Advanced Typography - Task 1: Exercises
Advanced Typography | Task 1: Exercises
|| 23/9/2025 – 14/10/2025 (Week 1 – Week 4)
|| BAI ZHUO QING, 0370042
|| Advanced Typography
|| Task 1: Exercises
|| BAI ZHUO QING, 0370042
|| Advanced Typography
|| Task 1: Exercises
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Lectures
2. Instructions
3. Process Work
4. Feedback
5. Reflection
6. Further Reading
1. Lecture：
Lecture 1 / Typographic Systems:
In Typographic Systems, Kimberly Elam identifies eight variations of
typographic organization, each offering a unique structural approach to
arranging visual and textual elements.
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| Fig 1.1 The eight typography systems (09/23/2025_W1) |
1. Axial - All elements are organised to the left or right of a
single axis.
2. Radial - All elements are extended from a point of focus.
3. Dilatational - All elements expand from a central point in a
circular fashion.
4. Random - Elements appear to have no specific pattern or
relationship.
5. Grid - A system of vertical and horizontal divisions.
7. Modular - A series of non-objective elements that are constructed
in as a standardised units.
8. Bilateral - All text is arranged symmetrically on a single
axis.
Lecture 2 / Typographic Composition:
Design Composition Principles
This section explores the governing principles of design composition:
emphasis, isolation, repetition, symmetry and asymmetry, alignment, and
perspective.
Rule of Thirds
The Rule of Thirds is a photographic composition guideline that divides an
image into three rows and three columns. The points where these lines
intersect act as natural focal points, guiding where to place the subject or
key elements within the frame.
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Fig 2.1 Rule of
Thirds (09/29/2025_W2) |
Typographic Systems
This article explores eight typographic systems, focusing on the grid
system because it's the most practical and widely used typographic method.
Derived from the structured compositions of letterpress printing, grid
systems enable modular, hierarchical, and balanced layouts, enhancing
readability and visual harmony.
Form & Movement
Exploring "form and movement," the design emphasizes the use of existing
grid systems to break down rigid structures and unleash creativity. The
design interprets the turning of pages as slow motion, interweaving images,
text, and color across multiple pages to create a sense of rhythm and
movement.
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| Fig 2.2 Form & Movement (09/29/2025_W2) |
Lecture 3 / Context & Creativity
Handwriting
Early mechanical typefaces were heavily inspired by handwritten forms,
which formed the foundation of typeface design principles, spacing, and
visual conventions. The first mechanical typefaces were designed to mimic
handwriting, preserving the natural rhythm and flow of human writing.
These early typefaces were heavily influenced by the tools and materials
used at the time—such as bone, charcoal sticks, plant stems, brushes, and
reeds—which shaped the weights, curves, and overall character of their
letters, laying the foundation for modern typeface design.
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| Fig 3.1 Evolution of the Latin Alphabet (10/06/2025_W3) |
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| Fig 3.2 Evolution of the Latin Alphabet (10/06/2025_W3) |
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| Fig 3.3 Evolution of Middle Eastern Alphabets (10/06/2025_W3) |
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| Fig 3.4 Evolution of the Chinese Script (10/06/2025_W3) |
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| Fig 3.5 Indus Valley Civilisation script (3500-2000 BCE) (10/06/2025_W3) |
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| Fig 3.6 The Brahmi script (450-350 BCE) (10/06/2025_W3) |
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Lecture 4 / Designing Type
Typeface Design Process
1.Research
- Study type history, anatomy, and conventions to understand how letterforms are constructed.
- Define the intended purpose and usage of the typeface (e.g., display, text, or logo).
- Observe and analyze existing typefaces to find inspiration and identify effective design strategies.
2. Sketching
- Experiment with traditional tools such as pens, brushes, and ink, or use digital tools like tablets.
- Focus on proportion, consistency, and flow among letterforms.
- Refine ideas through multiple iterations to develop a clear design direction.
- Capture the essence and character of each letter before moving to digital construction.
3. Digitization
- Use professional software such as FontLab, Glyphs App, or Adobe Illustrator for vector construction.
- Pay attention to form and counterform, ensuring a balanced relationship between black and white space.
- Adjust side bearings and metrics to maintain consistent spacing and rhythm.
- Make small refinements to improve smoothness and alignment across all characters.
