Advanced Typography Task 3 - Type Exploration and Application

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18th June 2024 - 23rd July 2024 (Week 9 - Week 14)

Sin Jun Ming 0364638

Advanced Typography / Bachelor of Design in Creative Media / Taylor's University

Task 3 - Type Exploration and Application


INSTRUCTIONS


Task 3 - Type Exploration and Application 

For Task 3, we get to choose how we are going to do our own project. We can choose to 
1. create a font that is intended to solve a larger problem or meant to be part of a solution in the area of our interest.
2. explore the use of an existing letterform in an area of interest, understand its existing relationship, identify areas that could be improved upon, explore possible solutions or combinations that may add value to the existing letterform. 
3. experiment and working with material that might be 3- dimensional, digitally augmented, edible, unusual, typographic music video or fine art.

1. Idea proposal
Fig 1.1 Google Slides (19/6/2024 - Week 9)

I prefer the first idea. After consultation and showing the first sketch to Mr. Vinod, he approved this idea.

2. Idea explanation
The final idea chosen is a Chinese calligraphy regular script font, I wished to create a typeface based on the 8 basic strokes in the regular script of Chinese calligraphy. The combination of Chinese calligraphy and English alphabet can promote the artistic writing of Chinese calligraphy to the world. 

Fig 2.1 Visual References (19/6/2024 - Week 9)

Fig 2.2 Eight basic strokes in regular script (19/6/2024 - Week 9)

3. Sketch
The letterforms are formed by using the eight basic strokes of the regular script of Chinese Calligraphy.

Fig 3.1 First sketch (19/6/2024 - Week 9)

4. Digitization
After getting approved by Mr. Vinod on my first sketch, I started to construct uppercase letterforms in Adobe Illustrator.

Fig 4.1 Constructing eight basic strokes (22/6/2024 - Week 9)

I started my progress with constructing the 8 basic strokes using Pen Tool in Illustrator. After that, I combined the strokes to form uppercase letterforms. 

Fig 4.2 Progress (1) (23/6/2024 - Week 9)

Fig 4.3 Construction of letterforms (23/6/2024 - Week 9)

There are some minor changes needed at the intersection points of the strokes, this differs due to different kind of letterforms. 

Fig 4.4 First attempt full uppercase letterforms (23/6/2024 - Week 9)

Fig 4.5 Showcasing my uppercase letterforms (26/6/2024 - Week 10)

I arranged the letterform and showcase it to Mr. Vinod in Week 10. He likes it but there is still some room of improvements, following his feedback, I redo some letterforms like "M", "S'" and "A" to change their width. 

Fig 4.6 Refinement (27/6/2024 - Week 10)

Moving on, I started to construct lowercase letterforms, numerals and punctuations in the following week. Same as the uppercase letterforms, I used the 8 basic strokes as the foundation, but reduce the width of them when it comes to the construction of lowercase letterforms.

Fig 4.7 First attempt lowercase (30/6/2024 - Week 10)

Fig 4.8 First attempt numerals (1/7/2024 - Week 11)

Fig 4.9 First attempt punctuations (2/7/2024 - Week 11)

I showed my progress to Mr. Vinod in Week 11, he advised me to increase the x-height of the lowercase letterforms (Full feedback below). After that, I refined the lowercase letterforms following the advice given by Mr. Vinod. 

I done the comparison of larger x-height vs. smaller x-height, the result is the larger x-height looks better when they are shown in words. 

Fig 4.10 Sample 1 - larger x-height (4/7/2024 - Week 11)

Fig 4.11 Sample 2 - smaller x-height (4/7/2024 - Week 11)

Fig 4.12 Comparison (top- smaller x-height, bottom- larger x-height)
(4/7/2024 - Week 11)

The result is very clear for me, that is the bottom looks better and has advantage in readability, hence I continued my work with the lowercase with larger x-height. 

Fig 4.13 Illustrator workspace progress (4/7/2024 - Week 11)

Fig 4.13 Completed letterforms outline structures (6/7/2024 - Week 11)

After that, I use the Unite tool from the Pathfinder tool to combine them into a shape for each letterform.

Fig 4.14 Completed typeface (6/7/2024 - Week 11)

5. FontLab
In week 12, we need to import our letterforms into FontLab, for this task, I used FontLab 8 with a 10-days free trial. 

Fig 5.1 Importing letterforms into FontLab 8 (8/7/2024 - Week 12)

After that, I follow the bearing charts given by Mr. Vinod to adjust the side-bearing. 

Fig 5.2 Side-bearing chart (8/7/2024 - Week 12)

Fig 5.3 Adjusting side-bearing (1) (10/7/2024 - Week 12)

Fig 5.4 Adjusting side-bearing (2) (10/7/2024 - Week 12)

Following advice by Mr. Vinod in Week 12, I search for "kerning pairs" online and started to do kerning on my typeface.

Fig 5.5 Kerning pairs (10/7/2024 - Week 12)

Fig 5.6 Experimenting my typeface (10/7/2024 - Week 12)

After I satisfied with my typeface, I exported it and named it "Phoenix" because it is an influential symbol in Chinese culture.

6. Font presentation & application
After exporting the typeface, I started to do font presentations and applications to showcase my typeface. 

I have some ideas of presenting my typeface in Chinese calligraphy style, so I search for some images to act as the background images of my font presentation.

Fig 6.1 Font presentations (17/7/2024 - Week 13)

For the font applications, I use the website - Free mockup generator | Mockup Builder | Mockey to do some mock-ups using my typeface. 

