Advanced Typography | Task 1: Exercises
- 21/4/2026 ~ 18/4/2026/ (Week 1 - Week 4)
- Takeguchi Shunta/0386416/Bachelor of Design in Creative Media
- Advanced Typography GCD60104
- Task 1: Exercises
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LECTURES
Lecture 1: Typographic Systems
- 'All design is based on a structural system' by Kimberly Elam.
-
The eight major variations are Axis, Radial, Dilatational,
Random, Grid, Transitional, Modular, and Bilateral.
-
Typographical organization is complex because the elements are
dependent on communication to function.
- 'The typographic system has a set of rules that is unique and
provides a sense of purpose that focuses and directs the decision
making' by Kimberly Elam.
- Gradually, designers can use their intuition in their work.
- Axis System: All elements are organized to the left or right of a
single axis.
Fig 1.1, Axis System, week 1, 18/4/2026
Fig 1.2, Radial System, week 1, 18/4/2026
- Dilatational System: All elements expand from a central point in a circular fashion.
Fig 1.3, Dilatational System, week 1, 18/4/2026
Fig 1.4, Random System, week 1, 18/4/2026
Fig 1.5, Grid System, week 1, 18/4/2026
- Transitional System: An informal system of layered banding.
Fig 1.6, Transitional System, week 1, 18/4/2026
Fig 1.1.7, Modular System, week 1, 18/4/2026
- Bilateral System: All texts are arranged symmetrically on a single axis.
Fig 1.1.8, Bilateral System, week 1, 18/4/2026
-
Knowing other systems allows designers distinctiveness in the
approach towards organizing information.
Lecture 2: Typographic Composition
-
Typographic composition is about the arrangement of textual
information in a given space
- Design Principles seem ambiguous when it comes to use in
typographic composition.
- The Rule of Thirds: It basically suggests that a frame(space)
can be divided into 3 columns and 3 rows. The intersection lines
are used as a guide to place the points of interest. Not often
used in typographical composition.
Fig 1.2.1, The Rule of Thirds, week 1, 18/4/2026
- The most used system is the Grid System, which is derived from
the grided compositional structure of Letter Press Printing.
-
The Grid System has the versatility of the system and its
modular nature. It tends to allow an infinite number of
adaptations.
- In reaction to ordered systems of a modernist era, young
designers used asymmetry, randomness, repetition, dilatational,
and radial systems.
Fig 1.2.2, David Carson's artwork, week 1, 18/4/2026
- A balance between excitement and understanding of the
information is important in creative systems.
- Environmental Grid: This system is based on the exploration of
an existing structure or numerous structures combined. An
extraction of crucial lines, both curved and straight are formed.
(ex, architecture, interior design)
- The Environmental Grid is developed around key features of an
environment associated with the communicators of the
message.
- Form and Movement: It is based on the exploration of an existing
grid system to dispel the seriousness surrounding the application
of the grid system.
- Variation of the space is needed to keep the arrangement.
- In compositional exercises, the level of complexity increases as
newer elements are introduced.
Lecture 3: Context & Creativity
-
The first mechanically produced letterforms were designed to
directly imitate handwriting.
- The shape and line of hand-drawn letterforms are influenced by
the tools and materials used to make them.
-
Alphabet evolves from pictorial representation to sound
representation.
- Cuneiform (3000 B.C.E) was the earliest system of actual
writing.
- Hierographics (2613 ~2160 B.C.E) is a mixture of rebus and
phonetic characters.
- Early Greek (5 B.C.E) is based on the Egyptian logogram
system. The Phoenicians developed a Phoenician alphabet, and the
Greeks added vowels.
- The Phoenician letter marks a turning point in written
language by the use of sound represented in letters.
Fig 1.3.2 The Phoenician alphabet, week 1, 21/4/2026
- Emperor Charlemagne standardized the letters in Europe with
the Carolingian minuscule.
- The Carolingian minuscule was used for all legal and literary
works. It is base of our lower-case Roman type.
