Course Title: Produce typographic design solutions

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2020

Course Code: GRAP6345C

Course Title: Produce typographic design solutions

School: 375T Vocational Design and Social Context

Campus: Brunswick Campus

Program: C5359 - Diploma of Graphic Design

Course Contact: Alistair Briggs

Course Contact Phone: +61 9925 9988

Course Contact Email: alistair.briggs@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Leigh Milward

leigh.milward@rmit.edu.au

Jenny Bolis

jenny.bolis@rmit.edu.au

Nominal Hours: 60

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None required

Course Description

In this course you will develop the skills and knowledge required to produce professional typography for a wide range of communication needs. These outcomes may include logotypes, posters, charts, infographics and mass text applications. You will use a broad range of print and digital applications for different graphic design industry contexts.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

CUAGRD503 Produce typographic design solutions

Element:

1 Research type as visual communication

Performance Criteria:

1.1 Research the history, theory and practice of typography and its application to design practice

1.2 Evaluate the ways that fashions in typography have affected commercial design practice

1.3 Evaluate current typography trends and their implications for professional practice

Element:

2 Analyse design needs

Performance Criteria:

2.1 Confirm communication objectives based on the design brief and consultation with relevant people as required

2.2 Evaluate design brief specifications

2.3 Source and evaluate other information pertinent to design brief

Element:

3 Develop ideas for typographic solutions

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Assess typographic options in the context of the brief

3.2 Identify and access sources of information and ideas about type to inform work

3.3 Experiment with different type fonts, faces and styles to determine suitability

3.4 Explore the creation of type through hand drawing and a range of media based on the needs of the brief

3.5 Consider the impact of the delivery platform and any production issues on type selection

3.6 Evaluate and select typographic approaches for their potential to meet the communication need

3.7 Produce and present visual representations of design ideas and confirm as required

Element:

4 Manipulate and integrate type

Performance Criteria:

4.1 Apply a detailed knowledge of type fundamentals to explore options for type design

4.2 Use advanced technical features of software with skill and confidence to manipulate and arrange type

4.3 Explore different ways of integrating type within the design

4.4 Identify and resolve technical problems based on developing expertise

Element:

5 Integrate type within the overall design

Performance Criteria:

5.1 Realise the design solution by working with the fundamental elements and principles of design

5.2 Integrate other visual design components into layouts

5.3 Explore ways of integrating all elements of the design

5.4 Realise a final design where the approach to type supports key communication objectives

5.5 Establish and follow protocols for saving, exporting and storing work

Element:

6 Evaluate typographic design solutions

Performance Criteria:

6.1 Evaluate typography from both a functional and aesthetic perspective in the context of the overall design

6.2 Evaluate the chosen solution and its potential to inform future work

Learning Outcomes



Details of Learning Activities

Learning activities will take place in a classroom using industry standard tools and resources. You will complete exercises and industry style projects. You will also be required to undertake independent study.

Reference mode of delivery for this course: face-to-face

In class activities may include:

  • class exercises
  • tutorials
  • practical demonstrations
  • workshops
  • group discussion
  • review and revision
  • peer learning
  • peer teaching and class presentations
  • teacher directed group activities/projects
  • workshopping of student projects including peer/lecturer feedback

Out of class activities may include:

  • independent research
  • independent project based work
  • studio practice
  • online tutorials and activities
  • review and revision


Teaching Schedule

WeekDescriptionDue

1

Course introduction.

O-Week and course introduction. Course Welcome and Orientation module on Canvas. Navigating around the course and infrastructure. Accessing and locating resources. Overview of writing and typography. Intro to Adobe InDesign and Font Book.

2

Spacing and typesetting

Looking at the impact of the space between letter pairs and how leading – the space between lines – has on the legibility and creative setting of type. Setting up documents.

3

Letterforms

Each letter (glyph) is made up of parts – its anatomy. Each of these parts have their own characteristics that contribute to the personality of the typeface. The different personalities of typefaces help to visually communicate different things. Knowing their anatomy and characteristics helps when making choices for appropriate typefaces.

Learning Activity 1

4

Classifications

Continuing from the previous module, this will cover the connection between letterforms, typefaces and their classifications. This will involve some research into classic typefaces that will inform your first Assessment Task. This module will also cover setting up Master pages and working with text frames in InDesign.

Learning Activity 2

5

Paragraphs, styles and hierarchy.

