/4/22)

Initially, tools such as a chisel and a sharp stick were used to write on surfaces such as wet clay. The type of tool used greatly influences the type of writing and scripts created. In the recent era, the writing style especially in Arabic & Modern Latin is derived from the Phoenician alphabet.

Fig 1.1.2 The Direction of Writing, Week 2 (6/4/22)

Previously, Phoenicians practiced writing from right to left. However, later on, the Greeks changed the style and called it 'Boustrophedon'. The writing style imitates how the ox plows the field which is from right to left and left to right (essentially moving in a continuous zig-zag motion). Not only did the way of writing change, the orientation of the letterforms altered accordingly. Ultimately, the Middle Eastern countries such as the Muslims, Christians, and Jews have also gradually adopted that concept as well.

Fig 1.1.3 Development from Phoenician to Greek to Roman, Week 2 (6/4/22)

Furthermore, the Romans would paint the letterforms before carving them on stone. This meant that the weight of brushstrokes was carried forward to the carving hence, again converting the appearance of alphabets.

HAND SCRIPTS

Fig 1.2 Square Capitals (LEFT), Rustic Capitals (RIGHT), Week 2 (6/4/22)

1. Square Capitals: written version of Roman Letters, pen held at a 60-degree angle

2. Rustic Capitals: compressed ver. of square capitals, pen held at a 30-degree angle, faster to write but harder to read

Both types of capitals were only used for important documents.

Fig 1.2.1 Roman Cursive Letterforms, Week 2 (6/4/22)

Later on, simplified versions of the style known as cursive letterforms were developed as a result of speed. This was also the starting point of lowercase formation.

Fig 1.2.2 Uncials (LEFT), Half-Uncials (RIGHT), Week 2 (6/4/22)

Uncials generally referred to as small letters, have referenced some elements from the Roman cursive. This particular letterform has both capitals & lowercases integrated into it. Half-uncials also mark the beginning of lowercase letterforms.

Fig 1.2.3 Carolingian Miniscule, Week 2 (6/4/22)

The monks recreated the words in uppercase, lowercase, capitalization, and punctuation, determining the handwriting standard for a century.

BLACKLETTERS TO GUTENBERG STYLE

Fig 1.3 Blackletter (Textura), Week 2 (6/4/22)

A condensed, extremely vertical letterform known as Blackletter was well-known in northern Europe. The 'rotunda' hand, which is rounder and more open, became popular in the south.

Fig 1.3.2 42 Line Bible, Johann Gutenberg, Mainz, Week 2 (6/4/22)

Gutenberg has created pages that faithfully reproduced the scribe's work — Northern European Blackletter.

Fig 1.3.3 Typeform Classification, Week 2 (6/4/22)

WEEK 2- FEEDBACK FOR SKETCHES

Mr. Vinod has provided personal feedback regarding our sketches on the type expression exercise.

PRE-RECORDED LECTURE :

DESCRIBING LETTERFORMS

1. Baseline - imaginary line at the base of letterforms.

2. Median - imaginary line at the top of the letter's x-height

3. X-height - The height of lowercase letters

In order to give an impression that the capital letters and lowercase letters are of equal height, the ascending stroke of the lowercase tends to be slightly above the uppercase.

4. Stroke -lines that make a letterform

5. Apex/Vertex - intersecting point of two diagonal stems (apex (top) & vertex (bottom))

6. Arm - Extended stroke from the letter's stem (e.g E, F, L, K, Y)

7. Ascender - stem which exceeds the median line

8. Barb - Half-serif on certain curved letters (e.g C, G, S )

9. Beak - Similar to Barb but Beak is for certain horizontal arms (e.g E, T, L)

10. Bowl - an area of a letter that is either open/ close ( e.g open bowls- b, d, p, a | close bowls- c, h)

11. Bracket- progression between the stem and the serif (the slanted curve when transitioning).

12. Cross Bar - horizontal stroke combining two separate stems (e.g A, H)

13. Cross Stroke - horizontal stroke cutting across lowercase letters (e.g f, t)

14. Crotch - the space where two strokes intersect ( e.g K, V)

15. Descender - a stem that extends below the baseline

16. Ear - stroke jutting out of the main stem (depends on the typeface e.g g, r)

Fig 2.1 Comparison of Em/En Dash and Hyphen, Week 2 (6/4/22)

17. Em/En - Em is the long dash used for quotations is the width of the letter 'M'. En is half of the width of Em. One of En's uses is for years (e.g 1920 - 2000)