Fig 1.3.3 The Carolingian minuscule, week 1, 21/4/2026
- Movable Type (11C ~14C) Printing had already been practiced in
China, Korea, and Japan before Gutenberg in Europe.
- Korean established a foundry to cast movable type in bronze.
- Chinese script evolves from Oracle to Seal to Clerical.
-
Mesopotamia was the center of the language and writing
system.
- The oldest writing found in the Indus Valley civilization (3500
~ 2000 B.C.E)
- The Brahmi script (450 ~ 350 B.C.E) is the writing system
developed in the Indus after the Indus script. All modern Indian
and many Southeastern and East Asian scripts are derived from the
Brahmi.
- Pallava is a South Indian script originally used for writing
Sanskrit and Tamil, and was influential all across Southeast Asia.
- The Malay Peninsula would have been using Indian scripts and
Kawi to write the old Malay language.
- In modern Malaysia, Jawi is of great importance because it's the
script used for all famous works of literature.
- Multi-script typefaces are for the situation where the written
matter is communicated in the vernacular script or vernacular and
Latin scripts.
-
Creativity and inspiration should begin by observing our
surroundings and exploring our collective histories.
INSTRUCTION
PROCESS WORK
Typographic Systems
This assignment, it was required us to create the 8 typographic system
we learned in lecture.
I first tried to understand the context of the given text, Russian
Constructivism and Graphic Design. I read the article (https://creativepro.com/russian-constructivism-and-graphic-design/) by Ilene Strizver. Russian Constructivism reflected the
belief that art should be a means of social change, and artists left
behind many works that made a strong impact on the viewer through
montage, powerful typography, and the use of color.
After understanding the context, I started to work in InDesign. The
artwork originated from a layout I developed through trial and error in
InDesign. The Radial and Bilateral systems had limitations on text
placement, making it difficult to create anything truly creative.
Below are the 8 systems and the other layouts of the Axial and Radial
Systems.
For the Random System, it was difficult to create the chaos that the
teacher said, so I added the green square in the background, and the 2
lines. I tried to create chaos by putting not only the text, but also
graphics. If only text, I try to organize them somehow.
Fig 2.1.1 8 systems, week 1, 26/4/2026
Fig 2.1.2 Axial System 2, week 1, 24/4/2026
Fig 2.1.3 Random System 2, week 1, 24/4/2026
In the week 1 consultation, I had feedback that
- All texts need to be radial for the Radial System.
- To create uniqueness, use a serif typeface for Random System, which
looks like a modern design.
- Create a hierarchy of information for the texts at the bottom in the
Grid System.
-Avoid distortion with condensed font in the Transitional system.
And in general feedback,
- Green color may be avoided for printing matters because of the
printing process.
- A 0.5pt thickness line is recommended, so not stand out too much.
- If black is too strong, change it to grey.
I refined 6 of my works, except Axial and Modular Systems, based on
feedback.
- Radial System: created two radial points, so all texts are
radial.
Fig 2.1.4 Radial System refinement, week 2, 28/4/2026
- Dilatational System: I removed the green color for the small date
text. Instead, I applied a baseline to differentiate it from the
following text.
Fig 2.1.5 Dilatational System refinement, week 2, 28/4/2026
- Random System: changed typefaces for the Title, from sans-serif to
serif. Also, changed the color of the background green square, and '2021', in order to make it easier to read.
Fig 2.1.6 Random System refinement, week 2, 28/4/2026
- Grid System: adjusted the hierarchy of information by making the date
and time bold and drawing lines.
Fig 2.1.7 Grid System refinement, week 2, 28/4/2026
- Transitional System: avoided the distortion of the title and
department texts.
Fig 2.1.8 Transitional System refinement, week 2, 28/4/2026
- Bilateral System: changed background color from black to grey.
