Advanced Typography - Task 1: Exercises

21/4/2026 - 12/5/2026 (Week 1-Week 4) 

Zhao Jie,0387076

Advanced Typography

Task 1: Exercises 1 & 2

1. Instructions

1.1 Module Information



1.2 Module Assignment Briefs 


1.3 Rules and Advice


2. Lecture

AdTypo_1: Typographic Systems

Because my English level is not very high, I chose to turn on Chinese subtitles while watching this lecture and took notes at the same time. Below are my notes:

This lecture mainly introduced eight different typographic systems.

Typographic systems can be understood as a set of visual methods used to organise textual information. They help designers establish hierarchy, alignment, spatial relationships, and reading rhythm in a more structured way. For beginner designers, these systems allow typography to move beyond personal intuition and instead organise content through clear rules and structures.

When practising these typographic systems, it is more important for the viewer to quickly recognise which system is being used than simply making the composition look creative or visually attractive. Therefore, the clarity of the system should come before decorative expression.

The typographic systems consist of:

1.Axial System

All text and visual elements are arranged around one main axis.
These elements can be placed on the left or right side of the axis, or extend along the direction of the axis.The axis can be vertical, horizontal, or diagonal, but it must clearly support the overall structure of the composition visually.

2.1 Axial System


2.Radial System
All elements extend outward from a central point of focus.
The text is usually arranged around this central point at different angles, creating a feeling similar to rays of light, explosion, or expansion.This system requires a clear centre point, and the radial direction should be easy to recognise.


2.2 Radial System



3.Dilatational System
All elements expand outward from a central point in a circular manner.
This system usually uses concentric circles or circular paths to organise the text.The text is arranged along circular paths, creating a visual structure that expands layer by layer from the centre.

2.3 Dilatational System



4.Random System
The elements appear to have no fixed arrangement or clear organisational relationship. The position, direction, and size of the text can change freely.
However, the Random System is not completely arbitrary. It still needs to control information hierarchy, visual balance, and readability.It maintains a subtle balance between disorder and order.


2.4 Random System


5.Grid System
This system establishes layout order through the division of grids. Text and graphic elements need to be arranged and aligned according to the grid.
This allows information to appear clearer and more organised, forming a stable visual structure.


2.5 Grid System


6.Transitional System
This is a relatively flexible typographic system.
It usually creates transition through layered structures, lines with a sense of movement, or horizontally flowing typography. It places more emphasis on the movement and layering of text within the composition.


2.6 Transitional System


7.Modular System
This system is made up of multiple standardised units.
Each module can be used to contain different information.
These modules can be repeated, recombined, and arranged in different ways.
It is similar to the Grid System, but the Modular System places more emphasis on organising information through “unit blocks.”


2.7 Modular System


8.Bilateral System
All text is arranged symmetrically around a single axis. It usually creates a balanced effect through left-right or top-bottom symmetry.
This system feels more formal and is suitable for presenting layouts with a strong sense of order and clear information.

2.8 Bilateral System



AdTypo_2: Typographic Composition

2.9 Lecture note


The lecture first reviewed several principles of design composition, including emphasis, rule of thirds, repetition, symmetry, asymmetry, and alignment. These principles are often associated with image composition, but they can also be applied to typography through font size, positioning, weight, and white space.

The eight typographic systems were also revisited: Axial, Radial, Dilatational, Random, Grid, Modular, Transitional, and Bilateral. The lecturer emphasized that the most important thing is not only making the layout look creative, but making the chosen system visually clear and recognisable.

Particular attention was given to the Grid System, which was described as the most practical and commonly used typographic system. It originated from letterpress printing and later developed into Swiss Typography. Swiss typography focuses on order, clarity, and readability, although grids themselves are still highly flexible.

The lecture also introduced postmodern typography, which was influenced by punk culture and emphasized chaos, randomness, and asymmetry as a reaction against strict modernist order. The lecturer explained that strong postmodern typography may appear chaotic, but still contains underlying structure and control.

Finally, the lecture introduced Environmental Grid and Form and Movement. Environmental Grid uses structures extracted from real environments as layout foundations, while Form and Movement treats page-turning as slowed-down animation to create movement and visual flow through repeated elements.

AdTypo_3_Context&Creativity


2.10 Evolution of the Latin Alphabet

This lecture mainly focused on the relationship between typography, culture, history, and social context. The lecturer explained that typography is not only a visual design practice, but also a form of cultural and historical record. Different letterforms from different regions and historical periods were shaped by writing tools, social environments, and cultural developments of their time.

The lecture first discussed the influence of handwriting on typography. Early mechanical typefaces were originally developed from handwritten letterforms, and different writing traditions gradually created different styles of letterforms. The lecturer emphasized that writing is not only a communication tool, but also carries cultural history. Even in the digital age, many modern typefaces still preserve characteristics from traditional handwriting. This made me realise that contemporary typography did not appear independently, but developed through long periods of cultural evolution.

