Typography - Task 1: Exercises
22.9.2025 - 24.10.2025 (Week 1 - Week 5)
Cheyenne Liew Khye Yean / 0378330
Typography / Bachelor of Design (Hons) Creative Media
Task 1: Exercises
Cheyenne Liew Khye Yean / 0378330
Typography / Bachelor of Design (Hons) Creative Media
Task 1: Exercises
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3.1 Research
3.2 Ideation
3.3 Final Outcome
1. LECTURES
Week 1: Introduction & Typographic Development
What is Typography?
- The art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable, and appealing when displayed.
- Can appear in animated forms (e.g. beginning of movie titles/animated gifs)
- Prevalent in websites, apps, signage, bottle labels, books, posters, and logo types (trademark/mark)
Evolution of Typography
Typography has evolved over 500 years, beginning from calligraphy (refers to the writing styles), to lettering (refers to the drawing of the letters), then leading to modern day typography.
Font vs. Typeface
- FONT: refers to the individual font or weight within the typeface (e.g. Georgia Regular, Georgia Italic, Georgia Bold)
- TYPEFACE: refers to the entire family of fonts/weights that share similar characteristics/styles (e.g. Georgia, Arial, Times New Roman, Didot, Futura)
Letterform Development: Phoenician to Roman
- Writing initially meant to scratch into wet clay with a sharpened stick or carve into stone with a chisel
- Uppercase letterforms evolved out of these tools and materials
- Uppercase forms are made up of combinations of straight lines and pieces of circles
Figure 1.1.1 Evolution from Phoenician Letter, Week 1 (22/9/2025)
Figure 1.1.2 Letterform Development, Week 1 (22/9/2025)
Typography Development Timeline
Figure 1.1.3 Typography Development Timeline (Left to Right, Top to Bottom), Week 1 (22/9/2025)Type Classifications
Figure 1.1.4 Text Type Classifications (Left to Right, Top to Bottom), Week 1 (22/9/2025)
Week 2: Text
Tracking: Kerning and Letterspacing
Figure 1.2.1 Kerning, Week 2 (29/9/2025)
Figure 1.2.2 Normal Tracking, Loose Tracking and Tight Tracking, Week 2 (29/9/2025)
KERNING: refers to the automatic adjustment of space between letters
LETTERSPACING: to add space between the letters
TRACKING: the addition and removal of space in a word or sentence
Formatting
FLUSH LEFT: each line starts at the same point but ends wherever the last word on the line ends
CENTERED: imposes symmetry on text and assigns equal value and weight to both ends of any line
FLUSH RIGHT: places emphasis on the end of a line as opposed to its start
JUSTIFIED: imposes a symmetrical shape on the text
Texture
Figure 1.2.3 Anatomy of a Typeface, Week 2 (29/9/2025)
Figure 1.2.3 Gray Values of Different Typefaces, Week 2 (29/9/2025)
Contrast (refers to the thick and thin strokes) at smaller sizes reduces the legibility of text.
Leading and Line Length
TYPE SIZE: text type should be large enough to read easily at arm's length
LEADING: text should not be set too tightly or too loosely
LINE LENGTH: shorter lines require less reading; longer lines more (not more than 55-65 characters)
Type Specimen Book
- Shows samples of typefaces in various sizes
- Provides accurate references for type, type size, type leading, type line length, etc.
Figure 1.2.4 Sample Type Specimen Sheet, Week 2 (29/9/2025)
Compositional Requirement:
The 'pilcrow' (¶) is a holdover from medieval manuscripts, used in text to indicate paragraph space.
Cross aligning headlines and captions with text type reinforces the architectural sense of the page while articulating the complimentary vertical rhythms.
SMALL CAPITALS: uppercase letterforms drawn to the x-height of the typeface (primarily found in serif fonts)
UPPERCASE NUMERALS: same height as uppercase letters and are all set to the same kerning width
LOWERCASE NUMERALS: set to x-height with ascenders and descenders
- Text should create a field that can occupy a page or a screen
- Text should ideally have a middle gray value
Week 3: Text (Part 2)
Indicating Paragraphs
Figure 1.3.1 Usage of Pilcrow, Week 3 (8/10/2025)
Figure 1.3.2 Line Space vs. Leading, Week 3 (8/10/2025)
Figure 1.3.3 Standard Indentation, Week 3 (8/10/2025)
Indent is the same size as the line spacing or the same as the point size of your text.
- When using indentation, alignment of text should be justified to prevent ragging on the left and right.
