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Dania HammadDesign With TypeCompendiumFall 2014

Table of Contents

Unit 1: Anatomy of Type

Finding a Visual Answer

Counterform Single Letter

Counterform Between Two Letters

Counterpart and Counterpoint

The Structure of Letters

Typographic Kinetics

Typographic Symbol

Typographic Symbol - The Design Process

Typographic Symbol- The Typographic Contrast

Typographic Symbol- Added Elements

Typographic Grid

Hang Tags

Individual letter forms have unique

parts which have changed in visual form

over the centuries. A nomenclature

helps identify major elements of their

construction. The evolution of lettering

styles over time is a result of optical

adjustments to the basic components by

type designers over the ages.

Individual letter forms have unique

parts which have changed in visual form

over the centuries. A nomenclature

helps identify major elements of their

construction. The evolution of lettering

styles over time is a result of optical

adjustments to the basic components by

type designers over the ages.

Anatomy of TypeAnatomy of Type

arm

desc

ende

r

serif

coun

ter

stem

shou

lder

term

inal

capline

meanline

baseline

x-height

cros

sbar

spur

serif

eye

bowl

coun

ter

uppe

rcas

e ch

arac

ter

term

inal

Overlapping classical type families of the

same point size, displays the great range in

character width, x-height and capline. The

only anatomical attributes shared across

all type families are the baseline and the

strokes used to create the characters.

Mixing families of type on a single line or

in a paragraph will create visual discord

due to the many characteristic differences

between the two families.

Anatomy of Type

Covering the top and bottom halves of

letter forms demonstrates that, in general,

the upper half of a letter is more legible

than the bottom half. Exceptions to this

tendency are letters that extend below the

baseline. Nearly half of any word can be

removed before it is no longer legible, but

some letters are more easily identifiable

depending on which half of the letterform

remains.

Anatomy of Type | Legibility

GrapefruitGrapefruitGrapefruitGrapefruit

GrapefruitGrapefruitGrapefruit

GrapefruitGrapefruitGrapefruitGrapefruit

GrapefruitGrapefruitGrapefruit

Each individual square and its letter form

is seen as an independent typographic

composition that investigates form and

counterform, figure ground relationships,

asymmerty / symmetry, static and dynamic

placement.

Anatomy of Type | Cropping

A G rEP

t

iu

F aTAeu Ff

Typographic Kinetics

Sequential compositions emphasizing

rhythmic pattern and punctuation as

dynamic flow while pushing the readability

to the extreme. Each example articulates

“aurally” and visually the typographic

details within each composition as well as

the whole.

G epaR fr uiT

PGRA EF rU i t

GRApe fr U I t

G a R IR F U tPe

Form and Counter Form | Single Letter

Fundamental to all typographic design

is the interplay between letter form and

counter form. Form and counter form

are reciprocal values and completely

interdependent and integral to a letter’s

completeness as a design.

A

P

8

9c D

0 9

S 8

A 3

Form and Counter Form | Between Letters

The counter form is not just what’s left

over in the background. The counter

form shapes the void and helps define

rhythmic intervals to ease reading.

Typically these counter forms are either

geometric or organic in quality depending

on the structure or style of the letter.

An awareness of this interrelationship

of form and counter form is essential in

typographic design.

5352

Counterpart / Counterpoint

Form relationships of counterparts

and counterpoints are established by

frequency of appearance. Counterparts,

through repeted use, establish the rule.

Counterpoint, by its appearance only once,

functions as the exception to the rule.

Counterpart

Counterpoint

The Structure of Letters

While upper and lower case letters are

distinct in structure, they all are built by

combining 4 strokes; vertical, horizontal,

slanted, and curvilinear. These elementary

strokes form the foundation, a visual

“code” that is recognizable through our

long experience with reading and writing

LHFETI tlijf

NMYK k

VXW vxwy

AZ z

DPBUJRG bdpqghrmnua

regardless of style. Letter forms derive

their visual character from combinations

of these basic strokes. An entire alphabet

can be categorized using only six basic

underlying visual combinations of strokes

as the example illustrates.

Letterforms Analyzed: Type is important because over centuries, a nomenclature has evolved that identifies the various components of individual letter forms

Michele De Lucchi

size / weight etc.

size / weight etc.

