Advance Typography - Task 1 Exercises

22/04/2025 - 13/05/2025 (Week 1 – Week 4) 

Yong Sun Lu / 0376945 

Typography / Creative Media / School of design 

Task 1 / Exercises

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. Lectures 

2. Instructions 

3. Exercises

4. Final Outcome

5. Feedback 

6. Reflections 

7. Further Reading

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Week 1 

1.Lectures (AdTypo_1_Typographic Systems) 

Fig.1.1 8 Typographic Systems (Week 1 22/04/2025) 

These typographic systems has a set of rules that provides enhanced visual composition and a purpose of focusing and directing towards making a decision. There are 8 systems which each can deal a different visual perspective. 

• Axial System : all element are organized to the left or right of a single axis. 
• Radial System : All elements are extended from a point of focus. 
• Dilatational System : All elements expand from a central point in a circular fashion. 
• Random System : Elements appear to have no specific pattern or relationship. 
• Grid System : A system of vertical and horizontal divisions. 
• Transitional System : An informal system of layered banding. 
• Modular System : A series of non-objective elements that are constructed in as a standardized units. 
• Bilateral System : All text is arranged symmetrically on a single axis.

Week 2

2. Lectures AdTypo_2_Typographic Composition

Principles of Design Composition 

This includes understanding how typography applies to both the creation of letters and the planning of large amounts of text.

There are multiple principles of design:

Emphasis: It is simple to apply this concept to design composition where certain items can be made prominent in a composition.

Fig.1.2. Emphasis (Week 2 29/04/2025)

Rule of Thirds : Suggests that a frame a space can be divided into three columns which is three columns and 3 rows the intersecting lines are used as guidelines to place the point of interest.

Fig.1.3. Rule of Thirds (Week 2 29/04/2025)

Symmetry and Asymmetry: Symmetry is simple to apply, while asymmetry may be more complex but is essential to create dynamic layouts.

Repetition and Perspective: These are less susceptible to typographic treatment, requiring careful application in their execution.

Other models/system:

Environmental Grid : An environmental grid is a graphic design approach that is based on the analysis of existing structures—like architecture or art—to direct the layout and organization of graphic designs.

Movement & Form : Movement in typography keeps readers interested by creating flow and visual rhythm within and across pages. Intentional layout and transitions allow the reader to be guided through content easily.

Grid System : This is the most common typographic system, based on letterpress printing. It gives you a structural approach to designing a layout, providing improvement in readability and organizing content. 9.

Week 3

Lecture : AdTypo_3_ Context & Creativity

Importance of Handwriting in Typography: Handwriting is crucial in the study of typography as the first mechanically produced letter forms were designed to imitate it.

Evolution of the Latin Alphabet: The Latin alphabet began around 1750 BCE and evolved from the proto-Sinaitic forms of letters and hieroglyphics into a phonetic system of writing in Phoenicia, then on to influence Greek and finally Roman alphabets.

Eastern Developments in Handwriting: The evolution of handwriting in the Middle East, from Phoenician to modern Arabic scripts, proves the interdependence of writing systems and their influences. 

Greek Alphabet Development: The Greek alphabet, influenced by Phoenician characters, included vowels and was originally written in capital letters without a fixed reading direction, but it evolved into a more conventional format.

Fig.1.4. Evolution of the Latin Alphabet

Historical Context of Writing Systems in South Asia and Southeast Asia : 

Indus Valley Civilization (IVC): The IVC, also referred to as the Saraswati civilization, was sophisticated, advanced, and complex, with urban planning, drainage and sanitary facilities, and water collection pools, reflecting a complex society. 

Brahmi Script: The Brahmi script is the ancestor of many scripts in India and has also impacted various scripts in Southeast Asia. It emerged at some point between 450 and 350 BCE, although the origins of the script are undoubtedly contested. Some scholars claim that Brahmi was simply a derivative form of an earlier script from the Indus Valley Civilization, while others prescribe that the script was influenced by Semitic scripts.