Fig 2.1.9 Bilateral System refinement, week 2, 28/4/2026
Typographic System Final Submission
Axial System
Typeface: Gill Sans Std
Fig 2.2.1 Axial System final work, week 2, 28/4/2026
Radial System
Typeface: Univers LT Std
Fig 2.2.2 Radial System final work, week 2, 28/4/2026
Dilatational System
Typeface: Futura Std
Fig 2.2.3 Dilatational System final work, week 2, 28/4/2026
Random System
Typeface: Adobe Caslon Pro & Futura Std & Gill Sans Std & Serifa Std
Fig 2.2.4 RandomSystem final work, week 2, 28/4/2026
Typeface: Univers LT Std
Fig 2.2.5 Grid System final work, week 2, 28/4/2026
Modular System
Typeface: Futura Std
Fig 2.2.6 Modular System final work, week 2, 28/4/2026
Typeface: Futura Std
Fig 2.2.7 Transitional System final work, week 2, 28/4/2026
Typeface: Univers LT Std
Fig 2.2.8 Bilateral System final work, week 2, 28/4/2026
Fig 2.2.9 8 Systems final work, week 2, 28/4/2026
Fig 2.2.10 8 Systems final work PDF, week 2, 28/4/2026
Fig 2.2.11 8 Systems final work PDF with grid/guide, week 2,
28/4/2026
Type & Play
For the second exercise, it was required to create an original typeface
from a picture of a repeated natural object.
First, I read the article that Mr. Vinod shared (https://kreatifbeats.com/2023/08/06/finding-type-a-novel-typographic-exercise/). It's his own blog, and the content is about this type design
exercise. I could catch the meaning of this exercise, as well as the
working process and final output artwork.
After that, I searched for a natural repeated picture to extract the
type. I wanted to do something original, not something seniors have
already done, such as leaves, rock, or ocean. Eventually, I chose a
picture of corn. Corn is made up of many kernels, cell-like
structures that are repeated in a pattern, and each of these cells has a
different shape. Therefore, I thought that I could create a type by
tracing those cells.
Fig 3.1.1 Corn picture chosen, week 2, 2/5/2026
Below is the type extraction screenshot. At first attempt, I extracted
only with strokes without thickness contrast and space between cells
(types in the center). However, it looked too simple and lacked
uniqueness. So I converted strokes into fill, added anchor points, and
moved them to match the picture. The final extracted types on the right. D
may be hard to recognize since it resembles O.
Fig 3.1.2 Type extraction, week 2, 3/5/2026
The next step is refining the type while referring to the selected
typeface.
For the reference typeface, I chose Eurostile. They have bigger counters
than other typefaces, where I want to put the feeling of a corn
kernel.
Below is the type refinement process that I submitted in the week 3
class. In the first three stages, I mainly shaped the type to make
it recognizable, and in the last two stages, I adjusted its
thickness. I had a misunderstanding in this process, so I was
trying to eliminate the corn-like feel from the types and make them
closer to Eurostile.
Fig 3.1.3 Type refinement 1, week 2, 4/5/2026
In the week 3 class, Mr. Vinod corrected my and many students'
misunderstandings; The type needs to represent the picture. And I
got it clear that what I need to create is the types that have a feeling
of corn, and Eurostile is just a reference, not necessary to exactly
mimic it.
As specific feedback, he showed me a Tuscan typeface, which has a serif
in the middle of strokes, which I might include. Also, he mentioned that
the third stage of refinement, the R, was good and advised that I should
aim for a similar feel with the other types as well.
Fig 3.1.4 Tuscan typeface, week 3, 5/5/2026
I used the counter of R, which looks like a pentagon, and incorporated
it into P and D. For O and C, I made a hexagon by adding one corner to
the pentagon, and imitated a rounded shape.
Next, to create a sense of space between the cells, I adjusted the
random shapes protruding from the corners and the ends of strokes. The
extracted shapes were rather unsettling, so I made sure they weren't
too prominent.
I also incorporated elements of Tuscan Typeface, as suggested in the
feedback, into D and P. I felt the addition of decorations in
mid-stroke highlights the unique type design.
