Typography - Task 2: Typographic Exploration and Communication

27.10.2025 - 09.11.2025 / Week 6 - Week 7

Aida Tan Jie Fei / 0385645

Typography/ Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University

Task 2: Typographic Exploration and Communication

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LIST

• Lectures
• Instruction
• Process Work
• Final Work
• Feedback
• Reflections
• Futher Reading

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LECTURES

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Week 5

Typo_5_Understanding

Letters/Understanding Letterforms

Figure 1.1 Letters

Baskerville A:The uppercase letters look symmetrical, but they are not.The stroke weights differ, and each curve linking the serif to the stem has a unique shape.

Univers A:The uppercase letters look symmetrical, but the left side is thinner than the right. 

Helvetica & Univers a:The lowercase “a” in Helvetica and Univers shows how different two similar sans-serif fonts can be. Comparing how the stems and bowls connect clearly reveals their distinct characters.

Letters/ Maintaining x-height

Figure 1.2 Example of lowercase letters in x-height

The x-height shows the size of lowercase letters. But curved letters like “s” need to go slightly above or below the line to look the same size as nearby straight strokes.

Letters / Form / Counterform

Figure 1.3 Example of Counterform

Understanding letter shapes is important, but it’s just as important to notice the counterform which the spaces inside and between letters.When letters form words, these spaces affect how connected and readable the words look.This is especially true for letters like lowercase “r,” which have little or no inner space.Good handling of counters makes text easier to read.

Figure 1.4 Example of Words

A great way to understand a letter’s form and counter is to study them closely.This helps you see how their balance works, shows each letter’s unique features, and gives insight into how letters are designed.

Letters/Contrast

Figure 1.5 Example of Contrast

The main rules of graphic design also apply to typography.Contrast, a key design element, can create many effects in type—such as small vs. large, organic vs. mechanical, or dark vs. light.

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INSTRUCTION

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Figure 1.6 Module Brief

<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qYuVKEICX2ccgOu2jEh_7WC7upM9zPT9/preview" width="640" height="480" allow="autoplay"></iframe>

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PROCESS WORK

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We were given three articles to choose from, and I selected the Bauhaus one for my design. I created five layout options for this task, and below is my process.

Figure 1.7 Sketches of Layout

Figure 1.8 Layout 1

Figure 1.9 Layout 2

Figure 1.10 Layout 3

Figure 1.11 Layout 4

Figure 1.12 Layout 5

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FINAL WORK

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Figure 1.13 Final Work without Grid

Figure 1.14 Final Work without Grid (pdf)

<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/19zijvQKzfBeZj6vOSbJL-CHcwMT144Qz/preview" width="640" height="480" allow="autoplay"></iframe>

Figure 1.15 Final Work with Grid

Figure 1.16 Final Work with Grid (pdf)

<iframe src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ROQnHW3kKCIMgriZIbjIcjecVTzbtIF9/preview" width="640" height="480" allow="autoplay"></iframe>

HEAD
- Font/s: Bembo Standard, Bodoni 72
- Type Size/s: 107 pt, 60 pt
- Leading: 109 pt, 72 pt
- Paragraph spacing: -

 

BODY
- Font/s: Bembo Standard
- Type Size/s: 11 pt
- Leading: 13 pt
- Paragraph spacing: 3.881 mm
- Characters per-line: 45-55
- Alignment: Left Align

 

Page Margins

- top + left + right + bottom: 12.7mm + 12.7mm + 12.7mm + 12.7mm
- Columns: 4
- Gutter:5mm

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FEEDBACK

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Week 6

Specific Feedback:

I didn’t have any specific feedback since I thought we couldn’t start the work yet. 

General Feedback:

When creating a design, we must ensure all punctuation and text elements are correct to avoid errors and losses.

Week 7

Specific Feedback:

The title of the article needs to be arranged in order to avoid misunderstanding and ensure smooth reading. Remember, the heading should be two sizes larger than the main font size.

General Feedback:

We need to be careful with the gutter size, as it depends on our design.

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REFLECTIONS

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Experience：

I found that Task 2 is more challenging than the previous one, as we had to use everything we learned to make the article look attractive and well-balanced. It was a long and difficult process. Each task is getting harder compared to the last, but that just proves that we are making progress.

Observations：

After watching the lecture video, I started creating my design and layout. I found that there were many details we needed to pay attention to, as they could affect the overall layout and design. When I received feedback, I realized that I had forgotten to adjust some elements, which affected the balance of the article. Therefore, I need to pay more attention to these details in the future.

Findings：

I still have many areas to improve, as I’m not careful and creative enough. I need to keep practicing and learning from my work and mistakes. I should also watch more references to help myself improve.

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FUTHER READING

Figure  Typographic Systems by Kimberly Elam

Typographic Systems explores how typography and layout can be organized through structured systems beyond traditional grids. Kimberly Elam emphasizes that design is more than aesthetics it’s about creating clear, communicative, and flexible visual structures. The book introduces eight major typographic frameworks and shows how each can guide design decisions while encouraging creativity.

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