Advanced Typography | Task 3 : Type Exploration and Application

 April 21,2025

20/06/2025 - 13/07/2024(Week 9 - Week14 )

Zhang Tianyao/0376838

Typography / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University 

Task 3 : Type Exploration and Application 

LIST

1. Lectures

2. Instructions

3.Task 3 : Type Exploration and Application  

4. Feedback

5. Reflections

6. Further Reading

Lectures

Week 9

In this week’s physical class, Mr. Vinod provided each of us with personalized feedback on our Task 3 proposal presentations. We used Google Slides to present four initial typeface concepts, along with some early sketches for each idea.

During the critique session, Mr. Vinod mentioned that our ideas were creative and demonstrated strong conceptual potential. However, he suggested that we should further clarify the visual direction of each typeface and make the overall design language more unified and clear. He also emphasized the importance of associating each typeface with a clear brand, theme, or intended context of use. That way, the audience, purpose, and practical applications of the fonts would be more explicit and meaningful.

Reflecting on this feedback helped us realize that in design, it is more important to connect our ideas to real-world needs rather than focusing solely on style or aesthetics. This lesson deepened our understanding of the visual and communicative functions of typography, and reminded us to always consider the target users and commercial value of our designs.

Week 10

In the tenth week, Mr. Vinod reviewed the progress of our second dot-matrix-based typeface design. He pointed out that the structure of our letters maintained visual consistency, and there were clear improvements compared to the earlier sketches. He believes that this design concept has a lot of potential and could be further refined into a complete and practical typeface in the future.

Week 11

In Week 11, Mr. Vinod once again emphasized the importance of understanding typography fundamentals and provided detailed guidance on the final deliverables we are required to complete. Based on my current progress, he confirmed that I have finished designing the uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numerals, and punctuation. Mr. Vinod suggested that I could now proceed to the next stage of font production—font generation. He recommended using FontLab7 available in our university’s MacLab D7.04, or alternatively, downloading a free software like FontForge to continue refining and completing the font.

Week 12

In Week 12, I successfully imported my complete typeface into FontLab, enabling me to further refine and fine-tune the technical aspects of the font using professional software.

Mr. Vinod provided feedback with specific suggestions for improvement. He pointed out that some lowercase letters still have inconsistencies in spacing and size alignment, which I need to focus on in my upcoming work. Additionally, he advised that I ensure proportional harmony across all glyphs when adjusting spacing, to avoid unnatural or abrupt transitions. Once these adjustments are made, I can proceed with kerning and font export to ensure the final quality and usability of the typeface.

Instructions

Task 3 : Type Exploration and Application  

The above is my first version. Since the style did not meet the requirements, Mr. Vinod did not approve my design plan. Therefore, I revised and created a new version to better align with my project.

Fig 1.1 The style of the second version of the font that I chose.

Fig 1.2 This is the font style that I want to change.

Convert uppercase letters to a digital style

This is a font I designed using a grid system, showcasing a bold style for uppercase letters. I employed geometric shapes to ensure consistency in the width and height of the letters.

Fig 2.1 Uppercase Digitalization

Mr. Vinod said that there were discrepancies in the size and position of my uppercase font, so I made modifications accordingly.

Fig 2.2 Final version without grid

Fig 2.3 Final version with grid

Final Uppercase Digitalization

Fig 2.4

Digitize lowercase letters

Fig 3.1 The lowercase letters are designed using a grid system.

Fig 3.2 The lowercase letters are designed without a grid.

Throughout the digitization of this typeface, I focused on delivering three core qualities essential to eSports aesthetics: power, sharpness, and visual impact. The development went through three key stages of structural refinement, aiming to unify form and function across uppercase and lowercase letters.

First Attempt

In the initial stage, the lowercase characters lacked a clear identity. Their form felt too similar to the uppercase set, which made the overall typeface feel flat and rhythmically weak — far from the aggressive tone needed for eSports visuals.

Second Adjustment

I then emphasized individuality in the lowercase set by experimenting with wider proportions. However, this created spacing issues — the characters felt loose and disconnected, disrupting the overall visual momentum and compromising consistency.

Final Refinement

I restructured the uppercase letters to reinforce their weight and presence, giving them a solid, commanding appearance. Then, I tightened and compressed the lowercase forms, sharpening the edges and aligning visual rhythm.

Fig 3.3 The final form of the lowercase letters

Numbers, symbols, and punctuation

Fig 4.1 The initial symbol design

During my symbol design process, I misjudged the size relationships. The symbols were too large compared to the letters, disrupting visual balance and hierarchy. This mistake affected readability and broke the flow of the type system. I later refined their proportions to align better with the letterforms, enhancing overall harmony. This taught me the importance of scale consistency in font systems.

Fig 4.2 The revised version without a grid

Fig 4.3 The revised version with a grid

This is the punctuation adjusted after revisions, better aligned with the scale of my uppercase and lowercase letters.

The digit design

Fig 4.4  The gridless digit design

Fig 4.5 The grid-based digit design

This is my digit design. Thanks to the previous mistakes with uppercase, lowercase, and punctuation, I had a smooth process when designing the numbers. However, one issue still arose: the number 1 looked a bit too much like a capital letter I. So, I made some adjustments to make its features more distinctive, improving its recognizability.

Fig 4.6 The modified number 1

Importing Letterforms into FontLab from Illustrator

Fig 5.1 Fontlab font exhibition

Kerning

Fig 5.2 Sidebearing measurement table

Fig 5.3 Uppercase Spacing & Kerning Overview

Fig 5.4 Lowercase Spacing & Kerning Overview

All my letters, numbers, and punctuation symbols maintain consistent left and right margins, with a left margin of 30 and a right margin of 50.