Figure 1.3.4 Extended Paragraphs, Week 3 (8/10/2025)
Extended paragraphs create unusually wide columns of text.
Widows and Orphans
Figure 1.3.5 Widows and Orphans, Week 3 (8/10/2025)
WIDOW: a short line of type left alone at the end of a column of text
ORPHAN: a short line of type left alone at the start of a new column
ORPHAN: a short line of type left alone at the start of a new column
- Both widows and orphans are considered serious gaffes and should be avoided in designs.
- The only solution to widows is to use a force line break (Shift + Enter) so that the last line of any paragraph is not noticeably short.
Highlighting Text
Figure 1.3.6 Examples of Highlighted Text, Week 3 (8/10/2025)
Different kinds of emphasis require different kinds of contrast.
Cross Alignment
Figure 1.3.7 Cross Alignment, Week 3 (8/10/2025)
Week 4: Basic
Describing Letterforms
Figure 1.4.1 Describing Letterforms, Week 4 (18/10/2025)
Figure 1.4.2 Describing Letterforms, Week 4 (18/10/2025)
BASELINE: the imaginary line the visual base of the letterforms
MEDIAN: the imaginary line defining the x-height of letterforms
X-HEIGHT: the height in any typeface of the lowercase 'x'
STROKE: any line that defined the basic letterforms
APEX/VERTEX: the point created by joining two diagonal stems (apex above and vertex below)
ARM: short strokes off the stem of the letterform (horizontal or inclined upwards)
ASCENDER: the portion of the stem of a lowercase letterform that projects above the median
BARB: the half-serif finish on some curved strokes
BEAK: the half-serif finish on some horizontal arms
BOWL: the rounded form that describes a counter (may be open or closed)
BRACKET: the transition between the serif and the stem
CROSS BAR: the horizontal stroke in a letterform that joins two stems together
CROSS STROKE: the horizontal stroke in a letterform that joins two stems together
CROTCH: the interior space where two strokes meet
DESCENDER: the portion of the stem of a lowercase letterform that projects below the baseline
EM: the distance equal to the size of the typeface
EN: half the size of an em
FINIAL: the rounded non-serif terminal to a stroke
LIGATURE: the character formed by the combination of two or more letterforms
STRESS: the orientation of the letterform, indicated by the thin stroke in round forms
SWASH: the flourish that extends the stroke of the letterform
TERMINAL: the self-contained finish of a stroke without a serif (may be flat, flared, acute, grave, concave, convex, or rounded)
X-HEIGHT: the height in any typeface of the lowercase 'x'
STROKE: any line that defined the basic letterforms
APEX/VERTEX: the point created by joining two diagonal stems (apex above and vertex below)
ARM: short strokes off the stem of the letterform (horizontal or inclined upwards)
ASCENDER: the portion of the stem of a lowercase letterform that projects above the median
BARB: the half-serif finish on some curved strokes
BEAK: the half-serif finish on some horizontal arms
BOWL: the rounded form that describes a counter (may be open or closed)
BRACKET: the transition between the serif and the stem
CROSS BAR: the horizontal stroke in a letterform that joins two stems together
CROSS STROKE: the horizontal stroke in a letterform that joins two stems together
CROTCH: the interior space where two strokes meet
DESCENDER: the portion of the stem of a lowercase letterform that projects below the baseline
EM: the distance equal to the size of the typeface
EN: half the size of an em
FINIAL: the rounded non-serif terminal to a stroke
LIGATURE: the character formed by the combination of two or more letterforms
STRESS: the orientation of the letterform, indicated by the thin stroke in round forms
SWASH: the flourish that extends the stroke of the letterform
TERMINAL: the self-contained finish of a stroke without a serif (may be flat, flared, acute, grave, concave, convex, or rounded)
The Font
Figure 1.4.3 Uppercase (Top) and Lowercase (Bottom) Numerals, Week 4 (18/10/2025)
UPPERCASE NUMERALS: same height as uppercase letters and are all set to the same kerning width
LOWERCASE NUMERALS: set to x-height with ascenders and descenders
Describing Typefaces
Figure 1.4.4 Describing Typefaces, Week 4 (18/10/2025)
ROMAN: uppercase forms are derived from inscriptions of Roman monuments
BOOK: a slightly lighter stroke in roman
ITALIC: based on fifteenth century Italian handwriting
OBLIQUE: based on roman form of typeface
BOLDFACE: characterised by thicker strokes than a roman form (also called semibold, medium, black, extra bold, or super)
LIGHT: a lighter stroke than the roman form
CONDENSED: a version of the roman form
EXTENDED: an extended variation of a roman font
ITALIC: based on fifteenth century Italian handwriting
OBLIQUE: based on roman form of typeface
BOLDFACE: characterised by thicker strokes than a roman form (also called semibold, medium, black, extra bold, or super)
LIGHT: a lighter stroke than the roman form
CONDENSED: a version of the roman form
EXTENDED: an extended variation of a roman font
2. INSTRUCTIONS
Figure 2.1 Module Assignment Briefs
Task 1: Exercises
(i) Type Expression
- Select 4 of the 6 given words (burn, glitch, shake, noisy, squish, bleed) and represent their meanings visually. Designs must be in black and white, and made with the 10 given typefaces.