18. Finial - non-serif curve to a stroke

19. Leg - short-stroke off the arm of the letter, towards the tip (e.g L, K, R)

Fig 2.1.2 Examples of Ligatures, Week 2 (6/4/22)

20. Ligature - conjoined part of two letters when they overlap each other

21. Link - a stroke that joins the bowl and the loop of the small letter 'g'

22. Loop - bowl formed when the descender touches a stroke of the same letter( applies to certain typefaces)

23. Serif - foot at the end of a stroke (e.g A, T, M)

24. Shoulder - the curved stroke which is separated from the bowl (e.g h.n)

25. Spine - Arched stem ( e.g S)

26. Spur - forms the junction of a curvilinear & rectilinear stroke (e.g b, q, G)

27. Stem - the foundation stroke of a letterform

28. Stress - direction/ angle of a letterform. Some are slanted as they follow the nature of handwriting (e.g 'O'- vertical upright, 'e'- slanted)

29. Swash - the flick or curved stroke which extends from a letter (typically seen in calligraphy)

30. Tail - same as swash but shorter (like a turtle's tail)(e.g Q).

31. Terminal - finish with the absence of a serif. Comes in flat, acute, concave, convex, rounded, or a teardrop form (e.g T, t)

FONT TERMS

1. Typeface- the individual weight of a letter stroke e.g bold, regular, italic

2. Type family- has different typefaces in it

3. Small Capitals - uppercase letterforms with an x-height (basically uppercase with the size of lowercase letters)

WEEK 3

PRE-RECORDED LECTURE PART 1 :

TERMS

1. Kerning- adjustment of space between letters. Kerning is mainly used for uppercase letterings (headline) to enhance readability.

2. Tracking- addition or removal of space in a word/ sentence.

Fig 3.1 Example of Types of Tracking, Week 3 (13/4/22)

Fig 3.1.2 Negative Spaces Between Letters, Week 3 (13/4/22)

When tracking/kerning is added to a word, it reduces the readability of that word. As we read, we are also looking at the positive/negative spaces in between each letter.

TEXT FORMATTING

1. Flush Left- mimicks asymmetrical balance & each line begins at the same starting point but ends where the last word stops. It is also important to make the jagged part as smooth as possible to make it look neat. To do that, kerning is used. // Flush Left, Jagged Right

Fig 3.2 Definition of a Line Break, Week 3 (13/4/22)

2. Centered- symmetrical, creates an illusion of the texts as a shape therefore it is important to incorporate line breaks in between each sentence. However, centered text can be difficult to read so use it sparingly.

3. Flush Right- reading from the jagged point is very difficult so do not use it for large amounts of text. It is better used for captions because there is no strong indication of the letter direction.

4. Justified- symmetrical, justified is achieved by increasing/decreasing letter spacings. However, this meant that 'rivers'(the wide gaps between some words) will be formed in order to keep the alignment uniform. In order to solve this problem, line breaks and hyphenation is used.

Remember...

"If you see the type before you see the words, change the type"

Fig 3.2.2 Comparison Between the Readability of Text, Week 3 (13/4/22)

One thing to note in Fig 3.2.2 is calligraphy/cursive font should not be used when typing in capital letters. So the solution is to use a secondary typeface that compliments the main typeface.

Fig 3.2.3 Text Anatomy, Week 3 (13/4/22)

The greater the value of x-height in comparison to the ascender/descender, the greater the readability of the text.

Fig 3.2.4 Difference in Gray Value In Between Typefaces, Week 3 (13/4/22)

'Baskerville', the typeface on the bottom middle section, has the right amount of gray value with accounts for its size. 'Bembo Std', the typeface used on the topmost left has an issue with contrast. For context, contrast refers to the difference in thickness of the strokes in a typeface. If the thin strokes at a small typeface size are simultaneously used, the thin strokes disappear thus reducing the reading capability.

LEADING & LINE LENGTH

"A field of type should occupy as much space as the photograph used"

1. Type Size- large enough to read within an arm's length

2. Leading- the reader would easily lose its place in the paragraph if the type is set too close together. Not to mention, it would also distract the reader with its zebra-like pattern.

Fig 3.3 Example of Leading, (Source: Gomez, 2015) Week 3 (13/4/22)

Generally, an increment of 2.0pt to 2.5pt in comparison to a type size is ideal.

