Week 2: Anatomy of Type

28.1.2016 (Week 2)

Zulkifli, Farah Farisya Syamin (300 359 070)

Typography, Anatomy of Type 

Lecture: Anatomy of Type

On our second week of class, we started with presenting our second week task in a circle where we explained each and one of our outcome in creating the 27th letter. Later after that, we were assigned to a continuation task of last week's task which was to create both an uppercase and lowercase letter of our designed alphabet. After we were done, Mr Vinod started by introducing us to the anatomy of typography where we learned about the 4 lines; Ascender, Mean Line, Baseline and the Descender where we were led to our second assignment. 

Instructions: 

Task 2 (15%): Type Design
You are to design a number of alphabets and punctuations, as determined by the teacher. You will begin by sketching and exploring a minimum of 3 options.

The sketches of the alphabets are to be submitted on A4 graph paper for selection. As always, you will understand, analyse and reflect on the knowledge acquired during the allotted weeks for the task in your ePortfolio.

Starting with the letter “o” design a string of alphabets of similar characteristics. The subsequent letters must spell your name and therefore the characteristics of the letters must represent your personality.

Read or view the teaching material below to understand:

How to design your own typeface
So you want to create a font
The Ultimate Guide on How to Create a Font

There are many more resources out there you may read, please do if you have the time.

The videos below should be viewed at a later stage of the task, when students are more knowledgeable and ready to digitize their letters.

Marking criteria: You will be judged on your creativity; the aesthetics of your letter and how consistent are they with regard to their character or personality – do they look like a family of characters. You will be judged on whether you have made the appropriate research and analysis of other typefaces, whether you have demonstrated critical thinking and exploration. This evidence must be visible in your postings in the eportfolio and your in-class process work. 

Duration: 2 weeks
Deadline: week 3

My process:

Inspirations: 

all were taken from google. 

Option #1

When Mr Vinod assigned us with this task, this was the first design that popped into my head. I also thought the curves resembled the letter O in a cursive manner pretty well as well. 

Option #2

Now creating other options got me a little tangled but I just went with the flow and tried my best. This one came as an inspiration of the 'Caferus' font which I found on google. 

Option #3

My third option was created impromptu while I was just scribbling around. I do think this looks a bit off but hey! it was just my take on it. 

My outcome:

I personally prefer my first option as it looks more me, even my signature flows that way as well and I also personally think it resembles the curves of the 'O' alphabet. 

Feedback: 

Most of my peers agreed that they liked the first option that I had chosen and thought that it looked playful. Khaili thought it looked like a string stringing together. Zameen voiced out his concern of it being a little complicated for me to create it in on the Adobe Illustrator but Mr Vinod assured me that it would not and he also gave a thumbs up on the first option as well! 

Reflection:

• Experience

I really dint think it would take much time doing this when the task was given but I was proved wrong when I got into it. It took a bit of a trial and error process to make it work. 

• Observations

Just like the first assignment, I was pretty excited to be working the pencil and ruler and get in touch with my creativity and this assignment was no less than enjoyable! 

• Findings

After watching the videos of tutorials, I understood better about the creating fonts and the structures as well as the names for each bend the letters had. I never really knew they had specific names for each curve and bend of the fonts that were created. I simply thought they were just made by a group of creative people who got carried away with their art tools but it was much more than that. This task was educational for me I must add.

Week 1: No 27

21.1.2016 (Week 2)

Zulkifli, Farah Farisya Syamin (300 359 070)

Typography, Introduction of Typography 

Lecture: Introduction to Typography 

Our first class was very informal which made me feel very relaxed thus enjoyable. As an introduction to the class, Mr Vinod started out by asking us what we understood about typography and its definition. We were then given the explanation, the history, followed by examples for us to understand clearly. From what I understood from my lecturer's explanation, typography is defined as an appearance of a printed matter as well as its style. Also, it is the procedure in art in a form of data arrangement and printing from it. Furthermore from what I have learnt from an example Mr Vinod gave, it is an arrangement of words, text, that are arranged for people to read as well as understand to give a better experience in learning. 

Instructions: 

Task 1 (5%): No 27.
Instructions: Your first task is to understand the written letter, its origins and evolution over time. You will complete viewing the following youtube video, understand, analyse and reflect on the knowledge in your ePortfolio under the reflection tittle. Please view the sample eportfolio to understand how to write your eportfolio (and reflection).