The lecture then explored multiscript typography. As digital technology continues to develop, more vernacular scripts are being combined with Latin letterforms to support communication across different languages and cultural environments. The lecturer believed that designers should not focus only on Western typography, but should also pay attention to local cultures and language systems. The combination of different writing systems affects not only visual structure, but also cultural expression within design.

In the later part of the lecture, the relationship between creativity and local culture became the main focus. The lecturer explained that truly creative design should not simply imitate popular trends or foreign styles. Instead, designers should search for inspiration within their own history, culture, and surroundings. By observing communities, architecture, traditional art, and collective history, designers can transform cultural elements from the past into meaningful contemporary design. This approach creates work that is more original and culturally connected.


AdTypo_4: Designing Type

This lecture mainly focused on the process of type design and the different considerations involved in creating a typeface. At the beginning of the lecture, the lecturer raised an interesting question: since there are already thousands of typefaces in the world, why do designers continue creating new ones? He explained that type design is not only a form of personal expression, but also carries a sense of “social responsibility.” When existing typefaces cannot fully solve certain problems related to readability, environment, or communication, designers may feel the need to create new ones.

The lecture introduced designers such as Adrian Frutiger, Matthew Carter, and Edward Johnston to explain how many famous typefaces were designed to solve specific functional problems. For example, the Frutiger typeface was originally created for airport signage, so it needed to remain highly legible from far distances, under poor lighting conditions, and while people were moving quickly. Verdana, designed by Matthew Carter, was developed specifically for computer screens because early digital displays had low resolution and required clear readability at small sizes. These examples helped me understand that typeface design is not only about visual style, but also about responding to practical situations and user needs.

2.11 Frutiger typeface


2.12 Verdana typeface

The lecturer also discussed the strong relationship between typography, history, and culture. When Edward Johnston designed the London Underground typeface, he referenced Roman capitals and traditional calligraphy to create a typeface that felt modern while still rooted in historical forms. Adrian Frutiger also had to respect local religious and cultural traditions when designing a Devanagari typeface for India, simplifying the forms without losing their cultural identity and calligraphic spirit. This made me realise that typography is closely connected to language, history, and social context.

2.13 London Underground typeface

The lecture then explained the main stages of the type design process: Research, Sketching, Digitization, Testing, and Deploy. Before beginning a project, designers should research typography history, type anatomy, and usage context. Sketching may be done traditionally or digitally depending on the designer’s workflow. During digitization, special attention must be given to both the letterform and the counterform because they strongly affect readability. The lecturer repeatedly emphasized the importance of testing and prototyping, explaining that feedback helps refine and improve the typeface. Even after deployment, revisions often continue.

In the later part of the lecture, typeface construction was discussed. The lecturer introduced the grid structure of Roman capitals and explained how square and circular forms can help organise proportions, spacing, and alignment during the construction process. He also explained the importance of optical correction, such as allowing curved forms to slightly overshoot the baseline or cap height, and adjusting spacing visually rather than relying only on mathematical measurements.


3.Process Work ( Exercises 1 )

In the Task 1 Exercises 1, I need to complete eight different typographic systems. This exercise requires me to use the given text content to create typographic compositions. The layout size is 200 × 200 mm, and only black and one additional colour are allowed. Therefore, I chose black, white, and red as the main colours, with red used only as a small accent colour.
The lecture topic I chose is “All Ripped Up: Punk Influences on Design.” Therefore, I wanted my designs to include some punk elements appropriately.

3.1 Process Work

Since I had not used Adobe software throughout the whole holiday, I had even forgotten some basic operations. In order to become familiar with the software again, I did not choose to sketch on paper or on a tablet. Instead, I started creating directly in InDesign.

During the process, I had to keep going back to Mr. Vinod’s tutorial videos to review the steps. It was quite difficult for me to regain some familiarity with the software, and this took a lot of time. This became a lesson for me, as it reminded me of the importance of regular revision and practice.


3.2 Initial Version (14 in total)

At the beginning, because I was not familiar with the software, I designed very cautiously. I only dared to use simple and organised layout variations, and I was also afraid to add colour. As a result, the compositions looked quite plain and simple.

As I gradually became more comfortable with the software again, I started to design in a more relaxed way. I tried to think more creatively and experiment with different layouts while still following the rules of each typographic system.

Since I still cannot clearly judge the quality of my own designs, I created multiple versions for several systems. I hope to receive feedback from Mr. Vinod in next week’s class to help me decide which designs should be kept and which should be removed.