Fig 6.2 Font application (1) (19/7/2024 - Week 13)

The one on the left is an artwork showcasing the typeface like what the professionals do with Chinese calligraphy, the one on the right is a Chinese tea packaging mock-up.

Fig 6.3 Font application (2) (19/7/2024 - Week 13)

The one the left is a recipe book of the famous Chinese dish "Peking Duck", the one on the right is a Chinese restaurant named "Phoenix".

Fig 6.4 Font application (3) (19/7/2024 - Week 13)

The last one is a Chinese New Year greeting card, with lanterns and flowers decoration.


7. Final Submission:

1. link to ttf file:

2. Completed typeface
Fig 7.1 Completed typeface (21/7/2024 - Week 13)

3. Outline structures
Fig 7.2 Outline structures (21/7/2024 - Week 13)

4. Font presentations
Fig 7.3 Font presentation 1 (21/7/2024 - Week 13)

Fig 7.4 Font presentation 2 (21/7/2024 - Week 13)

Fig 7.5 Font presentation 3 (21/7/2024 - Week 13)

Fig 7.6 Font presentation 4 (21/7/2024 - Week 13)

Fig 7.7 Font presentation 5 (21/7/2024 - Week 13)

Fig 7.8 Font presentation (PDF) (21/7/2024 - Week 13)

5. Font applications
Fig 7.9 Font application 1 (21/7/2024 - Week 13)

Fig 7.10 Font application 2 (21/7/2024 - Week 13)

Fig 7.11 Font application 3 (21/7/2024 - Week 13)

Fig 7.12 Font application 4 (21/7/2024 - Week 13)

Fig 7.13 Font application 5 (21/7/2024 - Week 13)

Fig 7.14 Font application (PDF) (21/7/2024 - Week 13)

FEEDBACK

Week 9
General Feedback: 
Be clear of the purposes and problems to solved when proposing our ideas, be specific, make sure the goal of creating the font is sound and clear. 
Specific Feedback:
I presented my proposal to Mr. Vinod this week, he approved my idea of creating a font that is based on the regular script of Chinese calligraphy, I also showed my first rough sketch to him today and he said it's presentable so I can go with this idea.

Week 10
General Feedback: 
We must consider using the grid system to construct our letterforms. although it may not be applied to every kind of letterforms. A grid system can help us in controlling the weight (thickness of stroke) to ensure the consistency of each letterform. 
Specific Feedback:
The overall digitized capital letterforms are optically consistent, although I did not use the grid system to construct the letterforms. However, I should try using the grid system to check on width of each letterform, especially the letter "M", it should be wider than other letterforms. Other than that, the upper horizontal stroke of letter "S" should be shorter to look better. The progress is fine until now, can move on to lowercase letterforms and numbers etc.

Week 11
General Feedback: 
Follow the instructions given by Mr. Vinod on Microsoft Teams and ensure our letterforms are constructed by fitting the artboard at a height of 1000 pixels before exporting them to FontLab.
Specific Feedback:
The letter "m" needs to be wider, the ascender and descender is too large, the descender of letter "g" looks weird, consider other ways to construct it. Try using combination of letters with uppercase and lowercase to make comparison with different x-height. 

Week 12
General Feedback:
Create a color palette to showcase our letterforms would be easier to convey the concept and be consistent in the use of colors on the font applications. Design the font applications based on the problem needed to be solved as we proposed previously.
Specific Feedback:
Try to search for "kerning pairs' on Google to aid the kerning process of letterforms although it may not be applied to every kind of letterforms.

Week 13
General Feedback:
Make sure the font presentations and the font applications are consistent in colors.
Specific Feedback:
Make it simpler for font presentation as the purpose of it is to showcase the font, use header with different typeface like Univers or Arial to type the name of the font you have done, this looks more professional.

REFLECTION

Experience
It was very hard at the beginning to pop out ideas for this task as I struggled choosing ideas for the proposal. Luckily, I found this idea of Chinese calligraphy very interesting and at the same time it is in my field of interests, so it feels good throughout the whole process of this task doing something that I like. The final result is exactly what I hope for at the beginning, it feels amazing to really have done it.

Observation
Before constructing my letterforms, I did not know the English alphabets can blend well with the eight basic strokes from the Chinese calligraphy, it is surprisingly good and from this I observed that typography is creative and free as the only thing that limits our creativity is our own brains. Other than that, I observed that the consistency in the letterforms is important, not only from my work, but also from the observation of my peers' work, the consistency in weight of letterforms determine the quality of it.

Findings
From this task, I learnt that although it is free and creative to create our own font for this task, the readability and the legibility are also the main things we should concern in our letterforms constructing phase. The typeface would be a disaster if it lacks readability and legibility, because the audience may not even know which alphabet it is.

FURTHER READING

"Just My Type" by Simon Garfield

I read the part where the writer discussed readability and legibility.

The writer mentioned: Legibility is defined by a less formal characteristic, taste. This is not the same as trendiness; rather it is popularity demonstrated by mass consumption. He also mentioned that that we are simply worn down by over-exposure.  

He pointed out a popular theory by the radical Californian type designer Zuzana Licko, 'you read best what you read most'. For example, the writer mentioned this - When those typefaces like Times Roman first came out, they were not what people were used to either. But because they got used, they have become extremely legible.

This is quite accurate to my understanding towards taste, when people get used to see or use the same thing over a period of time, people tend to get attached to those things or things with the same style. For instance, a person will prefer the things that he or she is familiar with because this action provides security to the user. 
 

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