4. Testing
- Conduct prototype testing to check readability and alignment.
- Adjust spacing, kerning, and weight to ensure visual harmony.
- Prioritize legibility for text typefaces and expressiveness for display typefaces.
5. Deployment
- Identify and fix minor issues (teething problems) that appear after release.
- Use feedback and observation to make improvements.
- Maintain rigorous testing so that any remaining issues are minimal.
- Treat deployment as part of an ongoing process rather than a final step.
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| Fig 4.1 Typeface Construction(10/14/2025_W4) |
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Fig 4.2 Classification according to form and construction(10/14/2025_W4) |
2. Instructions：
3. Process Work：
Task 1: Exercise 1 – Typographic Systems
In this exercise, you will explore the eight typographic systems
introduced in MIB: Axial, Radial, Dilatational, Random, Grid,
Transitional, Modular, and Bilateral.
- The work must be completed exclusively using Adobe InDesign.
- Artboard size: 200 × 200 mm.
- Color scheme: Black and one additional color only.
- You may use simple graphic elements (such as lines, dots, or shapes), but keep their use minimal and controlled to maintain typographic focus.
First week attempt
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| Fig 5.1 First week attempt (9/23/2025_W1) |
Design Process
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Fig 5.2 Design Process (9/23/2025_W1) |
Final Task 1 - Exercise 1: Typographic Systems:
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| Fig 5.3 Final Axial System (9/30/2025_W2) |
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| Fig 5.4 Radial System Final (9/30/2025_W2) |
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| Fig 5.5 Dilatational System Final (9/30/2025_W2) |
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| Fig 5.6 Random System Final (9/30/2025_W2) |
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| Fig 5.7 Grid System Final (9/30/2025_W2) |
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| Fig 5.8 Transitional System Final (9/30/2025_W2) |
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| Fig 5.9 Modular System Final (9/30/2025_W2) |
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| Fig 5.10 Bilatational System Final (9/30/2025_W2) |
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Fig 5.11 Final typography design (9/30/2025_W2) |
Final PDF version:
Fig 5.12 Final Typographic Systems - PDF (9/30/2025_W2)
Fig 5.13 Final Typographic Systems Grids and Guides - PDF (9/30/2025_W2)
Task 1: Exercise 2 - Type & Play Part 1
We were instructed to choose an image of either a man-made
structure or a natural object. The task involves analysing and
dissecting the selected image to identify potential letterforms
hidden within its shapes and details. These discovered letterforms
are then digitised and refined based on a chosen reference font,
maintaining consistency in proportion, style, and visual coherence
throughout the design process.
First, I determined the picture from which I wanted to extract
the letters. It was a picture of glass in the rain, and I
extracted the letters based on the water droplets on the
glass.
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| Fig 6.1 Extracted fonts (29/9/2025_W2) |
But in class, I received feedback from Mr. Vinod, asking me to change the extracted picture because the area of the raindrops on the glass was too small. I needed to extract a larger area of the font from the background, and I couldn’t extract the font in the gap.
Re-determine the image and re-extract the font
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| Fig 6.2 Re-extracted letters (7/10/2025_W3) |
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| Fig 6.3 Extracted letter forms - L, Y, P, C, I (7/10/2025_W3) |
Digitisation and Refinement
Then I refined the letters according to the style of the stone.
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| Fig 6.4 Digitalization and refinement - L, Y, P, C, I (7/10/2025_W3) |
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| Fig 6.7 Overview of digital and refined results - L, Y, P, C, I (7/10/2025_W3) |
Task 1: Exercise 2 - Type & Play Part 2 Text poster design
In the second part of this exercise, Mr. Vinod guided us to
create a movie poster using the letterforms we designed in Part
1.
First I looked for a suitable background
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| Fig 7.1 Poster background (7/10/2025_W3) |
Then I designed the text according to the font style and
background.
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| Fig 7.2 Poster font settings (7/10/2025_W3) |
Then add some movie elements to the poster, including some logos.
