Type 4: Question Exploration

So I've been doing some simple exploration into my chosen question from last class; How can the shapes of a modular typeface shift and interact with one another? Since then I've used simple cellophane, dry erase markers, and good ol' illustrator to help expand on my thoughts.

This first round is an exploration into layers, and how the shifting of layers containing half of a letter's modular shapes affect legibility when moved closer and farther to and from the human eye. I noticed that with perspective, the shapes needed to be far smaller when closer to the human eye to appear the same size as the ones in the farthest layer. It's interesting to see the difference in scale between the layers placed side by side. This idea has been played with already, but I would like to have the typically straight on reading angle become an angled view through parallel layers, or even angle layers in space. I like the idea of taking type out of the usual single plane reading experience. In some of them such as this 3 and S, I placed the layers at an angle to each other. The 3 is at a 45 degree angle to the farthest layer, and I had to slightly adjust the angle of the lines in the closer layer to fit the perspective. The closest sheet for the S was bent in a curve, so the shapes needed to be rounded slightly, so their flat edges appeared straight.

Pardon the poorly drawn shapes, dry erase marker isn't a very precise tool. The first is a B, the next is a lowercase e, the next is an S, and the final letter is a lowercase a.

Next, I focused on the idea of modular shapes and the grid. I am interested in the idea of a typeface generator, similar, but different than the popular rubix cube generator below. So my idea (just a possibility) is to use the tiles of a sliding puzzle, but rather than having the tiles form an image like they typically would, they would simply hold the modular shapes. The user can then slide the modular shapes around in relation to each other and create multiple letterforms. I would love to have this make prints as well.

So here, we see a lowercase g on the left, and an upper case E on the right. The color is just to show the letterforms, although they could be printed different colors or something.

Finally, I've been messing with the idea of taking a word, then using the same pieces for each letter, make a new word of the same length that's related. So for example, I've chosen test and quiz. The letter t in test is made with the same pieces making the letter q in quiz. It's interesting to overlap them in transparency to see the similarities and differences in modular form. In this shift between words, the user is forced to make certain design decisions to keep legibility. This is particularly because the user might not have the shapes or the number of certain shapes they would prefer, and have to use what they have. In typography, letterforms are noticeably different from one another, and often by overlapping them, we see their differences. By using the same moveable parts, we can really study the differences and similarities in the letterforms that make a word.























I'm also very interested in the idea of creating a very organic typeface that mimics hand drawn qualities, but still using modularity. I haven't tested this yet, but will update when I do. I'm not sure if I'll forsake the grid or stick to it. I think that creating organic form can be done by using a grid however, and I'm up to the challenge.

Type 4: Some Type Questions

These are some in class questions I am considering exploring in my upcoming Modular Fragmentation experiments for the Atypeical symposium. 

1. Can a typeface function when it's spread across multiple planes?
2. Do said planes affect visibility of layers in the back?
3. How does color affect transparent shapes?
4. How can overlapping fields of transparent color produce a typeface when combined?
5. How can the shapes of a modular typeface shift and interact with one another?
6. How does the viewing angle affect legibility of typography existing on multiple planes?
7. Can negative space be used as a modular element?
8. How does scale of modular shapes affect the typeface?
9. How can the audience participate in the creation of a modular typeface?
10. How can the audience alter or change an existing modular typeface?

The 5th question in bold, is the question I'm going to pursue for now, attempting to find answers and exploration will be the focus for my experimentation for the next week or so. I will post some examples of my experimentations as I go.

Type 4: Experimental Type Reading

Experimental Typography. Whatever that means.
This reading was quite an insight in the term "experimentation". I've never really stopped to consider just how much design relies on that word, and to just what extent experimentation actually occurs in the design process. This article discussed experimentation's scientific roots as a term, and related that to the percieved definitions we designers attach to it. From the designers that were surveyed, it seems most consider experimentation to represent new or groundbreaking outcomes that haven't been seen or done before. Of course part of me wants to admit that just about everything has been done, but with new technologies making their debut each year, designers have an every increasing platform for our own "experiments". Experimental typography in particular seems a science in itself. Linguistics and the symbols that make a language possible are a system, and for the typography that works with that system to stray and take on new forms and meaning is an experimentation, scientific or not.

The act of process is the origin for experimentation. As a designer, I love process. It is just important to me as the ending product, and there are infinite possibilities in reaching a final design solution. Typography is no different. It can be created in many ways, read in many ways, not read at all in many ways. The article briefly covers a few opinions that don't accept projects that have been done in the past to be experimental. I disagree with them. While it's true that a completely new process is experimental, each person has their own design experience to flesh out. What one person has done thousands of times is something completely new to another, and that process can always be done in a different way.

The Typographic Experiment, From Futurism to Fuse
This reading was a bit hard to sift through, but has some great discussion on the experiments occuring in typography today and in the past. Typography is more than just letterforms. The space, materials, the language itself, and many other elements all influence the readers experience. When a designer steps into that relationship and alters the text, it creates something unique that stands out from the typical typographic rectangle on a white page. Language and communication is broad, and a letterform not only has form, but a sound and other meanings society pins onto them. A group of letterforms interact with eachother, holding encoded messages we have learned to understand. If our symposium is going to hold a wide range of type experiments, we would be wise as designers to look past the simple fact that letters are shapes, and dig deep into just what a letter is and how it works when altered.