- Pick one work to develop into a short GIF animation.
(ii) Text Formatting
- Minor Exercise: Adjust the kerning and tracking of your name using all 10 assigned typefaces.
- Main Exercise: Format text on an A4-sized page layout.
3. PROCESS WORK
3.1 Research
(i) Type Expression
Figure 3.1.1 References for the word "GLITCH", Week 1 (24/9/2025)
Figure 3.1.2 References for the word "SHAKE", Week 1 (24/9/2025)
Figure 3.1.3 References for the word "NOISY", Week 1 (24/9/2025)
Figure 3.1.4 References for the word "SQUISH", Week 1 (24/9/2025)
I started by researching the meanings of the words and creating a moodboard with references for my 4 chosen words.
Key visual traits for each word:
- GLITCH: broken letters, misaligned parts, pixelation, overlapping
- SHAKE: messy text, repeating words, motion blur
- NOISY: bold heavy type, echo/reverb effects
- SQUISH: stretched or compressed forms, curves, minimal spacing
(ii) Text Formatting
Figure 3.1.5 Text Formatting Layout References, Week 5 (19/10/2025)
I looked for text formatting references on Pinterest and decided on these 4 works. I liked that they all have bold titles, and I wanted to include that element in my own work.
3.2 Ideation
(i) Type Expression
Figure 3.2.1 Idea Sketches, Week 1 (27/9/2025)
I sketched out ideas for my 4 words, but I found it hard to execute my vision for some of them using only pen and paper. So, I decided to move on to Illustrator, where I could digitise the sketches I made and the ideas I couldn’t draw out previously.
Figure 3.2.2 Digitised Type Expressions, Week 2 (28/9/2025)
Working on Illustrator let me explore different effects and work directly with the typefaces, which makes the next step easier for me.
Figure 3.2.3 Type Expressions Placed in Given Template, Week 2 (29/9/2025)
I then copied and pasted my digitised type expressions into the given template to see what further adjustments I could make to ensure they looked balanced and cohesive next to each other. In doing so, I noticed several issues that needed improvement, most prominently, some text looking awkwardly placed within the boxes. Since the versions I copied in were half rasterised, I also plan to remake them in vector form later on to refine the adjustments more effectively.
Adjustments to make:
- GLITCH: make letters larger and place them closer to each other
- NOISY: space out the layers to fill up the box, add one more layer or reduce kerning
- SQUISH: expand to fill up the box or reposition to the bottom
Figure 3.2.4 Text Expressions after Adjustments, Week 3 (5/10/2025)
I then began fixing the issues based on my possible solutions, as shown in the image above. Following the feedback given (particularly for GLITCH and SQUISH), I made further changes to refine the type expressions, as seen in the updated version below.
Figure 3.2.5 Updated Type Expressions, Week 3 (6/10/2025)
Figure 3.2.6 Frames for NOISY #1 Animation, Week 3 (6/10/2025)
Figure 3.2.7 NOISY #1 Animation Draft, Week 3 (6/10/2025)
I'm happy with how the first animation turned out, but I wondered if the animation could be smoother. I then decided to make another version with more frames for comparison.
Figure 3.2.8 Frames for NOISY #2 Animation, Week 3 (6/10/2025)
Figure 3.2.9 NOISY #2 Animation Draft, Week 3 (6/10/2025)
(ii) Text Formatting
Minor Exercise
For this exercise, we had to use Adobe InDesign to test kerning and tracking with our names in the 10 given typefaces and adjust the spacing to make the text look more balanced.
Figure 3.2.10 Kerning & Tracking Exercise With and Without Kerning, Week 5 (19/10/2025)
I noticed that most of the awkward gaps appear between the letters "EY", "NE", and "EW". This helped me understand which letter combinations need extra attention when kerning.
Figure 3.2.11 Before and After Kerning Comparison, Week 5 (19/10/2025)
I then proceeded to overlay the before and after results to make the comparison clearer. The version without kerning is shown in grey, while the adjusted version is in black.