3.3 Partial modification process

During this week’s class, possibly due to problems with the Facebook system or unstable internet connection, Mr. Vinod was unable to give feedback on my work during the feedback session. Instead, he encouraged me to observe and summarise the feedback given to other students, extract useful points from it, and use them to improve my own designs.

After comparing my work with my classmates’ designs and reviewing the feedback they received, I realised that my work still had several problems. For example, my Random System compositions looked too organised and lacked a sense of freedom. The use of visual elements was also too minimal, making some layouts appear overly simple. In addition, I used more than three typefaces in a single composition, which reduced the overall consistency of the design. These are all aspects that I need to improve and revise further.

4.Final Outcome ( Exercises 1 )

4.1 Typographic Systems (Final designs) (JPEG)

4.2 Axial System (Final design) (JPEG)


4.3 Radial System (Final design) (JPEG) 



4.4 Dilatational System (Final design) (JPEG)

4.5 Random System (Final design) (JPEG) 

4.6 Grid System (Final design) (JPEG) 



4.7 Modular System (Final design) (JPEG) 



4.8 Transitional System (Final design) (JPEG) 



4.9 Bilateral System (Final design) (JPEG) 



4.10 Final designs (PDF) (Without guide)


4.11 Final designs (PDF) (With guide)


5.Process Work ( Exercises 2 )

When thinking about a theme for this project, I felt that objects such as chains and thorns would be easier to extract letterforms from, while also carrying a cold and rebellious atmosphere. Therefore, I started searching for images based on these two elements. In the end, I chose a photograph of thorns.
5.1 Thorn image
(Image retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1051309106797643419/)

First, I selected the word “THORN” as the word to extract and develop. I identified shapes within the image that resembled the target letters, extracted them, and arranged them in order.
5.2 Letterform Extraction

I wanted my font to visually resemble actual thorns — sharp, structured, dangerous, yet elegant. Therefore, I chose Baskerville (Regular) as my reference font. It was a built-in system font in Procreate, which made it convenient for me to sketch while referring to it at the same time.


5.3 Reference Font


After that, I developed my first iteration. I wanted the font to maintain the thorn-like characteristics while also carrying a gothic feeling. In this version, I tried to make the letterforms as close to the reference typeface as possible, so I created six iterations in total.


5.4 Font First Design Development

During class, Mr. Vinod commented that the overall direction of my font was correct, but it could still be improved. For example, the letterforms did not successfully preserve the shapes that I originally extracted. The shapes and positions of the small thorn spikes had changed completely. I think this happened because I relied too heavily on the reference font and became too focused on matching its structure, which caused the font to lose its own characteristics. He mentioned that the large thorn shape in the middle of the letter “H” worked very well, and suggested that I continue refining the design based on this direction.

Based on Mr. Vinod’s feedback, I reorganised my ideas and restarted from the extracted image forms. I then created four more iterations of the font. During this stage, I focused more on preserving the original characteristics of the thorns themselves, while only using the reference font as a very basic structural guide. I paid particular attention to maintaining the positions of the small spikes, as well as the variation in thickness throughout different parts of the letters — similar to the natural characteristics of actual thorn plants.

5.5 Font Final Design Development


Through this process, I eventually arrived at my final typeface design.

5.6 Font Final Design


After finishing the typeface, I began working on the poster design.

Because thorns give me a sense of danger, I wanted to create a poster that looked similar to a horror movie poster. I decided to use a red-and-black colour scheme, so I looked through many horror movie posters with similar colours for inspiration.

5.7 Moodboard
（Image retrieved from Pinterest）


Next, I found another thorn image with the same red-and-black colour palette and used it as the background for my first poster version. I used a Bilateral typographic system for the layout. In order to separate the red title from the similarly red thorn background, I added a shadow behind the title and placed black feathered rectangles behind all textual elements.
5.8 Poster Background & First Design
（Image retrieved from http://xhslink.com/o/3sbcDyQmazu）


During class, Mr. Vinod commented that the poster looked quite good overall, but the amount of information was too limited. Therefore, in the second version, I added more textual content to make the poster feel richer and more complete.


5.9 Process Work

Through this process, I eventually arrived at my final poster design.


5.10 Final Poster Design.

6.Final Outcome ( Exercises 2 )



Task 1: Exercise 2 Compilation (PDF)




Movie Poster (Final design) (PNG)



Movie Poster (Final design) (PDF)

7.Feedback

Week 1

General Feedback:

When creating the blog, all image materials should not simply be placed together with a large block of text underneath. This makes readers constantly scroll back and forth to figure out which text belongs to which image. Images should first be organised properly. Images that belong to the same development stage or category should be grouped together into one composition. For single images, a short descriptive heading should be added so that the relationship between the image and the related text is clear.