What did you think of these readings?
I thought both of these readings related to our current point in the symposium process, and were a great introduction to the possibilities of working with letterforms and the written language. I'll certainly keep them as a reference for later typographic work.

Does their definition of "experimental" match what you previously thought of the term?
Yes and no. While I do agree that experimentation is primarily the process of design, I don't believe it has to be new. It boils down to the experience and learning something you haven't done yourself. Learning first hand is always better than simply reading about someone else's work on the subject, and there's always the possibilities of new variables when you experiment yourself.

Is it really useful to experiment if it doesn't have real application?
Definitely. Experimentation above all is a learning process. The experience of doing something new might be a bit intimidating, but we learn from doing more than seeing. While there is a lot to gain from analyzing the finished product, how we arrive at those finished products is the real story.

Type 4: Found Type Experimentation

Here are a few things I ran across on spring break. Some of them show trends that have been reoccurant in the typographic field, but most are things I found interesting.

Type 4: c/id Reading

So after reading through a few of these museum and space exhibitions for design identity possibilities for our type symposium, a few thoughts come to mind.

The Frieze Art fair's identity worked much like a typographic template. The photography was interchangeable throughout their formats and was the star of the layout, with the type functioning as a secondary aesthetic element. Now don't get me wrong, I love their photographs, but in our type symposium, type is the star. So I believe that some merging of our type with this possibility of photography could create some dramatic and alluring imagery for our symposium's identity.

For the MoMaQNS, I thought their identity was a little busy, but I thought their concept of showing motion was an interesting design choice. Their system, much like Frieze's, is tightly bonded with their navigation at the event/ venue, and I thought Base Designs designing for the nearby subway stations was a brilliant move. Now assuming we had a budget for some massive signage, that might be something we could reach, but dealing with our realistic budget, it's better to other things from this. 1. Our design could relate in some way to the area it's being distributed or shown in and 2. Movement of the viewer in relation to the object can be used as a strength. They don't have to be standing still to view the piece.

The Mori Art Museum of Tokyo, Japan had some incredible imagery for their venue as well. It functions in the same way the Frieze's identity does. Their Type is a little more involved and up front however, rather than residing in the photo's quiet space. Our typography should be bold, and utilizing some dramatic imagery will help grab the freshman and high school audience we are seeking. Their swag is also well designed, and sticks within a limited color palette, which helps to create unity in their design, even though it changes between swag articles.

The Stedelijk Museum CS in Amsterdam was my favorite of the sections in our reading. Experimental Jetset did some awesome work in using a color scheme and type arrangements to create a modern and poppy feeling that would surely reel in many of the high school crowd. Their identity is an adaptable system that is modular and interchangeable by using the sleeves, and I think this idea of modularity could be a nice subject for our type symposium. I think that challenging the viewers ability to read the text is a great way to grab their attention and really get them asking questions on typography's potential to be more than a font or a page of information. We need to show them that typography is visual language in itself, and can be used in many different and interesting ways. By using a common color scheme, their designs, although differing significantly in terms of arrangement of type, are all unified. They are simple with typography as the main interest, and rely on composition to grab the viewers attention.

I didn't really enjoy the Walker's identity as much as the others. While their concept of stringing together a system of words in a linear order is awesome, their graphic execution is a bit boring to me, and reminds me of caution tape.

All in all, these were great reads, and I hope our symposium's identity turns out just as unique and successful.

Type 4: Symposium Titles and Definitions

So here are some definitions and titles to consider for the type symposium.

Definitions:

Typography is applied in all media, and becomes overlooked. Today, design is taking typography to new places and generating it in all new ways. In this symposium type will be rediscovered through a series of experiments, activities, and processes.

Between the worlds of type and digital media, typography has been pushed beyond the baseline and the norm. In this KCAI design symposium, you will be introduced and interact with a wide range of typographic experiments and take part in open dialogue discussing the world of type and how it's made.

Titles:

Alternate: A New Typography

Blurred: Typography as you’ve never seen it

Oasis: New Typographic Applications

Double Take: A letterform symposium.

Odyssey: A typographic exploration.

Skeletal: The structure of a letter.

Ascender: New Typographic Processes

Under the Baseline: Experimental Typography

The New Font: Type Generation

Illegible, Legible: The Typeface Evolved

A Certain Character: Typography Beyond the Norm

Type Writer: Modern and Expressive Typography

100% Vitamin T: An Overdose of Typographic Expression

Two Faced: The Other Side of Typography

Type 4: Type Symposium Project

So for Type 4, we are going to put on a Typographic Symposium for a crowd of high-school students and the KCAI freshman. The symposium will be educational and entertaining, showcasing a different type experiment from each student in our Junior class at the design department. To start the creative and planning juices flowing, we've started with a series of concept webs, which we have combined into a giant one. Pulling all the ideas together.