Influence of Indian Scripts in Southeast Asia: Indian scripts, specifically the Pallava script, played an important role as a precursor to writing systems in most Southeast Asian countries. The Pallava script was used to write Sanskrit and Tamil and as the basis for many scripts in Southeast Asia. 

Kawi Script: The Kawi script, which had its origins in the Nagari script, was native to Java and was applied in kingdom-to-kingdom communication. It played a great part in Malay languages being written.

INSTRUCTIONS

 

Process Work and Feedback

Exercise 1: 8 systems

In this task we ought to make our own versions of the 8 systems

Task requirements:

• 200x200mm document size
• Only one color is allowed
• Export must be in the format of JPEG 300ppi (1024px) PDF with and without guides
• The font must be from the 10 fonts given

Task content and headline

Headline:

• All Ripped Up: Punk Influences on Design 
• The ABCs of Bauhaus Design Theory 
• Russian Constructivism and Graphic Design 

Content:

Open Public Lectures:

June 24, 2021

Lew Pik Svonn, 9AM-10AM

Ezrena Mohd., 10AM-11AM

Suzy Sulaiman, 11AM-12PM

June 25, 2021

Lim Whay Yin, 9AM-10AM

Fahmi Reza, 10AM-11AM

Manish Acharia, 11AM-12PM

Lecture Theatre 12

Sketches

Fig. 2.1 Sketches (Week 1, 24/04/2025)

Sketching most of the systems is rather straightforward and i do not have any big problems with thinking of how i will design it well, except for some of the systems like dilatational and transitional, i find it a bit hard to think about the design.

Process Work 

Went on InDesign and started my work.

Axial  

Fig. 2.2. Axial (Week 2, 29/04/2025)

Axial, the simplest system out of the 8 where it could be a straight line or clock kind of line where the content must be with the line, i asked some of my friends about their thoughts when i showed them this and they said "yeah it's good enough, nothing wrong here".

Dilatational

Fig. 2.3. Dilatational (Week 2, 29/04/2025)

Oh my god this system drained me the most out of the 8. The spacing, the circle, the curving, everything about this system made me questioned my choices, despite asking my friends for some opinions i still couldn't do it right and this is the best i came up with regarding the system.

Random

Fig. 2.4. Random (Week 2, 29/04/2025)

This particular system could either be confusing, straightforward or just difficult. The lecturer said that for the random system it must be chaotic but also in order, embrace the chaos and working with this system i have to just let my hand do the work while my mind do the order to look chaotic but readable and i also used some techniques that i got from DPI to make it seem in order.

Grid

Fig. 2.5. Grid (Week 2, 29/04/2025)

Another straightforward system, i don't really have any issue doing this system although i did hit a wall, but after i asked one of my friends for some more insight regarding this system i understand what to do.

Modular

Fig. 2.6. Modular(Week 2, 29/04/2025)

For this system i watched a YouTube video that my friend gave me to help me understand this system, after i watched it i kind of understand what to do and i have the idea in mind but i think i executed it poorly (will be fixed soon).

Transitional

Fig. 2.7. Transitional(Week 2, 29/04/2025)

This one gave me a migraine because i have to make some sort of transition and i had the idea in my mind but i couldn't execute it properly because i still have a lot to learn about InDesign (also will be fixed soon)

Bilateral

Fig. 2.8. Bilateral(Week 2, 29/04/2025)

"As for bilateral, the content inside must be in a single axis" says the guy i watched on YouTube. I saw some of my friends works and and some randoms and some of them did almost the same layout as mine.