Main Exercise
Figure 3.2.12 Layout #1, Week 5 (19/10/2025)
This is the first layout I came up with, which became the basis for all the other layouts. Initially, I struggled to find the right type size and leading, but after a bit of trial and error, I settled for 10 pt type size and 12 pt leading.
Figure 3.2.13 Layout #2, Week 5 (19/10/2025)
For the second layout, I tried experimenting with an extra column. Though I like how this layout turned out, I couldn't even out the ragging on the right side of the paragraphs even after adjusting the kerning to the maximum limit of 3.
Figure 3.2.14 Layout #3, Week 5 (19/10/2025)
Layout #3 is an expansion of Layout #2, I removed a column and tried out a simpler layout.
Figure 3.2.15 Layout #4, Week 5 (19/10/2025)
For Layout #4, I tried to balance out the content on both sides of the page while keeping an even amount of white space. I struggled a bit with the image placement, as it seemed a little awkward and not in line, but I ended up settling on this placement.
After the feedback session, Mr. Vinod said Layout #4 was the most interesting and dynamic, but I should also make some minor adjustments for it to be better. On top of that, I also decided to change the picture to something related to graphic design and technology, as the passage focuses more on designers in general rather than just architects, as suggested by the title.
Figure 3.2.15 Feedback and Updated Layout, Week 5 (20/10/2025)
Following that, I made the changes as suggested by Mr. Vinod. However, the white space on both the top left and bottom right is now unequal by a few lines.
Figure 3.2.16 Uneven White Space, Week 5 (20/10/2025)
The top left had 10 lines, while the bottom right had 7. So, I decided to add a 2 line caption to the picture, easily taking up 3 lines (including a space) and evening out the awkward gaps.
3.3 Final Outcome
(i) Type Expression
Figure 3.3.1 Final Type Expressions - JPEG, Week 4 (13/10/2025)
Figure 3.3.2 Final Type Expressions - PDF, Week 4 (13/10/2025)
Figure 3.3.3 Final GIF Animation, Week 4 (13/10/2025)
(ii) Text Formatting
Minor Exercise
Figure 3.3.4 Kerning & Tracking Exercise, Week 5 (19/10/2025)
Main Exercise
Head
- Font/s: Futura Std Extra Bold Condensed Oblique / Futura Std Extra Bold Condensed
- Type Size/s: 25 pt / 58 pt
- Leading: - / 60 pt
- Paragraph spacing: -
Body
- Font/s: Adobe Caslon Pro Regular
- Type Size/s: 10 pt
- Leading: 12 pt
- Paragraph spacing: 12 pt
- Characters per-line: 55-60
- Alignment: Left
Page Margins
- Top + Left + Right + Bottom: 36 pt (3p0)
- Columns: 4
- Gutter: 17 pt (1p5)
Figure 3.3.5 Final Text Formatting Layout Without and With Grid - JPEG, Week 5 (20/10/2025)
Figure 3.3.6 Final Text Formatting Layout - PDF, Week 5 (20/10/2025)
Figure 3.3.7 Final Text Formatting Layout With Grid - PDF, Week 5 (20/10/2025)
4. FEEDBACK
Week 2
GENERAL FEEDBACK: Mr. Vinod highlights that distortion can be used in typography, but too much can make the design feel excessive. He also mentions that readability should never be compromised, and when it comes to distortion, less is more.
SPECIFIC FEEDBACK: For SQUISH, he suggested changing the bottom font to a lighter one, making it so the text looks squished with minimal distortion. For NOISY, he mentioned that both the echo effects design and the volume bar design conveyed the meaning of noise effectively. The megaphone design was considered good as well, but overly reliant on the sound lines.
GENERAL FEEDBACK: Mr. Vinod highlights that distortion can be used in typography, but too much can make the design feel excessive. He also mentions that readability should never be compromised, and when it comes to distortion, less is more.
SPECIFIC FEEDBACK: For SQUISH, he suggested changing the bottom font to a lighter one, making it so the text looks squished with minimal distortion. For NOISY, he mentioned that both the echo effects design and the volume bar design conveyed the meaning of noise effectively. The megaphone design was considered good as well, but overly reliant on the sound lines.
Week 3
GENERAL FEEDBACK: Mr. Vinod mentioned that it is important to maintain the integrity of the original letter and to make independent design decisions to strengthen our thinking. He also explained that when framing the type expressions, we should consider the balance between negative and positive space, as too much negative space can make the artwork lose its impact.