Typographic Page

M

DLM

size / weight etc.

size / weight etc.

Typographic Page

dLM

L

size / weight etc.

size / weight etc.

Typographic Page

MICHELLE /de Lucchi

1983

size / weight etc.

size / weight etc.

Typographic Page

Md L

MichelledeLucchi1

9 8

3

Typographic Page

FIRST CHAIR Michele de Lucchi

First Chair

1 9 8 3varnished tubular steel, varnished

wood, rubber

“The ornamental style belongs to the world of electronics, just as functionalism is part of the

world of machines and machine

aesthetics.”

G. S. Sowden

“ The group’s very first exhibition

unleashed a frenzy of enthusiasm.”

First Chair

1 9 8 3varnished tubular steel, varnished

wood, rubber

“The ornamental style belongs to the world of electronics, just as functionalism is part of the

world of machines and machine

aesthetics.”

G. S. Sowden

“ The group’s very first exhibition

unleashed a frenzy of enthusiasm.”

First Chair

1 9 8 3varnished tubular steel, varnished

wood, rubber

“The ornamental style belongs to the world of electronics, just as functionalism is part of the

world of machines and machine

aesthetics.”

G. S. Sowden

“ The group’s very first exhibition

unleashed a frenzy of enthusiasm.”

inside outside

1983“The prevalent criterion for design was no longer the ability to solve

technical problems, but rather the object’s capacity for communication. It was necessary to confront the multiplicity of Postmodern styles in order to capture the Zeitgeist in a fast-paced, experimental design

idiom.”

“The back and armrest construction is a true eye-catcher. It consists of a steel tube, bent to form a circle, which supports a flexible backrest comprising a round wooden disk on rubber bearings and two wooden spheres as arm-rests. The tube is welded to the front legs of the simple stool, which forms the seat frame, almost completely engulf-ing the sitter.”

1983“The prevalent criterion for design was no longer the ability to solve

technical problems, but rather the object’s capacity for communication. It was necessary to confront the multiplicity of Postmodern styles in order to capture the Zeitgeist in a fast-paced, experimental design

idiom.”

“The back and armrest construction is a true eye-catcher. It consists of a steel tube, bent to form a circle, which supports a flexible backrest comprising a round wooden disk on rubber bearings and two wooden spheres as arm-rests. The tube is welded to the front legs of the simple stool, which forms the seat frame, almost completely engulf-ing the sitter.”

Michele De Lucchi was one of the cofounders of the Milan designer group Memphis, which emerged at the end of 1980 around the central figure of Ettore Sottsass. The group’s very first exhibition unleashed a frenzy of enthusiasm. Since then, the shrill, sensual, and playful designs produced by Memphis have explod-ed all academic conven-tion and substantially influenced the world of design. G. S. Sowden,

Michele De Lucchi was one of the cofounders of the Milan designer group Memphis, which emerged at the end of 1980 around the central figure of Ettore Sottsass. The group’s very first exhibition unleashed a frenzy of enthusiasm. Since then, the shrill, sensual, and playful designs produced by Memphis have explod-ed all academic conven-tion and substantially influenced the world of design. G. S. Sowden,

“The ornamental style belongs to the world of electronics, just as functionalism is part of the world of machines and machine aesthetics.”1

1983Michele de Lucchi

The tube is

welded to the front legs

of the simple stool, which

forms the seat frame, almost

sitter. Although the construc

tion is extremely stable, the

reduced elements radiate

a strong impression

The restrained use of decorative

elements gives “First” an almost classic

air among the Memphis objects,

making it suitable for fu

rnishing

conventional interiors. MK

The tube is

welded to the front legs

of the simple stool, which

forms the seat frame, almost

sitter. Although the construc

tion is extremely stable, the

reduced elements radiate

a strong impression

The restrained use of decorative

elements gives “First” an almost classic

air among the Memphis objects,

making it suitable for furnishing

conventional interiors. MK

1983Michele de Lucchi

Brief description of the project presented

on this page. Brief description of the

project presented on this page. Brief

description of the project presented on

this page. Brief description of the project

presented on this page. Brief description of

the project presented on this page.

Title of the Project

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