Hierarchy is about being able to visually and quickly determine what information is most-to-least important, putting blocks of text into meaningful sections and navigating around a page. Using a variety of techniques, you will typeset supplied text and give it a clear hierarchy. You will make a paragraph style for each. Introduction to document grids, columns, guides and alignment.

6

Page layout.

Continuing from the previous week, set paragraphs in a variety of styles. Go back the previous week’s work and refine. Layout – combining images and text on a grid. We will also look at using Adobe Acrobat to compile PDFs into one document.

Learning Activity 3

7

Pull Quotes.

Learning activity 4: Pull quotes. A pull quote is a short paragraph or part of a paragraph that can give the reader a snapshot of what an article or page is about. Pull-quotes also add style and interest to page layout. Submit before the start of class the following week for peer review.

8

Classic typefaces.

Peer review of Learning Activity 4. Type research: historic. Information on examples: write a sentence or two on what each piece was for, the year it was made or anything interesting/important about it. Sketch ideas for a pangram.

Learning Activity 4

9

Contemporary typefaces.

Type research: contemporary. Collect information on each example (a sentence or two). Sketch ideas for a pangram. Check references and all referencing information is available.

10

Classic typeface pangram.

Scan sketches and place in documentation. Test ideas: keep all drafts and experiments. Produce a pangram. Present your ideas for the pangram graphics (2 x sketches for the historical designer, and 2 x sketches for the contemporary designer)

11

Contemporary pangram.

Test ideas: keep all drafts and experiments. Documentation: Collate sketches and pangrams. Pangram. For each pangram, explain the design choices made and how they connect to the research and designers.

12

Document grid.

Introduction to more advanced features of document grids, guides and alignments. Using GREP to find and fix text. Test, evaluate, select different type weights and styles to evaluate and select approaches for the presentation of body text and other typographical elements within the layouts.

Assessment Task 1

13

Design.

Explore and integrate typesetting. Typeset pull quotes and strap. Images. Finalise image and type choices for layouts.

14

Finalise and Preflight.

Peer review of layouts. Check spelling, grammar, references, hierarchy and design. Use InDesign preflight function.

15

Reflection.

Complete and submit documentation for Assessment Task 2. Reflect on use of elements and principles of design in typography. Evaluate influences.

Assessment Task 2

16

Assessment week appointments.

No formal session, but take this opportunity to back-up your work from the semester and check that all work has been submitted and assessed (or is in the process of being assessed). There will be appointments with individual students, and this may need to happen outside of the timetabled course hours, or contact may be made via Canvas or email.

 


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References

Lupton, E 2010. Thinking with Type : A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students. Second Revised and Expanded ed. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.

Saltz, I, 2019. Typography Essentials : 100 Design Principles for Working with Type, Rockport Publishers, ProQuest Ebook Central database.

French, N 2016, InDesign: Typography Part 1, LinkedIn Learning.

Blatner, D 2018, InDesign CC 2019 Essential Training, LinkedIn Learning.

Strizver, I 2013, Type Rules: The Designer's Guide to Professional Typography, John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, ProQuest Ebook Central database.


Other Resources

Prescribed Texts

There are no compulsory prescribed texts in this course – This course has recommended books listed under ‘References’

References

You are advised to look at the Learning Hub at myRMIT site and the reading List on Canvas for ongoing updated information. A range of learning resources and references are provided throughout the semester. Additional information relating to this will be provided on an ongoing basis. Further information regarding access to this is provided during orientation.

You will require a personal storage device and tools as outlined in tool kit list.

Amongst the library’s electronic resources is the ability to access LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com) for online tutorials and lessons. You may be given these tutorials (and other resources) to supplement your classroom learning.

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems and access to specialised facilities and relevant software. You will also have access of the library resources.

The University Library has extensive resources for design students. The Library has produced a subject guide that includes quality online and print resources for your studies. http://rmit.libguides.com/graphicartanddesign

The Library provides guides on academic referencing http://www.rmit.edu.au/library/referencing and subject specialist help via your Liaison Librarian http://www.rmit.edu.au/library/librarians/dsc


Overview of Assessment

Assessment is on-going throughout the course. Assessment tasks will require you demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills through practical projects and/or exercises. The assessment tasks are:
Learning exercises
Major layout projects 

An assessment charter summarises your responsibilities as an RMIT student as well as those of your teachers.


Assessment Tasks

Tasks in this course are either formative or summative. Feedback throughout the course may be written, verbal or a combination of both.

Formative tasks provide the basis for ongoing feedback and can be considered essential building blocks for the more substantial summative assessment tasks and you should engage in all formative tasks.