3. Line Length- too long of a line length reduces readability. Therefore, keep the line within the range of 55-65 characters.

Fig 3.3.2 Example of Line Length, (Source: Wikipedia) Week 3 (13/4/22)

PRE-RECORDED LECTURE PART 2 :

METHODS TO INDICATE PARAGRAPHS

1. Pilcrow (¶)- a symbol to indicate the paragraph break

2. Indentation- Indent is the same size as the line spacing. Indentation is best used when the text alignment is justified. If not, you would have a ragged edge on the left side as well as the right side of the text, making it look untidy.

3. Extended Paragraphs- typically used in academic writing.

Fig 3.4 Example of Extended Paragraphs, Week 3 (13/4/22)

HOW TO DETERMINE PARAGRAPH SPACING

1. Line Space (Leading) - Line spacing is from the descender of a line to the descender of the next line. The leading of a particular paragraph is equivalent to paragraph spacing. This guarantees cross-alignment when there are two columns of text. For example, leading is 12pts hence paragraph spacing is also 12pts.

Fig 3.5 Line Spacing V.S Leading, Week 3 (13/4/22)

Fig 3.5.2 Example of Cross-Alignment, Week 3 (13/4/22)

Cross-Alignment is when all the lines align horizontally on two columns. (See Fig 3.5.2)(Scroll down for further explanation)

WIDOWS & ORPHANS

Definitions

1. Widows - a short line of text at the end of a column.

2. Orphans - a short line of text at the beginning of a column.

Fig 3.6 Example of Widows & Orphans, Week 3 (13/4/22)

SOLUTIONS FOR WIDOWS & ORPHANS

1. Widows/ Smoothen Ragged Edges- conduct a forced line break. Widows carried out for right-aligned text are somewhat acceptable but advisable not to do so. Justified text, on the contrary, is unforgivable.

2. Orphans- reduce the length of the text column

HIGHLIGHTING TEXT

We can emphasize a certain text by :

1. Using Italics

2. Making Text Bold

3. Changing the color of the text

4. Changing the Typeface & Bolding the Text

Fig 3.6.2 Changing Point Size of the Paragraph from a Different Type Family, Week 3 (13/4/22)

As seen from Fig XX, the x-height of the Univers typeface is not equivalent to the x-height of the Times typeface. Hence, when changing the type family of a body of text, it is best to reduce the size of the typeface by 0.5 pts. This is to ensure that both the x-height of the different typefaces match each other.

Fig 3.6.3 Changing Point Size of Numerals, Week 3 (13/4/22)

The same concept goes for numbers and capital acronyms to achieve visual cohesion of the text.

5. Placing a field of color at the back of the text

Fig 3.6.4 Comparison Between Extending or Indenting a Column of Type, Week 3 (13/4/22)

In Fig 3.6.4, choosing which option is better for a certain text is subjective to one's personal taste. Thus, as long as it achieves good readability, then there is no issue.

Fig 3.6.5 Extending or Indenting a Quote, Week 3 (13/4/22)

Fig 3.6.6 Differentiating a Prime & a Quotation Mark, Week 3 (13/4/22)

HEADLINE WITHIN TEXT

Typographers need to ensure that the visual importance of each headline is clear to the readers. E.g readers need to be able to differentiate the headline, sub-headings, and sub-sub headings in a body of text.

1. Headings

Fig 3.7 Format for Headings, Week 3 (13/4/22)

The size of the headings is larger than the text, in small capital letters and bolded. It can also be extended out from the column of text as shown in the third image.

2. Sub-Headings

Fig 3.7.2 Format for Sub-Headings, Week 3 (13/4/22)

The sub-headings follow the leading of the paragraphs. They can also be in small capital letters, italicized, and bolded to stand out.

3. Sub-sub Headings

Fig 3.7.3 Format for Sub-sub Headings, Week 3 (13/4/22)

Sub-sub headings do not interrupt the flow of reading. Similar to the sub-headings, they can also be in small capital letters, italicized, and bolded. Furthermore, an EM space (press spacebar twice) is followed after the sub-sub heading to discern them from the regular paragraph of text.

Fig 3.7.4 Variety of Headings Used Together, Week 3 (13/4/22)

By using them together, visual hierarchy is incorporated hence, allowing readers to easily comprehend your writings.

CROSS ALIGNMENT

Fig 3.8 Cross Alignment of Highlighted Text & Body of Text, Week 3 (13/4/22)

Cross Alignment helps enforce vertical rhythms when reading.

