Typography - Task 2 : Typographic Exploration and Communication

20/10/2025 - 09/11/2025 (Week 5 - Week 8)

Chan Xin Yean, 0377851

Typography

Task 2

---

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Lectures
2. Instructions
3. Process Work
    3.1 Research
    3.2 Ideation
    3.3 Digitisation
    3.4 Final Outcome
4. Feedback
5. Reflection
6. Further Reading

---

LECTURE

Week 6

Typo_5 : Understanding

1. Understanding Letterforms

Although the uppercase letter suggest symmetry, but in fact it is asymmetrical. Theres two different stroke weights of Baskerville stroke form.

Figure 1.0 Different stroke weights of Baskerville stroke form, Week 5 (24/10/2025)

Each individual letterform is neatly demonstrated by examining the lowercase 'a' of two seemingly similar sans-serif typefaces. ( Helvetica and Univers )

Figure 1.1 Comparison of how stems of the letterforms finish, Week 5 (24/10/2025)

2. Maintaining x-height

Curved strokes, such as in 's' must rise above the median or sink below the baseline to appear to be the same size as the vertical and horizontal strokes they adjoin.

Figure 1.2 x-height examples, Week 5 (24/10/2025)

3. Counter form 

Counter form includes the spaces between letters when they are joined to form words. It plays a role to recognise the font of word or letter. For example, the black spaces for the letter E below are counter form of the letter. To understand the form and counter of a letter is to examine them in close detail and get a good feel for how the balance between form and counter is achieved.

Figure 1.3 Example of counter forms, Week 5 (24/10/2025)

4. Contrast

The most powerful dynamic in design is contrast which produces numerous variations.

Figure 1.4 Variations of contrast, Week 5 (24/10/2025)

Return to Table of Contents

---

INSTRUCTIONS

Figure 2.0 Document for the Module Information Briefs

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PPelhqQAvhqnrNlmdDPgn4PejeyhIiwb/view

Return to Table of Contents

---

PROCESS WORK

3.1 Research

For this task, we are required to design a editorial text. There were 3 article to choose from, which includes "Bauhaus: The Movement that Changed Design", "Punk's Design Revolution: Breaking the Rules" and "Designing Change: How Designers Shape the World We Live In". I decided to choose the article about punk's design revolution. After choosing the article, I went on Pinterest to search for inspirations. 

Figure 3.0 Reference Board from images in Pinterest, Week 5 (25/10/2025)

After researching, I learned a lot about punk style as I wasn't very familiar with it before. I noticed that a lot of designs include bold headlines, cutout letters and textured fonts. The size and composition of the text and pictures was also messy (crooked texts, different sized and type of fonts used) compared to the usual orderly arranged manner. 

3.2 Ideation

I decided to sketch down my ideas after referencing the style of the images i found. It helped me plan out the arrangements of the body text and the headline better. I also found that I struggled a lot in creating a headline and arrangement that are interesting.

Figure 3.1 Sketches of my ideas, Week 5 (25/10/2025)

3.3 Digitisation

After sketching i moved on to making the headline in Adobe Illustrator and then placing it with the body text in Indesign. I chose the first 2 ideas as my main focus when digitising as I thought the composition was the most interesting. 

Figure 3.2 Digitised ideas, Week 5 (26/10/2025)

After the feedback session, I had some things to work on. Mr.Vinod explained that my paragraph spacing was not right and suggested me to follow the leading and not place each paragraph in separate text boxes. The headline needed some work as it lacks cohesiveness and for the second idea, he commented on avoiding diagonal arrangements as it pulls the attention of the viewers to two extreme direction.

Figure 3.3 Screenshot of the online feedback session, Week 6 (27/10/2025)

So, I went back to my sketches and decided to try and digitise other arrangements that were more cohesive and corrected the paragraph spacings of my design.

Figure 3.4 Digitisation after feedback session, Week 6 (01/11/2025)

Figure 3.5 Block out of the editorial designs, Week 6 (01/11/2025)

I decided to proceed with the bottom left idea as it portrays the punk style more than other ideas. I also liked the way breaking was designed as I tried to make the word Punk look like its pushing down the rest of the word and breaking was shattered due to the pushing. Besides, I struggled to make "Breaking the Rules" look cohesive to the rest of the headline for the other ideas.

After the feedback session on week 7,  the layout of the headline was changed. 

Figure 3.6 Changes made after week 7 feedback, Week 7 (03/11/2025)

After changing the headline, I wasn't quite satisfied with the body text layout as the length of the two columns of the text were too similar, so I decided to move a paragraph to the right column to create a more obvious length difference between the two columns.

