Typography Reflection:
Going into this assignment, I did not have much knowledge regarding typography. I have taken a couple of art classes, know some basics of proportions, and generally know what makes a graphic coherent. I also took a digital photography and multimedia web design class which touched on the fundamentals of adobe programs such as photoshop and illustrator, so some of the fonts and controls looked familiar to me. The skills I learned in these classes helped me most directly in web design projects, where I had to create, format, and stylize a personal web page.
Prior to beginning the physical type assignment, the class observed a presentation on the basics of typography, how it is used, and its different forms. I enjoyed having a short presentation prior to the assignment as I typically like to have a baseline of general information to reflect back on when completing a task. When listening to the presentation, I was slightly confused about the idea of points when measuring type. I felt it was somewhat unnecessary at first, but after physically engaging with the metal type pieces, the concept made much more sense in my mind. However, speaking in broader terms, I don’t feel like I connected much with this lesson as a whole. While I felt the subject matter was fine and the idea of working in a more physical manner fit my learning style, I had a sense that there was not enough actual material or assigned tasks to feel a substantial connection.
I think I definitely had a more positive experience with the name tags assignment because I enjoyed the freedom of exploring the adobe programs with little set rules and limitations. I think the independence allowed me to become more engaged with the lesson. By the end of the assignment, I had a much better grasp on the program and the concepts of the different font types explained earlier. I believe the independent observation and experimentation definitely resonated with my learning style.
I was able to absorb a decent amount from this lesson that I genuinely believe will help me in future assignments and projects. Knowing the difference between serif, sans-serif, and other font types will allow me to drastically improve the look and quality of my future projects. Additionally, learning a baseline of type principles, including the point system, font size, and the different “lines” that make up a font, will allow me to weave further intention and depth into each project, rather than picking what “feels right” or “looks good”. I was also able to physically use tools such as the linotype which helped me grasp the concepts in a physical sense. I believe this lesson provided a solid foundation for future projects as well as built upon previously mentioned concepts.