For the top example, 1 line of headline = 2 lines of text

For the bottom example, 4 lines of headline = 5 lines of text

We could achieve cross alignment when having both subheadings and the body of text by doubling the leading from the body of text. E.g if the leading for the body of the text is 12pts, the subheading on the left could be 24pts. Another thing to note is the baseline of both the headings and body of the text should start at the same point in order for cross alignment to be fulfilled.

WEEK 4

PRE-RECORDED LECTURE (LECTURE VIDEO 1.4- 4.4A) :

TEXT FORMATTING

Kerning - adjusts the space between individual letterforms

Tracking(letter-spacing)- adjusts spacing uniformly over the range of characters. Do not track more than three times (stay within the range of -15 to 15)

WHEN TO KERN?

Kern is only necessary when you have encountered awkward shapes or counter spaces that are between the letterforms

IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS

In Keyboard Increments, it is always important to set the Kerning/Tracking to 5/1000 em. That way, you have more control over the spacing with just a click of the arrow.

Having a standard margin does not make your document/layout appealing. Hence, we could either change the bottom margin to a quarter of the page or the top.

Font Size- For A3 & A4 documents, a 10 to 12 pt font size is desirable

Line Length - 50-6 or 55-65 characters is ideal for each sentence.

Leading- 2- 3 points more than the font size

Paragraph Spacing- is the same value as leading

The objective of text formatting is to get the ragged edges smooth and not a straight line.

Left justified is not advisable because if the kerning is not done correctly, there will be many instances of rivers. In that case, turning on the hyphenation setting would solve this problem. But too much hyphenation is not good work as well.

Ideally, it is better to use text alignments such as Align Left, Left Justified & Centre Justified. When using full justified, the space between the columns must increase by a few millimeters. The left-aligned text has no such requirements as it already has an organic space due to the ragging.

HOW TO DETERMINE A GOOD TYPESET DOCUMENT?

Decide if the white space or positive/negative space within the text is evenly spaced out. An evenly distributed color on the canvas could also demonstrate good design work.

Having widows & orphans in your text formatting is unpardonable & should be avoided at all costs.

INSTRUCTIONS

TASK 1: EXERCISE 1 - TYPE EXPRESSION

TYPE EXPRESSION

WEEK 1- FACEBOOK POLL, RESEARCH & SKETCHING 4 WORDS

For the type expression exercise, we were tasked to cast our vote on a long list of words for that particular assignment. After the poll, Mr Vinod listed down the 6 words that we were allowed to use; cough (mandatory), squeeze, pop, explode, grow & wink. Other than 'Cough', I have decided to go with 'Pop', 'Explode" & 'Grow.

Fig 4.1 Voting On Words To Use, Week 1 (30/3/22)

Fig 4.1.2 Voting On Words To Use, Week 1 (30/3/22)

I also listed down the adjectives, scenarios, and repercussions associated with my selected words. This is to ensure the viewers could decipher the exact meaning of my design without much effort while maintaining high levels of visual interest.

Fig 4.1.3 Elements Associated With 'Cough' & 'Pop', Week 1 (31/3/22)

Fig 4.1.4 Elements Associated With 'Grow' & 'Explode', Week 1 (31/3/22)

Before I started sketching my chosen words, I began searching for inspirational designs, just to get a grasp of how type expression is accomplished.

Fig 4.1.5 Examples of Good Type Expressions, Week 1 (31/3/22)

Fig 4.1.6 Examples of Good Type Expressions, Week 1 (31/3/22)

Let the sketching begin!

The first word I tried sketching was 'Cough'.

Fig 4.2 Cough Text Expression, Week 2 (30/3/22)

1. Left sketch - the lines of the cough represent the droplets coming out of an individual's mouth.

2. Right sketch - same concept with the left sketch but the droplets are in the forms of the capital letter 'H' & small letter 'h'.

Fig 4.2.2 Grow Text Expression, Week 2 (30/3/22)

Description

1. Left sketch - the emphasis is placed on the capital letter 'R' being in a crowd of all small letters. The contrast in size of the R from the rest indicates its growth.

2. Right sketch - each letter gradually increases in size beginning from 'G'.

Fig 4.2.3 Explode Text Expression, Week 2 (30/3/22)

Description

1. Left sketch (Top) - The impact of the explosion slices the word in half. Hence, fragments of it are scattered in various directions.