Finally, I considered the thickness, but I chose the thinner one because
it has a sense of tracing between the corn kernels.
Fig 3.1.5 Type refinement 2, week 3, 8/5/2026
I began by creating a background image. Looking at the type I made, it
feels like a horror/thriller movie from the thin strokes with inconsistent
thickness. Therefore, I decided to create an eerie visual.
The first draft is below. I changed the color of corn and tried to have a
strange feeling. But when I put my type and logos, I thought it didn't fit
so much. So I explored other visuals.
Fig 3.1.6 Poster 1, week 3, 8/5/2026
The original picture shows nothing but corn, and a wide shot of the
corn lacked impact for the poster visual. So, I zoomed in, and the
repetition of the corn kernels stood out, looking eerie.
I utilized this finding and edited it in Photoshop. I touched Curves
and Color Balance, etc, to change the colors and make it even more
unsettling.
Fig 3.1.7 Photoshop screenshot, week 3, 8/5/2026
I made it neat and simple. I added opacity slightly for the small
texts and used Helvetica, imitating Hollywood movie poster design.
Incidentally, while looking at some movie posters, I noticed that many
of them used the Bilateral System.
Fig 3.1.8 Poster 2, week 3, 8/5/2026
He explained further in the third feedback why the positioning is not
good. The image below shows red and green shapes made by 2 circles. You might not see anything here, but at the
bottom, the shapes are flipped. Once flipped, the difference in circle
sizes of the green shape suddenly occurred. The same thing can be seen for
the 'H'. This is because the human brain tends to see objects at the top appear larger than those at the bottom. From this, he
pointed out that ' A FILM BY ELIOT CARTER' gets too much attention since it's placed above
the movie title. So he suggested either placing the text below the title,
or leaving it above and taking more space between the title.
Fig 3.1.9 Explanation of Vertical position size illusion, week 4, 12/5/2026
So I worked on refining the work. First, begin with the thickness
adjustment. I tried to make the types bold and uniform
throughout. While perfect uniformity isn't possible, I aimed to make
it appear reasonably even when viewed from a distance. When making
adjustments, I noticed that shapes with a big counter in the middle,
such as O and C, appeared to have thinner strokes when viewed from a
distance, so I set those letters to be slightly thicker than others.
Fig 3.1.10 Thickness adjustment, week 4, 15/5/2026
I applied a sense of margin, so the space from 'A FILM BY ELIOT CARTER'
to the top edge and from the logos to the bottom edge is consistent.
Fig 3.1.11 Poster 3, week 4, 15/5/2026
Type & Play Final Submission
Fig 3.2.1 Image, week 4, 15/5/2026
Fig 3.2.2 Extracted letterforms, week 4, 15/5/2026
Fig 3.2.3 Reference font, week 4, 15/5/2026
Fig 3.2.4 Refinement process, week 4, 15/5/2026
Fig 3.2.5 Final letterforms,
week 3, 9/5/2026
Fig 3.2.6 Original extraction and final letterforms, week 4, 15/5/2026
Fig 3.2.7 Collage of image, dissection and extraction, reference,
refinement and final,
week 4, 15/5/2026
week 4, 15/5/2026
Fig 3.2.8 Poster, week 4, 15/5/2026
Fig 3.2.9 Submission PDF, week 4, 15/5/2026
FEEDBACK
Week 1
General Feedback:
- The blog and other setups are done properly.
Week 2
General Feedback:
- Put elements one by one in a hierarchy when creating a
layout.
- Black and white contrast may be too much, affecting readability.
- A 0.5 thickness line is recommended, so not stand out too much.
- If black is too strong, change it to grey.
- Use serif and sans-serif when using 2 typefaces to create
contrast.
- Use sans-serif typefaces when the background is dark.
- Proximity creates tension.
- Green color for small text may be avoided for printing matters
because of the printing process.
Specific Feedback:
- The radial system needs to be all text radial.
- Use serif typefaces for the random system in the sake of
creativity.
