Advanced Typography - Task 3: Type Exploration and Application
Zhao Jie,0387076
Advanced Typography Task 3: Type Exploration and Application
Table of Contents
- 1. Instructions
- 2. Lecture
- 3. Process Work
- 4. Final Outcome
- 5. Feedback
- 6. Reflection
- 7. Further Reading
1. Instructions
1.1 Module Information
1.2 Module Assignment Briefs
1.3 Rules and Advice
2. Lecture
All lectures 1 to 5 completed in Task1-2.3.Process Work
For Task 3, we need to use the knowledge and skills gained from previous exercises, lectures, readings, and software practice. The project can focus on creating a new font, improving an existing letterform, or developing an experimental typography idea.
The selected direction should respond to a clear problem or add value to an existing use. Research is needed to understand how typography is currently used in that area and what could be improved.
The final outcome may include a complete .ttf font with applications, or an experimental result such as animation, 3D work, print, projection, movie titles, music videos, or unusual materials.
After carefully reading the module briefs, I developed three ideas in total. I reflected thoroughly on each concept, created separate mood boards for them, and sketched three letterform designs. Below is the PowerPoint presentation I made to showcase these works:
Idea 1: Jellyfish Typeface
My first idea is a Jellyfish Typeface. I found that many marine conservation materials look too serious, so I want to create a flowing and organic typeface inspired by jellyfish to make the message more engaging. It could be used for ocean awareness posters, aquariums, conservation campaigns, and children’s learning materials.
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| 2.1 Jellyfish Typeface |
Idea 2: Water Ripple Typeface
For my second idea, I want to develop a Water Ripple Typeface. Many water sports brands use common fonts that do not show enough movement or energy, so this design will use ripple and wave forms while keeping the letters readable. It could be applied to swimwear, swimming equipment, surfing products, water sports events, and beachwear packaging.
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| 2.2 Water Ripple Typeface |
Idea 3: Embroidery Typeface
My third idea focuses on embroidery. Traditional embroidery is becoming less visible among younger people, so I want to turn stitching patterns and textile details into a digital typeface. This font could work well for handmade brands, cultural products, craft exhibitions, and packaging design.
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| 2.3 Embroidery Typeface |
Mr Vinod advised me to proceed with Idea 2, as it is a continuation of my work from Task 2. I have already mastered the production process for it in the previous task and am much more familiar with it. Given the limited time available, my priority should be to ensure a high level of completion.
Sketches
I started by drawing the uppercase letters. I did not continue with the three sketches from the ideation stage and chose to redesign them from the beginning. While drawing each new letter, I also broke it down into different strokes. To keep the typeface consistent, I reused similar strokes in different letters whenever possible.
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| 2.4 Sketches – Uppercase Letters and Stroke Library |
After finishing the uppercase letters, I used a grid to compare their proportions before designing the lowercase letters. Then I built the lowercase letters by combining the existing strokes. Whenever I needed a new shape, I added it to my stroke library for later use.
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| 2.6 Sketches – Lowercase Letters and Stroke Library |
After completing all the letters, I refined the details, adjusted the proportions several times, and checked the consistency of the whole alphabet. At this point, the letter design was finally finished.
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| 2.7 Sketches – Uppercase and Lowercase Letters |
Once the letters were completed, I finished drawing the numbers and symbols within one week. Before starting, I reviewed the symbol design guide uploaded on Microsoft Teams. I continued using grids to compare the symbols with the letters and carefully adjusted their proportions and style until the whole set looked consistent.
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| 2.8 Sketches – Letters, Numbers and Symbols |
Digitisation
Another advantage of using Procreate was that it made the digitisation process much easier. I only needed to place the exported PNG file into Adobe Illustrator and use the Image Trace function with the Black and White Logo preset. This produced a vector version that was very close to my original drawing. After that, I refined each letter by adjusting small details, such as the smoothness of the corners, before arranging everything into a complete typeface.
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| 2.9 Final Digitised Typeface |
Importing into FontLab
After finishing the vector version, I imported every letter into FontLab. I copied each character from Illustrator and pasted it into the correct glyph slot, then adjusted the size and position individually.
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| 2.10 Process – Importing Glyphs into FontLab |
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| 2.11 Process – Adjusting Glyph Size in FontLab |
When all the glyphs were imported, I started adjusting the kerning. I followed the kerning guide shared on Microsoft Teams and kept testing different letter combinations. This stage involved a lot of repetitive work and required patience and careful observation, so I spent a long time completing it.
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| 2.12 Process – Kerning Adjustment in FontLab |
Unfortunately, I made a very serious mistake. I thought I could log into another account and reinstall FontLab 8 to get another 10-day trial. I only realised after finishing all my work that this was impossible. I could not export the font as a .ttf file, and I could not even save my project. Because the deadline was very close, I did not have enough time to redo everything. In the end, I had to purchase a three-month licence. It cost me a lot of money, and I felt very frustrated. At least I was able to keep all of my work.