2. Left sketch (Bottom) - Two dynamite sticks are positioned in a way that resembles an 'X'.

2. Right sketch - The letters 'EXPL' are terrified of the 'O' because it is about to explode at any minute hence, the gap surrounding the 'O'.

Fig 4.2.4 Pop Text Expression, Week 2 (30/3/22)

Description

1. Left sketch - The 'P' which represents a flag made with sharp needles threatens to poke the 'O' balloon who then tries to avoid it.

2. Right sketch (Top) - The O is filled in while the P's are merely strokes. This makes the 'O' pop.

2. Right sketch (Bottom) - The two dotted lined 'P's are placed behind in order for the 'O' to be the center of attention.

WEEK 2- REFINING SKETCHES, DIGITALIZING TYPE EXPRESSION

Today's class was all about reviewing our sketches. As a summary of Mr.Vinod's feedback, it was said that none of my text expressions for 'POP' worked. This prompted me to return to the drawing board and ideate once more. Fig 5.1.4 is what I have come up with.

ATTEMPT 2 AT THE 'POP' TEXT EXPRESSION

I was cracking my head on my next ideation when I was suddenly reminded of the various design principles learned during my first semester at BDCM. One of the things highlighted during that module was the use of the Gestalt Principle of Closure.

Fig 5.1 Designs Incorporating Gestalt- Principle of Closure, Week 2 (Source: Userpeek, n.d.)(6/4/22)

Fig 5.1.2 Designs Incorporating Gestalt- Principle of Closure, Week 2 (Source 1: Lisickis, 2021)(Source 2: Canva, n,d,)(Source 3: Kunstler, 2008)(6/4/22)

Fig 5.1.3 Designs Incorporating Gestalt- Principle of Closure, Week 2 (Source: Kunstler, 2008)(6/4/22)

After many hours of scrolling through great works from skilled artists, I was ready to embark on my own journey of creating a Gestalt piece for the word 'Pop'. (See Fig 5.1.4, 5.1.5 below).

Fig 5.1.4 Pop Text Expression(Attempt 2A), Week 2 (6/4/22)

Fig 5.1.5 Pop Text Expression (Attempt 2B), Week 2 (6/4/22)

We are tasked to use the downloaded type families for Exercises 1 & 2.

Fig 5.1.6 10 Typefaces On Google Drive, Week 2 (6/4/22)

WEEK 3- FINALIZING DIGITAL WORK, ANIMATING TYPE EXPRESSION

Using the warp function, I selected the 'Arc' option to distort the 'Expl' & 'de' in order to give the illusion that they are scared of 'O' as the bomb.

Fig 6.1 Digitalizing 'Éxplode', Week 2 (6/4/22)

I deleted a section of the 'O' using the knife tool and later used the pen tool to create the bomb tail, attaching it to the top of the alphabet.

Fig 6.1.2 Digitalizing 'Éxplode', Week 2 (6/4/22)

Similar concept to Fig 6.1, the 'Pop' text is being warped but I chose the option 'Shell Upper' instead to taper the bottom.

Fig 6.1.3 Digitalizing 'Pop', Week 2 (6/4/22)

For the second 'pop', I intend to make the word 3-Dimensional by doing a shadow effect. First off, I duplicated the word and made it two different colors. After that, I proceeded to use the blend function from Illustrator and it would turn into an object with many middle layers, making it POP even more.

Fig 6.1.4 Digitalizing 'Pop', Week 2 (6/4/22)

For the cough, because I didn't like my sketches of this word therefore I just went ahead & tried something new with this expression. I wanted to show the sound waves caused by the vibration of the cough so I repeated the 'ough' as well as warped it to resemble the shape of the wave.

Fig 6.1.5 Digitalizing 'Cough', Week 2 (6/4/22)

For 'Grow', I did not do anything too fancy except for kerning the letterspacing between 'o' & 'w' to about 25 points.

Fig 6.1.6 Digitalizing 'Grow', Week 2 (6/4/22)

Fig 6.1.7 Compilation of Digitalised Words, Week 3 (/4/22)

Mr. Vinod was not happy with the way my 'Cough' word was going out of the default frames. He had also stated that distortions could be further reduced for the 'Explode' word. Besides, the meaning of the word could even be conveyed without distortion. Next, he also expressed his disagreement with the 'Pop' design at the top center frame.