SPECIFIC FEEDBACK: The positioning of the letters for GLITCH is unnecessary since the glitch effect is already visible. He also suggested making the 'ISH' in SQUISH half the size and full opacity.
GENERAL FEEDBACK: Mr. Vinod mentioned that it is important to maintain the integrity of the original letter and to make independent design decisions to strengthen our thinking. He also explained that when framing the type expressions, we should consider the balance between negative and positive space, as too much negative space can make the artwork lose its impact.
SPECIFIC FEEDBACK: The positioning of the letters for GLITCH is unnecessary since the glitch effect is already visible. He also suggested making the 'ISH' in SQUISH half the size and full opacity.
Week 4
GENERAL FEEDBACK: Our e-portfolios should be up to date and the background should not be black as it could cause potential issues.
SPECIFIC FEEDBACK: Mr. Vinod commented that my GIF animation was good.
GENERAL FEEDBACK: Our e-portfolios should be up to date and the background should not be black as it could cause potential issues.
SPECIFIC FEEDBACK: Mr. Vinod commented that my GIF animation was good.
Week 5
GENERAL FEEDBACK: The tracking should be set to 5 and the image used must relate to the text about design, not architecture. Body text should not be in bold or italics, and if it is justified, rivers must be avoided. Each layout should include a minimum of two columns of text.
SPECIFIC FEEDBACK: For Layout 1, the difference between the headlines is too stark, making them look like two headlines instead of one. For Layout 2, the use of three columns was not recommended. For Layout 4, the design was good overall, but the small title should be in bold, and the large title should be slightly smaller. Additionally, align the picture to the text and ensure the spacing is equal.
GENERAL FEEDBACK: The tracking should be set to 5 and the image used must relate to the text about design, not architecture. Body text should not be in bold or italics, and if it is justified, rivers must be avoided. Each layout should include a minimum of two columns of text.
SPECIFIC FEEDBACK: For Layout 1, the difference between the headlines is too stark, making them look like two headlines instead of one. For Layout 2, the use of three columns was not recommended. For Layout 4, the design was good overall, but the small title should be in bold, and the large title should be slightly smaller. Additionally, align the picture to the text and ensure the spacing is equal.
5. REFLECTION
Experience
This typography class was quite enjoyable for me. I used to experiment with typography a while back, so it felt nice to get back into it. I also found it helpful that I could apply some of the skills I already knew while learning new ones at the same time. It was a good balance of familiar and new experiences.
For Exercise 1, the ideation process for the type expressions was quite easy, but I was a bit worried that some of my ideas were too similar to the original references. Exercise 2, on the other hand, was something new to me since I had never really explored text formatting before, but it was a pleasant experience learning more about it. On top of that, I liked how structured the class was too, as everything was clearly posted and explained, leaving little room for confusion.
Observations
I realised that typography is a lot more detailed than I first thought. Before this, I didn’t really think about things like adjusting the kerning of letters or fixing awkward gaps. I just assumed the letters were meant to look that way. Now I can see how these small adjustments make a big difference in how text looks and feels. I also noticed that everyone had different interpretations and approaches when working on similar tasks, which made me more aware of how flexible and expressive typography can be.
Findings
Through this class, I learned that typography is more than just picking fonts. It’s about understanding spacing, alignment, and how everything works together visually. Paying attention to details like kerning and layout helps make designs look cleaner and more professional. I also found that feedback and small refinements made a huge difference in my final outcomes, and that being open to experimenting helped me understand typography better overall.
6. FURTHER READING
Figure 6.1 Typographic Design: Form and Communication Cover and Page 60, Week 4 (15/10/2025)
Legibility and the Digital Environment
- The digital revolution created new issues for legibility, often because designers blindly follow software clichés or built-in defaults.
- Designers need adequate knowledge to avoid simply yielding to these presets.
- Visual comparisons of typefaces are necessary, as different versions of the same font (like Garamond) can look entirely different.
Gross Distortion
- Gross distortion occurs when a letterform is altered significantly along only one axis (width or height).
- This process destroys the optical relationships and proportions of the original letterform.
- This principle directly explains the instruction given in Exercise 1 to avoid overly distorting the letterforms, ensuring our type expressions preserved the font's integrity and legibility.
In conclusion, what I realised is that digital tools for manipulating type have to be used to solve visual ideas, not just to make something look cool or for embellishment. Ultimately, being a professional means the work still comes down to mastering the basics, like perfect kerning and layout. Even technology like Multiple Master font technology was developed to let designers play around while maintaining design integrity, proving that avoiding destructive distortion is always the main goal.
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