Typeface Design
Fundamentals of Typography

Marie Roy, Italy "Here are my typography sketches of famous people. The V for Winston Churchill is because he was often filmed making the victory salute."

Typography is what sets designers apart from other artists. In visual communication, typography must be integrated (every last loop, bowl, and descender) into a total design.

In this 3-lesson course, you'll explore the anatomy of the letterform. Through interactive lectures and hands-on exercises, you'll learn how to classify typefaces and use them creatively.

Understanding the fundamentals of typography will give your work power, eloquence, and beauty.

Instructors:
Margaret Penney is a teacher, designer, writer and media artist ... get bio

Joss Parsey is a diverse graphic artist with a focus on print, fabric, and logo design ... get bio

Course Developer:
Brian Slawson is a designer and educator whose focus is typography and digital media ... get bio

Develop an understanding of the basic terminology of typography and the historical origins of typographical terms and concepts.

Analyze a letterform, identifying its distinctive features.

Present an analysis of letterform to demonstrate an understanding of letterform elements.

Develop a basic proficiency in identifying and classifying type by looking for the main features in a typeface.

Identify the 12 ATypI categories of typeface by their characteristic elements.

Explore the defining characteristics of a typeface by creating a type composition that highlights its distinctive attributes.

Develop an understanding of the applications of display typography and theatrical or expressive applications of typography.

Create a type composition and ad that represents a famous person typographically.

Outline:

LESSON 1 The Language of the Letterform Did you know that letters have shoulders, arms, and ears? In Lesson One, you'll jump right into the fundamentals, looking at the historical origins of typography and learning to identify the component parts of letterforms. You'll explore the applications of typography through case studies on two professional typographers: one designs type, and the other designs with type. In the exercise, you'll get familiar with letterforms using a paper and pencil, creating letters on a grid and investigating type in the world around you.

LESSON 2 Type Classification In Lesson Two, you'll become quite the connoisseur of type. The lecture embarks on a trip through the 12 ATypI categories of typeface. Serifs or sans serifs? Venetian or Glyphic? You'll learn how to identify a typeface by its defining characteristics, and choose the right "face" for your project. In the hands-on exercise, you'll up-close-and-personal with a range of typefaces, choosing one to create an artistic composition.

LESSON 3 Quirky and Loving It Type has a lot of character (pun intended!). Lesson Three explores the theatrical aspect of the display typography used in posters and advertisements. You'll take a look at the emotion, drama, or whimsy a display typeface can bring to a project, looking at the work of leading designers over the years. In the final project, you'll try your hand at using display typefaces to convey the personality of a celebrity of your choice.

Tuition: $421 US