Project Two
Typeface Zine

Create a 12 page large format newsprint informative zine which teaches someone about a specific typeface — you have been assigned.. Who designed it, when, its character, how to identify it... You will become the resident expert of your font.

Graphic design professionals are expected to recognize an almost infinite number of typefaces; it is essential, therefore, that students begin by learning the parts of the letter (terms), characteristics and to classify typefaces into these major historical, categories (type classifications): Old Style, Transitional, Modern, Slab Serif, Sans Serif.

During this project you will become the resident expert of a given font. You learn everything there is to know about that font including: its classification, characteristic details, who designed it, when it was designed,...And then visually teach what you know to us in a series of typographic posters.


PROJECT OBJECTIVES:

understand the anatomy of letterforms
understand history of typography
understand type classifications
explore the expressive potential of typography
solve communication problems within given parameters
methodically document relevant design inspiration and process
present and assess work in a visually and verbally articulate manner
professionally document outcomes


FINAL DELIVERABLES:
  • (1)  Printed and Gum bound zine at the correct size
  • (1) Digital PDF of the Zine in Spreads
  • (1) Digital PDF of Zine in Spreads with Grid Turned On
  • (1) Process Book (Digital)

Zine Conents / Specs:

Contents:

Front and Back Cover
Font Characteristics: minimum 6 characteristics
Entire Character set: uppercase, lowercase, numbers and ! @ ? * & . ; ”
Bio about the Designer/Include other fonts they designed (list or show them)
History about the font/designer/classification 750 - 1000 words
History of the World 
Wild Card spread *

*Somewhere in the Zine should be the basic information -- don't forget any of these: Your Name, Year, Font Name, Designer's Name, Designer's birth and death, Font Name, Font Classification, Definition of Classification, Date font was designed and at least 1 quote.

** You can use any content on the wild card spread -- anything about the font, person, typography...

JAYHAWK INK Specs

5 Spreads 
+ Front and Back Cover
Columns: 6 columns
Color: 2 colors + Black
Fonts: Your assigned font + secondary font

You can also choose to have your project printed at Jayhawk Ink. Use and 11x14 page size and print on 12x18 if you want full bleed. Jayhawk Ink should be printed on #20 paper. Please have the pages Pad Bound. Please don't wait until the last minute for production.

 

Garamond

Goudy Old Style

Century Old Style

Baskerville

Mrs. Eaves

Sabon

Bodoni

Didot

Claredon

Belizio

Rockwell

Museo

Serifa

Gill Sans

Interstate

DIN

Franklin Gothic

Neue Haas Grotesk (Helvetica)

ITC Avant Garde

Century Gothic

Brandon Grotesque

Aktiv Grotesk

Scala Sans

ITC Benguiat

SCHEDULE:
10 / 20 / 19

IN CLASS

Introdocue Project 2
Choose Typefaces

HOMEWORK

*Make sure you have your font installed on your computer!

READ: LetterFountain: Names and classifications (take notes)

READ: I love Typography: History | part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4 | part 5 (take notes)

PRINT and READ: Glossary of Terms.pdf

READ: Font Styles

BRING: Create three 11x17 b/w printouts: 1 sheet with all caps, 1 sheet of all lowercase, 1 sheet of punctuation and numbers. Make the characters as large as you can at least 72 point. Print them out for next class.

RESEARCH: YOUR FONT: everything you can find about your font and the designer. Start designing your process book all of this goes in it (design it as 8.5 x 11 landscape). Go online, Go to the KU Library!

History of the font/designer/classification. Research and write at least 1000 words about the origins of your font. Can be specifically about your font, or about the classification or both. Identify/find at least 3 quotes about your font, person, typography…

History of the world. What was happening in the world the year/decade your font was designed, is it at all a reflection of the times? (no word min or max, not included in 1000 words or 500 words, is its own thing).

Find 3 - 6 images from from Flickr Commons  (or other public domain imagery) from that event, year, period...

Biography of your font designer: 500 words about the font designer. Include when and where they were born, died, list other fonts they designed

Bibliography: must included a bibliography, use at least 4 resources and only 2 of those can be online. That means you have to find a book, article.....include your bibliography in your process book


10 / 25 / 19 

IN CLASS

Identify these characteristics you can about your font...
Baseline, Cap height, x-height, serif style, stroke width, apex, final/terminal, barb, spur, ear, loop, link, a and g one story or two story, tail, apex, leg

HOMEWORK

Explore (30) different ideas on how you can "diagrammatically" show us your fonts characteristics use 3 - 6 different characteristics. AT least 20 different ways to visually and verbally you have to use both verbal and visual. Verbal means you should have words describing what we are looking at. You are exploring the different ways you can dissect, examine, explain both visually and verbally.