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| 2.13 Complete Typeface in FontLab |
Font Presentations&Applications
After this expensive lesson, I continued working on the font presentations. I finalised the colour palette by making small adjustments to the colours from my Task 2 project because I liked the clean and fresh feeling they created. I chose a summer-inspired colour scheme and designed five font presentation boards based on ideas such as the ocean, sunset, waves, and surfboards.
For the font applications, I reviewed the presentation slides from my ideation stage and confirmed my final theme: a water sports brand. I felt this theme could clearly demonstrate a typeface designed for water-related products and activities.
I selected several representative products, including swimming rings, surfboards, quick-dry towels, waterproof bags, as well as packaging bags and boxes. I searched for suitable PSD mock-ups and edited them in Photoshop by replacing the text and colours with my own design.
After completing all of the font applications, I applied a consistent colour grading across the whole project. I am very satisfied with the final presentation because it gives the work a unified and professional visual identity.
Download font link:
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| 2.14 Process – Font Presentations |
For the font applications, I reviewed the presentation slides from my ideation stage and confirmed my final theme: a water sports brand. I felt this theme could clearly demonstrate a typeface designed for water-related products and activities.
I selected several representative products, including swimming rings, surfboards, quick-dry towels, waterproof bags, as well as packaging bags and boxes. I searched for suitable PSD mock-ups and edited them in Photoshop by replacing the text and colours with my own design.
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| 2.15 Process – Font Applications 1 |
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| 2.16 Process – Font Applications 2 |
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| 2.17 Process – Font Applications 3 |
After completing all of the font applications, I applied a consistent colour grading across the whole project. I am very satisfied with the final presentation because it gives the work a unified and professional visual identity.
4.Final Outcome
WaterRippleTypeface
Problem:
Many water sports and aquatic product brands use generic fonts that do not reflect the feeling of movement and water.
Solution:
Create a typeface inspired by water ripples and flowing waves. The letterforms will express
motion, fluidity, and energy while maintaining readability.
Application:
Swimwear brands/Swimming equipment/Surfing products/Water sports events/Beachwear packaging
.jpg) |
| WaterRipple JPG |
WaterRipple PDF
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| FontLab screen grab |
-01.jpg) |
| Font presentation 1 |
-02.jpg) |
| Font presentation 2 |
-03.jpg) |
| Font presentation 3 |
-04.jpg) |
| Font presentation 4 |
-05.jpg) |
| Font presentation 5 |
5 Font presentations PDF
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| Font application 1 |
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| Font application 2 |
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| Font application 3 |
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| Font application 4 |
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| Font application 5 |
5 Font applications PDF
Type here to test the font:
5.Feedback
Week 10
General Feedback:
During this class, Mr. Vinod reviewed our typeface designs one by one. He emphasized that the whole typeface should remain consistent. When designing lowercase letters, we also needed to make sure that their proportions were correct compared with the uppercase letters, usually around 60%–70% of the uppercase height.
Specific Feedback:
Mr. Vinod approved my uppercase letter designs.
Week 11
General Feedback:
During this class, Mr. Vinod reviewed our typeface designs and explained the requirements for the next stage of the project. We needed to import our typefaces into FontLab.
Specific Feedback:
Mr. Vinod approved my lowercase letters and asked me to continue with the numerals and punctuation marks.
Week 12
General Feedback:
This week, Mr. Vinod explained the requirements for the Font Presentation and Font Application. He asked us to import our typefaces into FontLab before the end of the class and complete Task 3 before the following Tuesday’s class.
Specific Feedback:
I completed the digitisation of my uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numerals, and punctuation marks.I also finished the process of importing my typeface into FontLab. Mr. Vinod showed me how to create a new text window in FontLab 8 for typing and testing the font. He then asked me to begin working on the Font Presentation and Font Application.
Week 13
General Feedback:
This week, Mr. Vinod reviewed each of our blogs individually. He pointed out that some students had gone off-topic and lost sight of the core problem their typeface design was meant to solve.
Specific Feedback:
Mr. Vinod did a quick check and approved my blog.
6.Reflection
Experience
Task 3 required much more time than I expected because every stage depended on the previous one. From sketching the letterforms to digitising them, importing them into FontLab, adjusting kerning, and finally creating the presentations and applications, each step needed careful work. There were also unexpected problems during the project. The FontLab trial version could not export my font, so I had to purchase the full version to continue. Although this experience was stressful, it allowed me to complete the project and keep all of my work.
Observations
The weekly feedback had a clear influence on the development of my typeface. Small adjustments, such as the proportions of the lowercase letters, the spacing of symbols, and the consistency of the letterforms, made a noticeable difference to the final result. I also found that planning before drawing saved a lot of time later. Building a stroke library and using grids made the whole typeface more consistent and easier to develop.
Findings
This project gave me a better understanding of the complete type design process. I experienced every stage from sketching to producing a usable .ttf font and applying it to different products. It also strengthened my skills in Procreate, Illustrator, Photoshop, and FontLab. The final applications showed that a typeface can become part of a brand identity when it is used consistently across different media. This project has given me more confidence in developing typefaces for future design work.
7.Further Reading
Typography Referenced
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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