Typography - Task 3: Type Design and Communication
Typography - Task 3: Type Design and Communication
14/11/2025 - 14/12/2025 (Week 8-Week 12)
Zhao Jie,0387076
Typography
Task 3: Type Design and Communication
Table of Contents
1. Lecture
(All done in task 1 and task 2)2. Instructions
3. Process Work
2.1. Preparation Work
Mr. Max required our typeface to be distinctive and show a strong personal style, avoiding designs that lack originality or look too similar to others. To decide what kind of typeface I wanted to design, I browsed a large number of font designs online.
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| Mood board |
2.2. Sketches
These designs helped me gradually clarify my ideas: I wanted to create a typeface that is both playful and cute while still being readable and interesting. With this goal in mind, I drew the following four versions of sketches:
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| Design: Seal (Version 2) |
Then Mr. Max chose the first design (Garden Eel) as the direction for my further development. Based on this concept, I created all the required letters and symbols.
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| Sketches (Before revision) |
After completing them, I conducted a self-review and reflection and identified several issues:
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The distinction between T and I was not clear enough.
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The punctuation marks were designed too roughly and did not match the style of the letters, making it difficult for users to clearly recognize what they represented.
To solve these problems, I revised the designs multiple times and eventually produced the final sketches, which were then used for digitalisation in Adobe Illustrator.
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| Final sketches (After revision) |
After finalising the sketches, I began the digitisation process in Adobe Illustrator. Since my typeface only includes capital letters, I only needed to set the baseline and the cap height when creating the reference lines. During the digitisation process, I also made small adjustments to the letterforms based on the sketches to make the font look more balanced and comfortable.
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| Final Type digitisation |
Next, I needed to import the typeface into FontLab to turn it into a fully usable font. Before importing it into FontLab, I had to check all the designed glyphs, merge any duplicate paths, clean up the edges of the shapes, and most importantly, convert all the letters into outlines in Adobe Illustrator.
Because my typeface contains many small elements and different levels of grayscale, and because I initially used the wrong tools, I struggled with this step for a long time and spent a great deal of time on it. However, this process also gave me valuable experience and lessons.
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| convert all the letters into outlines |
Next, I needed to create a new font in FontLab based on the font settings I had set in Adobe Illustrator. Then, I copied each glyph from Illustrator into FontLab one by one.
After that, I made small adjustments as required, such as kerning and side bearings, to produce the final usable font.
Finally, I obtained the finished font file that can be installed and used.
👉Gardeneel Font !!Click this link to download my font!!
I installed the typeface on my computer and used it in Adobe Illustrator to create my final black-and-white poster.
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| Final A4 poster JPEG |
4. Feedback
Week 8:
General Feedback:
In Week 8, we completed Task 2 and officially began Task 3. This week focused on learning the basics of type design and determining an overall design direction. Mr. Max emphasized that our typeface should be distinctive and reflect a strong personal style.
Specific Feedback:
During the sketching stage, I experimented with different design elements. I browsed a large number of typeface design examples and produced three versions of design sketches. In each version, I tried to balance readability with personal expression.
Week 9:
General Feedback:
In Week 9, we continued developing Task 3 and further refined the font sketches. The lecturer emphasized that all letters should maintain consistency in both style and structure.
Specific Feedback:
I created multiple versions of sketches. At first, I used a seal as my design inspiration, but I found that its shape made it difficult to maintain readability in the letterforms. Later, I switched to a garden eel–inspired design, which was visually clearer and more suitable for further development. Mr. Max selected this version as my main design direction for the rest of the project.
Week 10:
General Feedback:
This week focused on digitising the font sketches in Adobe Illustrator and learning how to use reference lines correctly to ensure consistency.
Specific Feedback:
Since my typeface only includes capital letters, Mr. Max pointed out that I only needed to set the baseline and cap height. During the digitisation process, I encountered difficulties when converting the letterforms into outlines. By watching tutorials and doing research, I was able to solve this problem and became more familiar with using the Pathfinder and Expand functions in Adobe Illustrator.
Week 11:
General Feedback:
In Week 11, we learned how to import the completed letterforms from Adobe Illustrator into FontLab and turn them into a usable font.
Specific Feedback:
At first, the imported font could not be used properly. Later, I realised that FontLab is case-sensitive and some glyphs had been placed in incorrect slots. After fixing this issue, I adjusted the side bearings, kerning, and some letters and punctuation based on feedback. As a result, the font gradually became clearer and more readable.
Week 12:
General Feedback:
In the final week, we completed the remaining parts of Task 3 and organised the final outcomes for the e-portfolio.
Specific Feedback:
Based on Mr. Max’s feedback, I noticed that some punctuation details were inconsistent, such as the dot size of the full stop and the exclamation mark. I corrected these issues in FontLab. Finally, I exported and installed the font file and used it to create a black-and-white poster using only my designed typeface.
5. Reflection
ExperienceThis project allowed me to experience the full process of type design, from sketching ideas to digitising the font and finally using it. I learned that type design is not just about drawing letters, but also about considering consistency, readability, and whether all the letters look like they belong to the same type family. Although the process was challenging at times, it was very rewarding when the font finally became usable.
Observations
During the design process, I noticed that many small details in type design are very important. Consistency in cap height, baseline, and spacing has a direct impact on readability. I also realised that using unified design elements makes the typeface look cleaner and more comfortable. When digitising the font, it is important not to blindly copy the sketches, but to make flexible adjustments when needed.
6. Further Reading
Typography Referenced— Reading Notes
Typography Referenced gives a clear and comprehensive introduction to typography and type design. It is a visual guide that connects the historical development of type with practical design methods. The rich images and examples make professional information easier to understand. They also show how letterforms can communicate emotion, identity, and meaning.
The historical timeline helped me understand how modern typefaces developed from early writing and printing traditions. The type classification section provides a practical method for comparing serif, sans serif, script, and display typefaces. The practical chapters explain visual hierarchy, grids, white space, contrast, and typeface pairing through real layout examples. I learned that font size, weight, spacing, and position can influence the reader’s attention and reading order. The wide range of type specimens also makes it convenient to search for, observe, and compare different typefaces.
This book has given me a more professional way to view posters, websites, and documents. It has increased my knowledge of the history of type and allowed me to appreciate many excellent type design examples. It also encourages me to choose typefaces with a clearer purpose in my future design work.
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