After the feedback for the word 'Explode', I reduced the distortion of letters significantly but still remain the close proximity to both 'Expl' & 'de' respectively. I also felt that the previous text expression was lacking interest. Then I had an idea to recreate the 'O' as though it has already exploded and had left behind a silhouette of grey smoke. As such, I utilized the gaussian blur function to allow for the 'O' to blend more into the background. As for the rest of the letters, I used the warp tool to mimic the wind & impact caused by the explosion.

Fig 6.1.8 Second Outcome for 'Explode' Week 3 (/4/22)

I tried another version of cough but this time repeating the words and placing it in a mountain form. It shows as though the 'C' is coughing the sounds made when someone coughs. Moreover, I also made sure to erase any parts that are sticking out of the frame.

Fig 6.1.9 Outcome of 'Explode' Week 3 (/4/22)

FINAL SUBMISSION OF TYPE EXPRESSION

Fig 7.1 Final Submission of Type Expression, PDF, Week 3 (13/4/22)

Fig 7.1.2 Final Submission of Type Expression, JPEG, Week 3 (13/4/22)

ANIMATING TYPE EXPRESSION

I loved how my 'Grow' text expression turned out. It is simple yet conveyed the message effectively hence, that was my chosen word to animate. Right off the bat, I knew that I wanted to make the capital letter 'R' gradually grow in the same way as a young plant. In order to get the precise movements, I went on YouTube and searched for a timelapse of plants growing over a period of time.

Fig 7.2 Time Lapses of Seeds Growing, Week 3 (13/4/22)

Not only that, I came across this video of animated text expressions which I found very interesting & truly conveyed the meaning of the word accurately.

Fig 7.2.2 Animation Incorporating Gestalt- Principle of Closure, Week 3 (Source: SEO Designs, n.d.)(13/4/22)

I watched a lecture video about animating through Adobe Photoshop. After that, as instructed by Mr.Vinod, I designed my animation frame by frame on Adobe Illustrator. The main focus of the animation is on the alphabet 'R' which will be gradually increasing in size while wiggling left & right. The particular motion signifies that it is trying to create more room for it between the other letters. During the process of wiggling side to side, the rest of the letters 'g', 'o' & 'w' were impacted by the movement but only slightly hence, little motion is shown.

Fig 7.2.3 Sequence of 'Grow' Animation, Week 3 (13/4/22)

Fig 7.2.4 Combining the 'Grow' Frames In Adobe Photoshop, Week 3 (13/4/22)

Fig 7.2.5 First Attempt on Grow Text Expression Animation, GIF, Week 3 (30/3/22)

During the feedback session, Mr.Vinod commented that my coursemates' animation was too fast therefore he suggested reducing the speed of the last frame in order to give it more of a dramatic effect and memorability.

Fig 7.2.6 Second Attempt on Grow Text Expression Animation, GIF, Week 3 (6/4/22)

Mr. Vinod stated that even the tiniest motion matters. That is the secret to making the animation come to life. He also mentioned studying the meaning of the word. For example, if your chosen word is 'Bounce', study how an object or living thing bounces up and down. I used that general feedback and applied it to my 'Grow' animation. Besides the lecturer's feedback, I also got constructive criticism from my peer, Jia Hsuan. She advised to perhaps increase the motion of the 'W' as it looked very still compared to the other letterforms.

Week 5's Feedback On Animated Gif

Mr.Vinod suggested that the GIF should pause for a longer period of time before looping once more.

Fig 7.3 Slowing Down Last Frame, Week 3 (6/4/22)

FINAL SUBMISSION OF ANIMATED TEXT EXPRESSION

Fig 7.4 Final Submission on Grow Text Expression Animation, GIF, Week 3 (6/4/22)

TASK 1: EXERCISE 2 - TEXT FORMATTING

WEEK 4- TEXT FORMATTING

After watching the lecture video (Typo_Ex_Text Formatting 1.4), I went onto Adobe InDesign & began work on the Kerning & Tracking task. First things first, we are instructed to type out our name using the 10 type families downloaded previously. Freedom is given to us in terms of choosing the typefaces that we wanted.

For this particular typeface below called Janson TextLT Std in 56 Italic, the distance between the 'T'& 'a', 'S' & 'e', 'Y'& 'e', as well as the double 'e's, were spaced slightly too far apart for my liking so I reduced the letter spacing in the middle of both alphabets and did a few clicks of tracking to finish it off.