After viewing the video and other videos of your own finding (please document the other videos you watched in your eportfolio under the lecture title) design the 27th alphabet. You will present this new letter to the class and describe your thinking or reasoning for its introduction.

Please draw the final 27th letter on an A4 graph paper using black marker or ink. Ensure that the letter is centered within the A4 graph paper and does not exceed 7cm in height or width. Please document the entire process; research, explorations, trial and errors, thoughts and epiphanies in your eportfolio.

Marking criteria: You will be judged on your creativity: the rationale (in writing 250 words) behind the 27th letter and the argument for its consideration. The aesthetic appeal of the shape of the letter and the process work behind the outcome. It’s visual and logical relevance when compared to the other 26 letters.

Duration: 1 week
Deadline: week 2

Reading references: http://nowiknow.com/and-the-27th-letter-of-the-alphabet/

Other references:

• http://nowiknow.com/and-the-27th-letter-of-the-alphabet/
• http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/do-you-know-all-27-letters-of-the-alphabet/170010

Reflection:

• Experience

My first impression on the video was that I thought it was going to be humdrum as it was lengthy. I was honestly taken aback when I saw the duration of the video but as I went along and got myself through it, I found myself gaining a lot of knowledge and information regarding the alphabets, words and its history through ancient times and how it progressed. 

• Observations

Alphabets have come such a long way and has progressed profoundly over the early years starting from just symbols, drawing pictures as a sign of communication to having scriptures, roman alphabets and has spread to various types of symbols that speaks out words in every culture. Alphabets, words, sentences, revolves in our daily lives where we use to communicate as well as a learning channel for us. 

Books were such a possession back in the ancient days, where it costs a fortune to own one. They were chained, kept in such security which showed how valuable it was which makes me realize we now take them for granted and how we do not value books as much as we should. 

• Findings 

The video started out by explaining the history of alphabets and how it was first formed. They were primitive letters to make their marks which soon became a form of communication between one another. They would draw on ground with a stick of signs, symbols, pictures and not only were they a form of communication, they were made as their own records or a particular event for them to remember. It was the Egyptians who started this form of writing signs, pictures which became a system. 

Then it became a progression for writing and communicating, where before they would use sticks then they started making pens to make writing much more easier and faster, then came scriptures and then books. The innovation has clearly benefited us and the history plants appreciation and gratitude to what we have today in our time. 

My process of creating my 27th alphabet 

My first idea for the 27th alphabet was to create a letter that can replace the word 'sc' into one letter and the first word that popped into my mind was the word 'conscience' but I then changed my mind into something that I felt was an even better idea for this project.

I then thought of 'th'. We use it in most words, 'the', 'that', 'there', 'through', 'toge-th-er'. I wanted it to look like it resembles both letters in one. Here are some of the options in creating my letter.

This one looked more like a logo to me and so I opt for a little alteration to make it look like it belonged in the alphabet family 

The outcome, 

My Number 27, 'Th'

How it would look like in the roman alphabet family 

How it would look like in words 

Feedback: 

"Farisya, nice work. I liked the fact that you explored options with regard to your choice of sounds. 
The use of you new alphabet in context of the other letters in the family and showing what it looks like in a sentence or word was very good thinking. It's shows you are considering what it would look like in actual use."

Second Submission

Note: The one on the left is my uppercase letter and the one on the right is my lowercase letter. 

Reflection:

• Experience

I would say it was pretty tough to be creating a new alphabet and figuring out the sound, the pronunciation. It was tough to be getting my mind out of the box and wrap it around creativity with the freedom that I was given to create a whole new alphabet. I had doubts at first with my ability as the creative side of me was very rusty but I honestly enjoyed the process of this assignment. Am I happy with the outcome? I wish it could be a little more original in my own opinion but I'm glad it did  not turn out complicated! 

• Observations

Throughout the process, I found myself getting very excited about the sketching, drawing and able to use all the tools I've left when I was in high school a few years ago. I found myself tangled in a lot of ideas in creating this new alphabet however I managed to simplify them and create something that I find actually useful. 

• Findings

I have found a new found respect for the people in ancient days, the Greeks, the Egyptians for creating these alphabets and its evolution.What's tough in our day and time when given tasks like these is creating new ones when we're so used to what they have created!