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| Fig 7.3 After adding movie elements and logo (14/10/2025_W4) |
Made some changes after receiving feedback from Mr. Vinod
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Final Task 1 - Exercise 2: Type and Play
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Fig 8.2 Image and extraction(7/10/2025_W3) |
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Fig 8.3 Extracted letterforms (baselines) (7/10/2025_W3) |
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| Fig 8.4 Final letterforms (baselines) (7/10/2025_W3) |
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Fig 8.5 Reference font (baselines) (7/10/2025_W3)
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Fig 8.7 Final letterforms (7/10/2025_W3) |
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Fig 8.9 Final poster (7/10/2025_W3) |
4. Feedback：
Week4:
General Feedback:Reviewed our poster's completion and compliance with the
requirements, provided suggestions for revisions, and ensured the
content of our blog post was consistent with the example.
Special Feedback: Overall, there were no major issues with my poster, except that
some decorative fonts were too large, making the center font
unclear.
Week3:
General Feedback: Mr. Vinod reviewed our Exercise 2 and
continued to improve our work based on his suggestions. He also
gave us time to revise.
Special Feedback: The selected image is not suitable
because the water droplets are too small and only occupy a small
part of the glass. I need to select a new image and re-extract the
font to get better results.
Week2:
General Feedback:In this class, Mr. Vinod reviewed
Exercise 1, requesting us to upload our homework to the Facebook
group. Because I didn't know how to upload it, I didn't receive
the feedback this time. Afterwards, Mr. Vinod introduced the
specific requirements for Exercise 2.
Special Feedback:In Exercise 1, only black, white, and one
accent color could be used, excessive decoration was not allowed,
and overall font size recommendations were
provided.
Week1:
In the first class, Mr. Vinod explained in detail the classroom
rules, course content and assignment requirements, as well as how
to set up an electronic portfolio and showed us some reference
works.
5. Reflection：
Experience:
For Exercise 1, I found it challenging to balance
creativity with the rules of the typographic systems.
Before starting, I studied several examples from the
eight systems, hoping to learn from them, but soon
realized that true understanding comes from
experimenting and developing my own ideas. Exercise 2
was the part I enjoyed the most, as it allowed more
creative freedom. I liked creating letterforms with
different elements and incorporating them into a
poster design—it was fun to see the designs evolve
through each stage. I was satisfied that my work met
the requirements, and the process helped me realize
that design is ultimately a balance between creativity
and precision, something I aim to improve in future
projects.
Observation:
In these two exercises, I learned that typography
relies heavily on hierarchy and visual balance, even
when using minimal or abstract elements. In Exercise 1,
it was important to stay constantly aware of the overall
composition—while following basic typographic rules such
as leading and alignment, I also had to ensure that the
design felt balanced and cohesive. In Exercise 2, I
found it fascinating to observe how everyone chose
different elements during in-class feedback sessions,
which allowed us to learn from each other’s creative
approaches.Through both exercises, I realized that
typography is not only about designing letterforms but
also about understanding their relationship with
context, environment, and overall composition.
Findings:
Initially, I thought typographic systems were rather
“boring” because they seemed to restrict creativity to
fixed rules. However, after exploring and practicing
these eight systems, I realized that there is a huge
amount of creative potential once we truly understand
how they work.
6. Further Reading：
Picking up where I left off last time: "I.D.E.A.S Computer Typography Basics" by David Creamer.
Tracking
Studying tracking helped me understand how consistent letter spacing across words influences overall visual balance. I learned that tight tracking can make text appear dense and intense, while loose tracking gives it a lighter, more open feeling. Appropriate tracking creates rhythm, flow, and visual harmony, allowing text to look more cohesive and professional.
Word & Letter Spacing for Justified Type
This section emphasized how justified text alignment can create uneven
gaps between words—often called the “rivers” effect. I realized that a
designer’s role is to balance aesthetics with readability, adjusting
spacing carefully or modifying column width when necessary.
Maintaining both alignment and legibility requires precision, and I
now understand that good typography prioritizes clarity over strict
alignment.
Special Glyphs
Learning about special glyphs—such as quotation marks, hyphens,
dashes, and copyright symbols—helped me appreciate the importance of
detail in professional typography. Using the correct glyphs (like
curly quotes instead of straight quotes) subtly improves the overall
polish of a design. These small refinements convey professionalism
and respect for typographic conventions.
Overall Reflection
From these chapters, I learned that typography is more than
arranging letters—it’s the art of managing space and rhythm. Every
adjustment, from tracking to glyph usage, affects how the reader
experiences the text. This understanding encourages me to design
with greater attention to micro-typographic details, ensuring
balance, readability, and aesthetic precision in every layout.
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