Typography/ Task 2: Typographic Exploration & Communication

30 Oct 2023 -  12 Nov 2023 (Week 6 - Week 7)

Natalie Chu Jing Xuan, 0354589

Typography, Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media

Task 2: Typographic Exploration & Communication

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Jumplinks

Lectures

Instructions

Task 2

Final outcome

Feedbacks

Reflections

Further Readings

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Lectures

Refer to Task 1

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Instructions

Task 2: Typographic Exploration & Communication

In this task, I will need to use Adobe Illustrator to design an expression for the headline. However, the final layout should be done in Adobe InDesign. 

We must choose one of the three topics provided in Teams to finish the assignment. The topics are as follows: The role of bauhaus thought on modern culture, Unite to visualise a better world, A code to build on and live by. I chose the first because I did some bauhaus research in the previous tutorial exercise. Here are some research that I did before I start designing my headline. 

Figure 1.1 Research on Bauhaus designs and layout designs

Bauhaus elements included shapes like squares, circles, and triangles, as well as colours like yellow, red, and blue. However, because this task must be completed in black and white, I can only include shape elements in my headline. Therefore, here are my sketches of my headline and layout:

Figure 1.2 Sketches of headline(left), layout(right)

With these sketches, I begin my drafts in Adobe Illustrator. In the word 'bauhaus,' I added the circle, triangle, and shape elements.

Figure 1.3 Draft headline

After that, I start with my first two attempts in Adobe InDesign.

Figure 1.4 First and second attempt

I didn't know where to put the heading at first, so I referred to my sketch layout in Figure 1.2, but the headline will be too small if I use sketches 2 and 3. So I make a few changes. I decided to change the headline's design and enlarge the size of the headline to allow it to fit more space on the pages, and these are my results:

Figure 1.5 Amendments

Figure 1.6 Close up of my layout

FINAL OUTCOME 

HEAD
Font/s: Futura Std Medium
Type Size/s: 32pt, 160pt
Leading: 38pt, 188pt
Paragraph spacing: -

BODY
Font/s: Futura Std Book
Type Size/s: 10pt
Leading: 12.5pt
Paragraph spacing: 4.41mm
Characters per-line: average 55
Alignment: Left

Margins: 15 mm top, 10 mm left + 10 mm right + 15 mm bottom
Columns: 2
Gutter: 5 mm

Figure 1.7 Final outcome without grids

Figure 1.8 Final outcome with grids

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Feedbacks

Week 7 

General Feedback: Complete Task 2 and posted at Facebook Page for checking. 

Specific Feedback: Do not press enter to start a paragraph, use the paragraph spacing tool. It must be the same size as the leading. 

Week 6 

General Feedback: Watched tutorial videos and designed expressions for heading using Illustrator, then use InDesign to create the layout for Task 2. 

Specific Feedback: Poor headline placing. Therefore, I changed the design of my headline from other sketches that I previously made and changed the layout in class.

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Reflections

Experiences: Throughout the exercises and practise in the previous task, I was able to get a better sense of what I needed to do in what order. I usually start by browsing Pinterest for ideas, then sketch out my drawing in Procreate before beginning my work in Adobe. This allows me to complete my task in more simple and clear steps.

Observations: I noticed that drafting the work before rendering it in Adobe is a critical step. Because you have so many wild ideas during brainstorming, if you design directly in Adobe without a draft, the design will be a mess with no focus. Making a draft ahead of time will simplify my subsequent design process.

Findings: Through the task, I understood completely the importance of grids and margins. The grid and margins roles provide us with a framework to guide us through the design process, allowing us to maintain overall coordination of the work throughout the design process.

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Further Readings

Refer to Task 1

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