This course has four learning activities and two assessment tasks. 

Learning Activities

LA1: Type Classifications

This exercise introduces the basics of using InDesign and typographic classifications. More info on type classifications will be provided in the first session. Due week 3.

LA2: Type Anatomy

Each letter (glyph) is made up of parts – its anatomy. Each of these parts have their own characteristics that contribute to the personality of the typeface. The different personalities of typefaces help to visually communicate different things. Knowing their anatomy and characteristics helps when making choices for appropriate typefaces. Due week 4.

LA3: Type Hierarchy

Hierarchy is about being able to visually and quickly determine what information is most-to-least important, putting blocks of text into meaningful sections and navigating around a page. This exercise is also about using text frames effectively, and more advanced features of paragraph styles like hyphenation, keep options and span columns. We will also look at ways to quickly apply paragraph styles. Due week 6.

LA4: Pull quotes

This exercise is about setting pull-quotes, but it's also about adding more style and personality to page layouts. A pull quote is a short paragraph or part of a paragraph that can give the reader a snapshot of what an article or page is about. Pull quotes also add style and interest to page layout. This exercise is really about controlling the settings of text frames and using paragraph styles to keep the text flowing (running). Due week 8 (upload before beginning of class).

Assessment Tasks

To demonstrate competency in this course you need to complete each one of the following pieces of assessment to a satisfactory standard.

AT1: Research & Pangram Graphics

This assessment task is the first of two assessment tasks students need to complete satisfactorily, in order to be deemed competent for this unit. To complete this task, you will need to demonstrate you can identify and use typographic solutions in your work.

Part A – Research. Your tutor may give you two typeface designers to research – or provide you with options to select from. You must source written information about these two designers, the time periods in which they worked, examples of their work including the year it was created, and images to use in a feature article (Task 2).

Part B – Pangram Graphics x 2. Scan all four sketches. Create each chosen pangram graphic in Illustrator from the selected sketches; and within the size of a single magazine page - decide if you need to include a bleed area.Include the portrait photograph of the typeface designer meaningfully in the graphic layoutSave the artwork as an .AI file and then export as a graphic file as instructed by your teacher.

Due week 12.

AT2: Editorial Layouts

To complete this task, you will need to demonstrate you can identify and use typographic solutions in your work.

Design two (2) double page spreads (DPS) for the editorial layout of a 4-page article according to an established style. Each of the two (2) DPS layouts will consist of your research from Task 1.

Due week 15.

This course is assessed for competency. At the completion of the course, you will be deemed competent or not yet competent

Grades which apply to competency-based assessment are:

CA Competency Achieved 
NYC Not Yet Competent
DNS Did Not Submit for Assessment 


Assessment Matrix

The assessment matrix demonstrates alignment of assessment tasks with the relevant Unit of Competency. These are available from the course contact person (stated above)

Other Information

Attendance 
The major learning experience involves studio based exercises, demonstration and production. It is strongly advised that you attend all sessions in order to engage in the required learning activities, ensuring the maximum opportunity to gain the competency.

Feedback - You will receive verbal and written feedback by teacher on your work. This feedback also includes suggestions on how you can proceed to the next stage of developing your projects.
Student feedback at RMIT

Student Progress 
Monitoring academic progress is an important enabling and proactive strategy to assist you to achieve your learning potential. Student progress policy

Special Consideration Policy, Late Submission & Extensions
All assessment tasks are required to be completed to a satisfactory level.
If you are unable to complete any piece of assessment by the due date, you will need to apply for an extension.
Pick the following link for details on applying forSpecial
Any student seeking an extension, should aim at doing so a minimum of 2 days before the deadline. Work submitted late and without an extension at any point will incur late penalties in accordance with university policy.
If you require an extension you must complete an extension form with evidence supporting your application and hand this to your instructor. Further links - Application for extension of time

On Time Submission and Impact of Late Submission 
On time submission is an important factor in your assessment. Employability skills are embedded in all courses and these include Planning & Organising and Self-management. For this reason, late work impacts on your competency assessment. 
Submissions that are assessed as Not Satisfactory can be re-submitted once and this is only permitted during the period that the competency is scheduled.

Cover Sheet for Submissions 
You must complete a submission cover sheet for every piece of submitted work. This signed sheet acknowledges that you are aware of the plagiarism implications. Submission cover sheet

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism - RMIT University has a strict policy on plagiarism and academic integrity. Please refer to the website for more information on this policy go to Academic Integrity

Course Overview: Access Course Overview