(10) Type Pairing Studies. 
(Headline , Subhead, Body, Pull quote etc)
Within these also explore (10) different paragraph breaks.

Sketch by hand or use the computer (use InDesign not Illustrator). Design on a 8.5 x 11 landscape so you can have 2 explorations per page.

What are the key / distinguishing characteristics of your typeface? What are the most important characteristics that define your font? How are you going to teach them to us?

HINT: Diagram, scientific, technical, mechanical, compare, compare/contrast. These are rough quick ideas on on to convey the characteristics of your font In an interesting and informative way

12 / 2 / 19  

IN CLASS

Review ways to diagrammatically show
your font's characteristics 

Start HW in class

HOMEWORK

Begin Designing (2) spreads Characteristics and the Entire character set.

Characteristics: Explore (7) different spread ideas. 7 Different Designs. Show how to diagrammatically show/explain at least 6 - 10 characteristics of your font. Use Scale, Contrast, Tension. (Can be the same characteristics, or you can try can be different ones.) A different way to teach us about your font. Think about composition, type sizes (remember you can use really small type for captions or identifiers), use contrast, scale, tension. Have fun and really push your designs. PRINT them out in color with crop marks on 11 x 17 sheet of paper. Each spread should be a different idea.

Explore (3) different ways to show the entire alphabet, punctuation, numbers on spread. How can you show off/identify the characteristics of your font?. On the spread include the font name and classification. Think about composition, type sizes (remember you can use really small type for captions or identifiers), use contrast, scale, tension. Have fun and really push your designs. PRINT them out in color with crop marks on 11 x 17 sheet of paper. Each spread should be a different idea.

REMEMBER: scale, color, size relationships, how to make it look "technical", mechanical, informational. Big's BIG smalls small. Smallest size can be 5pt. No limit on LARGE.

PRINT your 10 spreads on 11 x 17 in color with crop marks. 

12 / 4 / 19  

IN CLASS

Crit Spreads


HOMEWORK

Create on the computer at least (6) different design directions for the History of the font/designer/classification (750 - 1000 words)

How do you get us to read about your font. Call outs? Quotes? Bold text? Show (6) different directions. Print them full size with crop marks AND print the grid in color or b/w.

Create (4) different Designer Bio spreads. Make sure you include the designers name, birth – death, other fonts they designed. Print them full size with crop marks AND print the grid in color or b/w.

Front and Back Cover: what have you done so far that could be cropped, over printed, translated into an interesting cover? You can use parts from any design or just design covers that look cool. Zine covers should be COOL :) Try at least 6 - 12 different cover ideas. You can print them small to fit onto 11 x 17 in color. The front and back will fit on an 11 x 17 with crop marks. If you want to save money you can print them smaller for this round.

REMEMBER: scale, color, size relationships, how to make it look "technical", mechanical, informational. Big's BIG smalls small. Smallest size can be 5pt. No limit on LARGE.

BRING all your spreads from last class also!!! don't leave them at home 


12 / 9 / 19  

IN CLASS

Crit Design Directions 

Cut and Paste to create new variations
with your small group



HOMEWORK

Taking from what you have done so far put ONE FULL togehter and refine them in InDesign how do you make them more coheisive? How can they more surprise? Pacing? Scale? Tension. WORK on the type pages many were ROUGH. Including the font and back cover.

What goes together. How what do you need to add/refine to really teach us the characteristics of your font? How can you create more scale? Surprise? How will the Zine flow?

If your covers weren't good then design some extra covers. If you spreads with History spreads were not good design some extra spreads. If you your characteristics spreads are not good make some extra. You get idea. Get your Zines as cool and great and fun as possible!

Bring in Full Zine Flat for class Wed.

 

12 / 11 / 19  

IN CLASS

Critque Directions

Think About:
-Consistancey in form and typography
-Write better headlines 


HOMEWORK

Design/Refine your entire Zine!

Think About:
Creating variations/options of spreads in the Zine  Exploring how to make some spreads stronger, pacing, scale, tension
How can you use the grid consistantly, horizontal alignment througout, consistant type sizes.
How can you have dense pages followed by visual break...
Write better headlines: What is your Zine Called? Title can you give the History Section?

READ THIS (CHECK YOUR ZINE FOR THESE THINGS AS WELL AS WHAT WE WENT OVER IN CLASS!)

 

12 / 19 / 19  

IN CLASS

Project Due 

FINAL TIME IS 1;30 PM

HOMEWORK

PDF Process Book on Server
PDF of Zine in Spreads on Server