Figure 3.7 Changes to body text, Week 7 (05/11/2025)

Figure 3.8 Block out of final editorial text design, Week 7 (05/11/2025)

3.4 Final Outcome 

HEAD
Font/s: Univers LT Std (Extra black, Extended)
Type Size/s: 242 pt, 47 pt, 95 pt
Leading: 244 pt, 55 pt, 99 pt
Paragraph spacing: -

BODY
Font/s: Univers LT Std (Roman)
Type Size/s: 9 pt
Leading: 11 pt
Paragraph spacing: 11 pt
Characters per-line: 55-65 characters
Alignment: Left Justified

PAGE MARGINS
12.7mm (top), 12.7mm (left), 12.7mm (right), 12.7mm (bottom)
Columns: 4
Gutter: 5mm

Figure 3.9 Task 2 Final Outcome - jpeg, Week 7 (08/11/2025)

Figure 3.10 Task 2 Final Outcome - jpeg, Week 7 (08/11/2025)

Figure 3.11 Task 2 Final Outcome without grid - pdf, Week 7 (08/11/2025)

Figure 3.12 Task 2 Final Outcome with grid - pdf, Week 7 (08/11/2025)

Return to Table of Contents

---

FEEDBACK

Week 6
General feedback : Let the body text flow to avoid too much white spaces. 

Specific feedback : Make sure the paragraph spacing of the body text is 11pt if using 11pt leading. The headline still needs some work as it looks scattered. Avoid using diagonal way of arrangements as it pulls the attention to two extreme directions. The kerning of the body text is good.

Week 7 
General feedback : Be aware of the leading and ragging of the body text.

Specific feedback : Mr. Vinod suggested that the headline should be moved upwards until its aligned to the body text and the "the Rules" part of the headline could be moved below the word "Breaking" instead of it being on the next page. Besides, the "Design Revolution" of the headline was suggested to be changed into all capital letters. 

Return to Table of Contents

---

REFLECTION

Experience

For this task, I combined what I learned from previous exercises to create an editorial text design. Since I chose a punk-themed article, I started by researching the meaning of punk and how it’s visually expressed as I didn't know much about punk styles.  I found this task quite challenging, especially when experimenting with different layouts while maintaining readability. After the feedback session in week 6, I realised that readability plays an equally important role as visual design as there were many problems with my layout. In the end, I explored new design approaches especially while combining the design of the headline, the structure of the body text and arrangements.

Observation

I noticed how easily visual experimentation can affect readability, small changes in layout, spacing, or type placement can either enhance or disrupt the flow of the text. The punk theme encouraged me to be bold with design choices, although I was not the type to be bold in designing. It was interesting seeing the different styles of design people created with the punk theme. Through trying different layouts and receiving feedback, I became more aware of how balance, hierarchy, and alignment play a key role in creating an engaging yet readable editorial design.

Findings

I discovered that effective editorial design requires a strong balance between creativity and readability. I learned that the visual style should support the message, not overpower it. Through exploring the punk theme, it helped me in understanding how expressive typography and layout can convey a message. I also realised the importance of maintaining visual consistency and hierarchy to guide the reader’s eye. Overall, this task heightened my awareness of how design decisions directly influence the reader’s experience.

Return to Table of Contents

---

FURTHER READING

Figure 4.0 Typographic Systems - Kimberly Elam, Week 6 (28/10/2025)

This book explores structural systems and frameworks that are divided into eight major variations, each offering endless possibilities for composition. Understanding these systems of visual organization gives designers a deeper insight into the design process. I’ve read several sections of the book, including those on nonobjective elements, the axial system, and the grid system.

Figure 4.1 Nonobjective elements, page 14, Week 6 (28/10/2025)

This page presents various types of nonobjective elements that can be used to refine and enhance the composition of a text. These elements help strengthen the message by introducing a sense of organisation and direction. Among them are different types of series, such as rule series, circle series, and tone series which serve as structural components that create emphasis and visual hierarchy within a design.

Figure 4.2 Poster that uses the axial system, page 20, Week 6 (28/10/2025)

In an axial system, elements are arranged along a single axis, either to the left or right of it. Examples of axial arrangements in nature include tree trunks and flower stems. Asymmetrical compositions within an axial system often create more visual interest compared to symmetrical ones. In the example poster above by Emil Ruder, the strong vertical emphasis of the number “1” effectively demonstrates this principle.

Figure 4.3 Grid composition by Massimo Vignelli, Vignelli Associates, page 89, Week 6 (28/10/2025)

A grid is a system made up of vertical and horizontal divisions that help organize and establish relationships between visual elements. Its structured arrangement is typically formal, aiming to create a clear sense of visual order and efficiency in design production. Common examples of grid systems include windows, maps, and crossword puzzles. Unlike the axial system, grids are not dependent on a single axis to define their visual relationships. The example above illustrates how hierarchy can be established within a grid system.

Return to Table of Contents