- For the grid system, make a hierarchy of information.
- No distortion with condensed font for the Transitional
system.
Week 3
General Feedback:
- To create impact, make the strokes thicker where touching open
spaces.
- Typefaces need to represent the image.
Specific Feedback:
- May refer to Tuscan typefaces.
- R is good, so put the feeling of R into other letters.
Week 4
General Feedback:
- When applying text, use the minimum used color of the background.
- White text may not always match the background.
- Don't use multiple characteristic typefaces in one artwork.
- White and yellow are low contrast, with no readability.
- Use a gradient if there's too much contrast between foreground and
background.
- Set the margin and select systems first.
Specific Feedback:
- Adjust the thickness and thinness of letters.
- More space for the elements at the bottom.
- Put the A film by... below the title, or above it with more space.
- The brain tends to see objects at the top as bigger.
REFLECTION
Experience
Unlike the Typography course I took in the first semester, there
were no Illustrator or InDesign tutorials, so the class felt
fast-paced. Also, it was my first time in Mr. Vinod's class, and the
teaching style was different from Mr. Max's, which made me nervous
at first, but I've gotten used to it now.
The first exercise was enjoyable for me, as I'm interested in
magazine and web design layouts. It was challenging to complete
within the given rules, but I was ultimately able to create
satisfying pieces.
Type & Play was an exercise that required trial and error in
translating a chosen subject into typography. Because my design
involved curves and uneven surfaces, I had to carefully adjust
anchor points and curves, which was time-consuming.
Observations
In the Type & Design exercise, I created typefaces by extracting
features from nature, and in doing so, I observed the importance of
developing existing things rather than creating something entirely
new. Of course, creating something new is fun and can lead to great
achievements, but as a design student, I felt that learning the
fundamentals from existing things, researching them, and understanding
the techniques involved is a valuable learning experience.
In Lecture 3, I learned about the history of typography not only in
Europe, but all over the world. I would like to utilize that knowledge
in my classes and creative work going forward.
Findings
I've realized how important the fundamentals I learned in typography
are. A few months have passed, and I've gradually forgotten some of
them.
There have been several times when I've had to stop working to look up
things like how to set up leadings or the meaning of phrases.
Typography has many rules, so I want to focus on getting those firmly
into my head first.
FURTHER READING
Typographic Systems by Kimberly Elam
This is the book Mr. Vinod referred to for the Typographic Systems
lecture video. It shows examples and definitions of each system
throughout all pages.
I looked for the Transitional System section, since I couldn't come up
with a good idea for it in the exercise. I especially feel difficulty
adding uniqueness while arranging texts in layers. It would be just
normal vertically placed texts.
In the book, she said 'The transitional system is the most informal
and relaxed system.' Indeed, upon closer inspection, the text appears
haphazardly arranged, and in the Advance Phase, the pace between each
text is condensed, making it initially difficult to read.
However, I could see that the techniques are employed to draw the
viewer's attention, such as using tracking to create spacing between
letters in important sentences or incorporating graphics.
Fig 4.1.1 Typographic Systems page 110
And reading further, I could find creative works using the
Transitional System. I especially liked the artwork from Alex
Evans. I felt this was a very innovative piece of work, where the
translucent gray shapes create density, and that density forms a
hierarchy.
Fig 4.1.2 Typographic Systems page 116
Finding Type: A Novel Typographic Exercise by Vinod Nair
As I mentioned in process work, it's a blog post by Mr. Vinod, written
about his Type & Play exercise process and his experience as a
lecturer.
Inside the blog, there are many examples of work by senior students.
It worked as a good reference for me, imagining the final output and
considering which subject matter to choose would allow me to create a
creative piece.
Especially, this artwork in the blog helped me during my refinement
process. There are vertical and horizontal lines, and trace these
lines to form types. It was a similar tracing process to mine with
corn. So the refinement process, especially his detailed development
for P, showed me the way of refinement.
Fig 4.2.1 Work by Pun Le Job, 2020
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