Advanced Typography - Task 1: Exercises
Advanced Typography | Task 1: Exercises
|| ZHOU XINYI 0378623
|| Advanced Typography
|| Task 1: Exercises
Table of Content
1.Lecture
week1
AdTypo_1_Typographic Systems
Kimberley Elam divided typography systems into eight main types: Axial, Radial, Dilatational, Random, Grid, Modular, Transitional, and Bilateral.
Axial: All elements are placed along one axis, either on the left or right side.
Radial: Elements spread out from one central point.
Dilatational: Elements grow outward in circles from a center point.
Random: The arrangement seems to have no clear pattern or order.
Grid: Elements are organized using vertical and horizontal lines.
Transitional: This system uses layered bands in a more flexible, informal way.
Modular: Elements are built from repeating units or blocks of the same structure.
Bilateral: All text is balanced equally on both sides of a central axis.
| Fig 1.1 The eight typography systems |
AdTypo_2_Typographic Composition
Design Composition Principles
This part focuses on the key rules that guide how a design is arranged. These include emphasis, isolation, repetition, symmetry and asymmetry, alignment, and perspective. Each principle helps to create balance, focus, and visual interest in a composition.
Rule of Thirds
The Rule of Thirds is a basic composition rule often used in photography and design. It divides an image into three equal rows and three equal columns. The points where the lines cross are natural spots for placing the main subject or important elements. This helps make the overall composition more balanced and pleasing to the eye.
| Fig 1.2 e.g. The rule of thirds |
Typographic Systems
This section introduces eight main typographic systems, with a focus on the grid system because it is the most practical and commonly used approach. Originating from the organized layouts of letterpress printing, the grid system helps designers create modular, structured, and balanced designs. It improves both readability and visual harmony in composition.
Form & Movement
The idea of form and movement highlights how designers can use grid systems creatively—breaking away from strict structures to add energy and flow. This concept views the act of turning pages as a slow-motion sequence, blending images, text, and colors across multiple pages to create rhythm and a feeling of continuous motion.
week3
AdTypo_3_Context&Creativity
Typographic Systems
This section introduces eight main typographic systems, with a focus on the grid system because it is the most practical and commonly used approach. Originating from the organized layouts of letterpress printing, the grid system helps designers create modular, structured, and balanced designs. It improves both readability and visual harmony in composition.
Form & Movement
The idea of form and movement highlights how designers can use grid systems creatively—breaking away from strict structures to add energy and flow. This concept views the act of turning pages as a slow-motion sequence, blending images, text, and colors across multiple pages to create rhythm and a feeling of continuous motion.
| Fig1.5 Ancient Egypt Hieroglyphics Chart (10-06_W3) |
2.Instructions
In this exercise, you will experiment with the eight typographic systems introduced in the MIB module: Axial, Radial, Dilatational, Random, Grid, Transitional, Modular, and Bilateral.
All work must be created exclusively in Adobe InDesign.
Use an artboard size of 200 × 200 mm.
The color palette should consist of black and one additional color only.
You may include simple graphic elements—such as lines, dots, or basic shapes—but use them sparingly to ensure the main focus remains on typography.
I Design Process
| Fig. 3.1.1Final Axial System - JPEG |
| Fig. 3.1.10Final Axial System - JPEG |
I Design Process
Process of Font Design
I first designed a set of letters based on the word “BLAZE.” Each letter was shaped with flowing, sharp outlines to represent the energy and motion of fire. During the design process, I refined their proportions and forms to make the overall style more consistent while keeping the burning, dynamic feeling.
The completed typeface shows the spirit of fire—strong, bright, and constantly moving. The shapes of the letters express both heat and rhythm, making the word appear alive.
At the beginning of the project, I selected an image of flames from Pinterest as my main reference. I traced the fire’s contours and used them to form the basic shapes of the letters. The irregular and organic movement of the flames became the inspiration for the font’s texture and structure.
III Refinement
General feedback: In the first class, Mr. Vinod introduced the module brief and classroom rules. He also showed us some great e-portfolios from previous students as examples.
Specific feedback: Most parts of my work were done well, but some ideas still need to be improved, and I should pay more attention to the small details.
Week 2
General feedback: This week’s class mainly focused on giving feedback for the Week 1 exercise. Mr. Vinod reminded us that all tasks should be done in InDesign. He also explained what we need to do for Exercise 2.
Week 3
General feedback: In this class, Mr. Vinod gave feedback on Exercise 2. He mentioned that many students didn’t fully capture the main concept. When creating letterforms from an object, we should look at the whole shape instead of focusing only on small details. He also gave us time to redo and improve our work.
Week4
General feedback:This week’s class mainly focused on reviewing and giving feedback on the poster exercise from last week. Mr. Vinod once again explained how to upload our work to the e-portfolio and showed some outstanding examples from previous students. He also gave us a short introduction to Task 2 and explained what we will need to do next.
Experience:
In Exercise 1, I found it quite challenging to balance creativity with the structure of the typographic systems. At first, I looked at many examples of the eight systems to learn how they worked, but I soon discovered that real understanding comes from experimenting and developing my own ideas. Exercise 2 was the part I enjoyed most because it offered more freedom to explore. I liked creating letterforms using different elements and combining them into a poster design. It was exciting to see how my ideas changed and improved through each stage. Overall, I was happy that my work met the requirements, and the process helped me realize that design is about balancing creativity and precision—something I hope to keep improving in future projects.
Observation:
From these two exercises, I learned that typography depends greatly on hierarchy, composition, and visual balance. In Exercise 1, I had to carefully consider the layout while following basic principles like alignment and spacing to keep the design clean and consistent. In Exercise 2, I found it inspiring to see how my classmates used different elements in their designs during feedback sessions—it helped me learn new creative approaches. Through both exercises, I understood that typography is not only about designing letterforms, but also about how they connect with space, context, and visual rhythm.
Findings:
At first, I thought typographic systems were quite limiting because they seemed to follow too many fixed rules. However, after exploring and practicing all eight systems, I realized that these rules actually provide a strong foundation for creativity. Once we understand the systems, we can use them freely to express our own design ideas in more effective and meaningful ways.
1. General Understanding
This book goes beyond the basics of typography, focusing on how designers can master type through both theoretical understanding and creative experimentation. Richard Hunt explains that typography is not only about arranging letters — it’s about communication, rhythm, and visual logic.
He emphasizes that technology has changed how typography is practiced today, especially with digital tools and variable fonts, but the core design principles — structure, balance, and hierarchy — remain timeless.
2. Systems and Structure
In Chapter 6, Systems of Organization, Hunt discusses how text can be structured using grids, modular layouts, and visual rhythm. Although he doesn’t use the exact eight systems from Elam’s framework, his approach echoes the same logic — understanding structure first, then learning how to break it creatively.
He suggests that once designers fully understand the order of type systems, they can begin to intentionally disrupt them to create movement and emotion. This idea helped me think about how my own designs could combine clarity and expression.
3. Creative Practice
When applying these ideas to my exercises, I realized how important consistency is in creative work. Even when experimenting with abstract compositions, alignment and proportion still control the overall readability.
I also found Hunt’s examples of kinetic typography inspiring — type can move, change, and interact dynamically, which opens more possibilities for digital design and animation. It made me think about typography not just as static text but as part of a larger visual experience.
4. Summary
Through this book, I learned that advanced typography is not about decoration or complexity — it’s about precision and intention. Every choice of font, spacing, and movement should serve the purpose of communication.
Hunt’s perspective bridges classical discipline and modern expression, encouraging designers to think deeply about how meaning is formed through
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