Fig 8.1 Name after Being Kerned, Week 4 (20/4/22)

Fig 8.1.2 Labeling Each Typeface For Each Name, Week 4 (20/4/22)

Fig 8.1.3 Kerning & Tracking My Name, Week 4 (20/4/22)

OUTCOMES

Fig 8.2 Layout 1 & 2, Week 4 (24/4/22)

Similarities

Both texts in Layouts 1 & 2 are positioned at the center of the page instead of starting from the baseline.

Differences

Layout 1- Both columns of texts are placed side-by-side.

Layout 2- A section of text is placed on the top of the page whereas the other section is at the bottom.

Fig 8.2.2 Layout 3 & 4, Week 4 (24/4/22)

Both texts in Layouts 3 & 4 start from the baseline. The only difference between the two layouts is the arrangement of the caption.

PROBLEMS FACED

Initially, when I was kerning the text for the first layout, I noticed a widow. To remove the widow, I began a forced line break on the second last sentence, starting from the word 'as'. After that, I did tracking on the entire paragraph to smoothen the ragged edges.

Fig 8.3 Widow Spotted In Text Formatting, Week 4 (20/4/22)

Fig 8.3.2 Widow Eliminated In Text Formatting, Week 4 (20/4/22)

I then use the kerned text for all of my layout experimentation.

PRE-SUBMISSION OF TEXT FORMATTING

Fig 8.4 Pre-Submission of Text Formatting (Layout3), Week 5 (27/4/22)

General Feedback from Mr.Vinod Prior To Submission Day

After the feedback session this week, I came to realize a couple of mistakes in my layout:

1. The title should be left-aligned instead of right because mainly the rest of the text is being aligned on the left therefore it ought to be consistent.

2. The chosen image should relate to Helvetica.

3. In order for Mr.Vinod to check the criteria of cross-alignment, I must actually show that the text does, in fact, cross align. However, my pre-submission layout lacked that element.

Fig 8.4.2 Mistakes in Pre-Submission Layout, Week 5 (27/4/22)

His feedback to all my peers also allowed me to learn a few things about text formatting such as:

1. Kern/Track the text using left-aligned then only select the justified alignment later

2. Don’t choose a condensed typeface when using a large amount of text

3. Don’t have the first word sticking out of the first sentence of each paragraph if the second word isn't following closely

4. Don’t make the text look like its half justified and half ragged so if there's a text that is too even at the edge, deliberately keep it slightly jagged

5. Don’t put hyphenation for two rows stacked on each other from top and bottom

6. If it still looks weird after hyphenation, try removing the kerning that was done before

7. Cannot manually add a hyphen for large body text

8. Large body of text cannot do a force line break

9. Try making most of the text of the same alignment instead of left and right

10. It's better to only have two lines nearing the bottom. Then the rest of the text can be continued in the next column

11. No color photos

12. Pictures can be placed inside or outside the margin, as long as it is aligned to something.

13. If a heading is within a body text, then the leading needs to follow according to the body text for cross-alignment to occur. If it is not blended with the body text, then no need to follow that specific leading.

14. Don’t center the text in the middle of the page with equal spacing on the top & bottom cuz the design becomes static. Instead, try shifting the design up or down.

Later I have decided to redesign my layout, keeping in mind the new-found information I received from Mr.Vinod. Firstly, I started off my correcting the mistakes in my layout according to the feedback.

Fig 8.4.3 Correcting alignment of title, Week 5 (27/4/22)

Fig 8.4.4 Changing To a Helvetica Relevant Image, Week 5 (27/4/22)

Fig 8.4.5 Defining Cross-Alignment, Week 5 (27/4/22)

Somehow I was not satisfied with Layout 5(the refined version of Layout 3). Perhaps it is because how the various elements such as the image, heading, and body text does not cohesively interact with one another. They are interpreted as individuals instead of being in a group.

Fig 8.4.6 Layout 5, Week 5 (27/4/22)

I was playing around with the arrangement and low and behold, the birth of Layout 6!

Fig 8.4.7 Layout 6, Week 5 (27/4/22)

Fig 8.4.8 Comparison Between Pre-Submission Layout(LEFT) & Layout 6(RIGHT), Week 5 (27/4/22)

I thought that even though Layout 6 is much better than Pre-submission Layout, however, I still think it lacked something because the top right section was too empty. So I tried adding another image to fill that spot and raise the bottom image up higher, closer to the right text. And I was finally content with how it looked.

