WHAT I'VE LEARNED

After completing this round, I have a much deeper appreciation for type, now understanding that different fonts are not simply there for a ‘different look’, they are there to be able to fit every circumstance and make language more beautiful and accessible.

The units on the anatomy of type were helpful in providing a context for type and also giving me an insight into the theory and thought behind different typefaces. I had no idea that typography involved any maths at all, I had just assumed that the people that created fonts simply had excellent special awareness or something similar. I had also assumed that computers just magically kerned the letters so that they fit together well. It was interesting learning about serifs, or the ‘little sticks’ I had previously referred to them as, and where they come from and how they are appropriate and inappropriate in different mood and circumstances.

After doing research on DIN and Times New Roman and the design briefs these fonts had, I began to be more aware of the purpose of individual fonts. There are so many different elements that come into play when designing a typeface. It’s not just the look and feel of the font but also external elements such as space and the equipment used to print the fonts that play a part in the font and contribute to its overall success.

While doing the ransom note task, I began to become aware of just how many vastly different typefaces existed. I also started paying much more attention to the font and the different letters I was choosing because I was trying to create a united but also diverse composition of text. I started noticing whether the type had serifs or not and whether their size would work well with the other letters I had collected.

The bodies of text task made me realise that typography extends to the formation of paragraphs and longer bodies of text. I had only really considered typography to be relevant in posters or shorter bodies of text.

I really enjoyed creating our own monograms and working with individual letterforms rather than entire words or bodies of text. I had to choose between using L and S, or E and S, so it was interesting to see how each letter worked together based on their shape and form.

This typography workshop has immensely broadened my understanding of type and its role in the world, and I would love to continue leaning about and working with type in the future.