Fig 5.5 The detailed margins for punctuation symbols and digits

Task 3 Final Outcome

Font Showcase

Fig 6.1 Font Presentation 1

Fig 6.2 Font Presentation 2

Fig 6.3 Font Presentation 3

Fig 6.4 Font Presentation 4

Fig 6.5 Font Presentation 5

In this font application, I drew inspiration from the visual styles of various electronics and gaming brands to create a futuristic and competitive aesthetic. The typeface is applied across different scenarios, including UI graphics, promotional materials, product packaging, and character elements. The overall visual language is built on sharp, tech-inspired structures, paired with a high-contrast color palette of red, yellow, green, black, and white to enhance rhythm and brand recognition. These mockups showcase the typeface's versatility in contexts like tech expos, eSports events, and digital product promotions.

Font Implementation

Fig 7.1 Font Implementation 1

Fig 7.2 Font Implementation 2

Fig 7.3 Font Implementation 3

Fig 7.4 Font Implementation 4

Fig 7.5 Font Implementation 5

Feedback

Week 9

Specific feedback:

Mr. Vinod gave specific feedback on my blog, pointing out that some required content was missing and that I hadn’t included a typeface demonstration. He also noted that the file format I uploaded was incorrect and advised me to carefully review the assignment instructions on Teams. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of maintaining a clear structure and covering all key points to strengthen the overall quality of the blog.

General feedback:

Mr. Vinod reminded the class to focus on clear structure and complete content when writing their blogs, emphasizing the importance of not leaving out key ideas. He also encouraged students to explore how their typefaces could be used in branding and real-world contexts, helping them shape more focused and impactful design outcomes.

Week 10

Specific feedback:

In Week 10, I showed Mr. Vinod my presentation, the typeface I wanted to modify, and the software I planned to use. However, he rejected my first choice because the font I selected and the one I intended to redesign had completely different styles — one was bold and edgy, while the other felt plain and uninspired. As a result, I chose a new, cooler typeface that better matched my design direction and started working on it.

General feedback:

Mr. Vinod highlighted the importance of completing a full and consistent uppercase set, reminding us to start paying attention to spacing and how letters interact within words. He encouraged us to keep refining our ideas, with a focus on building a typeface that is not only visually strong but also functional and ready for practical use.

Week 11

Specific feedback:

This week, I completed the design of all letters, numbers, and punctuation marks. Mr. Vinod recommended that I use the school’s computer lab (D7.04) to access free software like FontForge or FontLab 7 to import my typeface and extract all the characters properly.

General feedback:

Mr. Vinod once again stressed the importance of mastering the fundamentals of type design. He offered detailed guidance on the final deliverables and reminded us to make sure every part of our typeface was complete. He also encouraged us to begin preparing for final production using appropriate software tools.

Week 12

Specific feedback:

This week, Mr. Vinod told me that there were some mistakes in the import and adjustment of my lowercase letters, and that I needed to fix them immediately. He also taught me some coloring techniques in FontLab that I hadn’t known before. After our talk, I exited the individual glyph view and looked at the typeface as a whole—only then did I realize how off things had become. However, when Mr. Vinod checked my uppercase letters, he said they looked fine. The main issues were clearly with the lowercase set.

General feedback:

In this week’s session, Mr. Vinod’s feedback strengthened my confidence in the direction of my type design. He pointed out that after the initial drawings are complete, careful refinement in FontLab is still necessary to achieve a professional standard. Moving forward, I will focus on adjusting the spacing of lowercase letters and begin working on kerning and export preparation. This process made me realize that technical precision plays a critical role in the final stages of type development.

Reflections

Experience:

During the process of creating this final project, I gradually came to understand and experience every essential step of font design — from the initial concept board, sketches, and digitization, to adjusting the spacing and fine-tuning between letters, and finally reaching the end result. While building on a structured grid, I aimed to make my font feel minimalistic and elegant, yet still cool and expressive. Although the process was tiring, I felt a strong sense of accomplishment when it was done. Using FontLab for the second time allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the professional font development workflow. The moment I was able to type out my own font in Illustrator brought a sense of satisfaction and immersion that words can hardly describe.

Observation:

At each stage of improvement, I became clearly aware of how careless I had been at the beginning. The stroke thickness, spacing, and different alignment methods all affect the overall consistency and visual harmony of the typeface. Even the smallest punctuation mark must follow a logical structure, or it could disrupt the entire design. As the saying goes, “Details determine success or failure.”

Findings:

This project helped me realize that type design is not just about shaping letters, but about building a complete and cohesive visual system. A well-designed typeface needs to maintain internal consistency, adapt to different contexts, and effectively reflect the intended style and tone. I learned that combining technical precision with a strong creative concept is essential to creating type that is both functional and expressive. Most importantly, through continuous testing and refinement, I discovered how to turn an initial idea into a polished, impactful final design.

Conclusion:

This project taught me that type design is a balance of creativity and precision. I’ve gained a deeper understanding of structure, spacing, and system thinking, and learned how small details can shape the overall impact. It was a challenging yet rewarding journey.

Further Reading

Typographic Systems by Kimberly Elam

While reading "Type Systems," I discovered the richness and beauty of typographic design. In its organized approach, Kimberly Elam categorizes typography, and I realized how these systems work together to convey information.

Through the visual presentation of various typographic methods, I could feel the emotions and atmosphere, particularly the contrast between symmetry and asymmetry left a deep impression on me.

By studying the practices of these typographic systems, I found that they are not merely formal choices, but they truly impact readability and the audience's experience. I believe this book has not only enhanced my skills as a designer but also deepened my knowledge and appreciation of the art of typography.