Final Work

Fig.3.1. Transitional (Final) (Week 2 29/04/2025)

Fig.3.3. Random (Final) (Week 2 29/04/2025)

Fig.3.4. Radial (Final) (Week 2 29/04/2025)

Fig.3.5. Modular (Final) (Week 2 29/04/2025)

Fig.3.6. Grid (Final) (Week 2 29/04/2025)

Fig.3.6. Dilatational (Final) (Week 2 29/04/2025)

Fig.3.7. Bilateral (Final) (Week 2 29/04/2025)

Fig.3.8. Axial (Final) (Week 2 29/04/2025)

Fig.3.9. 8 Systems compiled (Final) (Week 2, 29/04/2025)

Fig.3.10. 8 Systems compiled Grid PDF (Final) (Week 2, 29/04/2025)

Fig.3.11. 8 Systems compiled No Grid PDF (Final) (Week 2, 29/04/2025)

Exercise 2: Word extraction

In today's task we were asked to extract letters from the pictures that we have chosen and refine it but not until the final destination and after that we make a poster out of it.

Process Work

Fig. 4.1. Dry Raw Noodles (Week 3, 3/5/2025)

So i downloaded a picture of a dry raw noodle and put it into Illustrator.

Fig. 4.2. Extraction process (Week 3, 3/5/2025)

Here i began my search to extract letters that i can get from this picture.

Fig. 4.2. Extracted letters (Week 3, 3/5/2025)

After some time extracting the letters, i got these 5 letters (M, S, A, O, V) and i refine them as much as i could until it kind of looked like my reference font (Reference font: Alphakind).

Poster
After some time thinking on what kind of poster i should make with my refined letters i decided to go with a menu type of movie poster.

Fig. 4.3. Reference (Week 3, 9/5/2025)

So i look up some pictures on Pinterest and download the picture that piqued my interest.

Fig. 4.4. Cropping (Week 3, 9/5/2025)

After putting the background in, i looked up a picture of a chef and a ramen bowl then crop it to add some effects.

Fig. 4.5. Famous Logos (Week 3, 3/5/2025)

I also went ahead and downloaded some famous movie logos and put them in.

Fig. 4.6. Composed poster (Week 3, 9/5/2025)

Put them all together and add a little sub tittle below the main tittle and i am set.

Final Poster

Fig. 5.1. Final Poster (Week 3, 9/5/2025).jpeg

Fig. 5.1. Final Poster PDF (Week 3, 9/5/2025).PDF

FEEDBACK

Week 1:

General: This week the lecturer gave us a brief explanation regarding the subject and gave us some insight on how to do the assignments.

Week 2:

General: I did not receive my own feedback because i wasn't able to finish my work before the start of week 2, but the lecturer did give us some insight and feedback to the others and i can use that to my advantage.

Week 3:

General: The lecturer gave everyone some more insights on how to do the word extraction properly and not to make it hard for us to do the poster later on.

Specific: "what is this, this don't work you just making me hungry" says Mr. Vinod, therefore i shall replace my picture with something else and redo the

word extraction.

Week 4: 

General: "In what part of my explanation you didn't understand?" so i misunderstood the instruction and turns out the word extraction must have the same connection to the poster

Reflection

Experience

This subject has been a bumpy one for me because there is a lot that i do not understand and a lot to learn especially extracting letters from everyday items and that for me is the hardest one out of all because despite understanding what to do i just can't seem to get a grasp of what i was doing but luckily the lecturer gave me somewhat good explanation and some of my friends helped me doing the task.

Observations

Looking back, the creations from my friends or the senior kind of helped me get a grip of doing this because a lot of the reference that i use came from looking and understanding my friends work (not copying).

Findings

The lecturer, my friends, and some seniors helped me go through this module without going insane and i learn more about the Software that is needed to do the task like text formatting, text extracting, typographic systems and so much more. It really helped me to get some knowledge about designs.

Further Readings

So for my further reading i used the website that is made by Mr. Vinod himself, this website had taught me a lot of things that i need to know regarding this assignment that we were doing for the past 4 weeks. Expanding my knowledge more on Typography and understanding that everyday items can be used as a material for a design.