Fig 8.4.9 Layout 6.2, Week 5 (27/4/22)

Layout 6.2 had more movement and interest in its arrangement. One of the factors was the wide bottom space which helps draw the eyes to the body text & title. Also, despite the small heading, its importance is never missed in the layout due to the distinct separation between itself & the body text. Not to mention, I also changed the heading's typeface to 85 Extra Black which bolds the text and gives balance to the visual weight of the left & right columns of text. Furthermore, both of the images are left-aligned with the text which helps the reader determine the relationship between the text & the images.

FINAL SUBMISSION OF TEXT FORMATTING

Fig 8.5 Final Submission of Text Formatting, PDF, Week 5 (27/4/22)

Fig 8.5.2 Final Submission of Text Formatting With Gridlines, PDF, Week 5 (27/4/22)

Fig 8.5.3 Final Submission of Text Formatting, JPEG, Week 5 (27/4/22)

Font :Univers LT Std

Typeface : Univers LT Std 85 Extra Black, Univers LT Std 65 Bold, Univers LT Std 55 Roman

Font size : 26 pt & 24pt(Heading), 9 pt (sub-heading & body text)

Leading: 22pt (heading & sub-heading), 11pt( body text)

Paragraph Spacing: 11pt

Average characters per line : 51 ~ 64

Alignment: Left

Margins : 12.7mm (top, left, right), 50mm (bottom)

Columns : 4

Gutter: 5mm

FEEDBACKS

WEEK 2 - SKETCHES

Specific Feedback

The first sketch for 'Grow' is the start of something good if the alignment is done properly. Secondly, for both sketches of 'cough', there are too many graphical elements within the design. Next, Mr. Vinod seems unsure about the bottom right sketch of 'pop' as there were not many options to choose from anyway. Lastly for the word 'explode', he prefers the sketch on the left but also quite enjoy the right ideation as well.

WEEK 3 - DIGITALISATION & ANIMATION

General Feedback

Both digitalization and animation of text expression were given positive remarks and only require minor changes.

Specific Feedback

Digitalization: It would be better if there were less distortion for the 'Explode' word. Besides, the meaning of the word could even be conveyed without distortion. The line resembling a bomb tail for the 'O' in explode, must be between the thickness of 0.5pt to 1pt. As for the 'Pop', Mr. Vinod suggested increasing the size of the shadow. 'Cough' on the other hand, should not be going out of the default box; this advice goes for other words as well. Next, he also reminded me to write captions below each box containing the words.

Animation: Good job but the text should be centered within the box.

WEEK 4 - E-PORTFOLIO

General Feedback

Good formatting on the lecture notes and good documentation of progress and research is included. However, the reflection & further reading needs to be completed.

WEEK 5 - FEEDBACK ON TEXT FORMATTING

Specific Feedback

Some of the PDF documents could not be seen. The numbering under the captions has to be numbered. He also suggested that the animated type expression GIF should have a pause towards the end of the clip.

REFLECTIONS

EXPERIENCE

Throughout the entire four weeks of Typography lessons, I will be very frank & say that it was mentally exhausting. This might be due to the fact that I have not fully adapted the weekly progress recording as well as the tasks given by Mr. Vinod. However, I will state that each Typography class up until Week 4 was helpful in keeping me accountable for my work. Because Mr.Vinod requires everyone to show their progress during weekly classes, I would get work done faster instead of accumulating them.

OBSERVATIONS

After the text expression exercise, I could conclude the ideation part was comparatively more difficult as compared to the digitalization and animation process. I noticed that most of my peers had a canvas filled with sketches of the chosen words whereas I, on the other hand, was already struggling with the mandatory word. Hence, seeing that I faced trouble in this area, I would pay more attention to it from now on. Other than that, I personally believed that the text formatting exercise was quite confusing as I was not certain what a good end product would look like. Additionally, I wished there was a detailed explanation of this particular activity in the Module Information Booklet.

FINDINGS

I came to realize that if one does not master the basics of Adobe software before starting a more advanced exercise, there is only so much that can be done in order to make an outstanding design. Therefore, I would start working on Adobe InDesign & Photoshop which are two of my weakest points by watching YouTube tutorials as well as following Mr.Vinod's lecture video. Next, I only now understand that I am not the type of person that could listen to a 1-hour lecture in one go. It gets extremely boring & I would accidentally fall asleep. In order to fix that, I began to play my favorite music very softly in the background to minimize the chances of feeling sleepy.