Week 2

General Feedback:

When selecting accent colours, colours from the CMYK palette should be used. In typographic design, text should always remain the main focus. Regardless of the typographic system being used, margins and negative space must always be considered. Designs without proper margins and spacing appear unprofessional and visually crowded.

Specific Feedback:

The Random System does not feel random or free enough. The sense of movement in the Transitional System is also not obvious enough. Simple coloured graphic elements can be added appropriately to strengthen the compositions.


Week 3

General Feedback:

The original form of the object should be respected. When extracting shapes, the designer should focus on the actual form of the object itself rather than the negative spaces between objects.

Specific Feedback:

The letterforms do not successfully preserve the extracted thorn shapes. The small spikes from the thorns changed too much in both shape and placement. However, the large thorn detail in the middle of the letter “H” works very well, and this part can be used as a reference for further refinement.


Week 4

General Feedback:

The chosen word should have a clear relationship with the background image. The contrast between the typography and the background should also be considered carefully. The hierarchy between elements in the poster needs to be clear. In addition, more than three typefaces should not be used within the same poster.

Specific Feedback:

The overall result looks quite good, but the amount of information in the poster is too limited. More textual content should be added to enrich the composition.

8.Reflection

Experience

Throughout this project, I experienced both technical difficulties and creative exploration. Since I had not used Adobe software during the holiday, I had forgotten many basic operations in InDesign and Illustrator. At the beginning, I spent a lot of time revisiting Mr. Vinod’s tutorial videos and relearning the software step by step. This slowed down my progress significantly, but it also reminded me of the importance of regular practice and revision.

While working on the typographic systems, I initially designed very cautiously because I lacked confidence in my software skills. Most of my early layouts were simple, highly organised, and visually safe. As I gradually became more familiar with the software again, I started experimenting more freely with composition, hierarchy, colour accents, and typographic movement. I also tried to combine the punk theme with the structural rules of each system without making the layouts too chaotic.

For the type design project, I explored thorn imagery because I was attracted to its sharp, dangerous, and elegant visual qualities. The process of extracting letterforms from the thorn image was much more difficult than I expected. I struggled to balance the natural thorn shapes with the readability of the letters. Through multiple iterations and feedback from Mr. Vinod, I slowly learned how to preserve the original characteristics of the extracted forms while still creating a functional typeface.

Observations

I realised that typography is about structure, hierarchy, readability, and visual communication. Different typographic systems create very different reading experiences and visual rhythms. For example, Grid and Modular systems feel organised and stable, while Random and Transitional systems feel more dynamic and expressive.

I also noticed that creative expression needs to remain controlled. At first, I thought stronger punk elements would automatically make the designs more interesting, but after comparing my work with my classmates’ projects and reviewing feedback, I realised that too much distortion or randomness can weaken the clarity of the typographic system. 

Another important observation was the relationship between image and typography. In the type extraction project, I initially relied too heavily on the reference typeface, which caused the extracted thorn characteristics to disappear. After revision, I understood that the purpose of the project was not to copy an existing font structure, but to preserve the visual identity of the original object while transforming it into readable letterforms.

Findings

Through this project, I found that iteration is one of the most important parts of the design process. My earlier versions often looked too rigid, too simple, or lacked strong visual hierarchy. However, by continuously revising the layouts, comparing them with references, and receiving feedback, the designs gradually became more refined and expressive.

I also found that feedback and peer comparison are very useful for improving design judgement. Since I still find it difficult to evaluate my own work objectively, observing classmates’ projects and listening to feedback helped me identify weaknesses in my own designs.

9.Further Reading


Typographic Design: Form and Communication

Reading Typographic Design: Form and Communication was really helpful for me to understand typography better. The book looks at typography from lots of different angles, like its history, how letters are structured, how to lay out text, what makes it easy to read, and even how to use grids and design for screens. It also talks about motion typography and has real-life examples of design projects. What I took away from it is that typography is like a language that we see. The way we use type can help people read and understand things more easily, it can create a certain feeling or mood, and it can even make information more accessible. By learning about all these different aspects of typography, I now see it as a powerful tool for communicating ideas and messages.

I found this book really helpful in understanding how typography and communication work together. The parts about letterforms and legibility made me realize how important it is to pay attention to small details like spacing, choosing the right type, and creating a clear visual hierarchy. I also learned a lot from the section on grids, which showed me how structure and empty space can help guide readers through complex information. What I found especially useful were the discussions on typography for screens and motion typography - these are really important skills to have in today's digital design world. By reading this book, I was able to improve my skills in creating effective typography that communicates well. The book's focus on practical examples and real-world applications made it easy to understand and apply the concepts to my own design work. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone looking to improve their understanding of typography and its role in communication.

This book encouraged me to view typography in a more practical way. When creating layouts in the future, I should first consider the information, the audience, the available space, and the visual sequence before deciding on the final style.



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