Task 1 / Exercises: Typographic Systems & Type & Play
April 21,2025
ZHOU BOYING / 0369087
Typography / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
LIST
1. Lectures
2. Instructions
3.Task 1 : Exercises
4. Feedback
5. Reflections
6. Further Reading
Lectures
vanced Typography: Typographic Systems
All design is based on a structural system” and according to Elam, 2007, there are eight major variations with an infinite number of permutations.
variations are as follows:
Axial
Radial
Dilatational
Random
Grid
Modular
Transitional
Bilateral
Typographical organization is complex because the elements are dependent on communication in order to function. Additional criteria such as hierarchy, order of reading, legibility, and contrast also come into play.
The typographic systems are akin to what architects term shape grammars. The typographic systems are similar that the systems has a set of rules that is unique and provides a sense of purpose that focuses and directs the decision making.” (Elam, 2007)
While some may feel this imposition takes away intuition from a teaching point of view it provides a solid framework that allows learners to be guided in their exploration while their intuition develops and matures.
Axial System
All elements are organised to the left or right of a single axis.
Radial System
All elements are extended from a point of focus.
Dilatational System
All elements expand from a central point in a circular fashion.
Random System
Elements appear to have no specific pattern or relationship.
Grid System
A system of vertical and horizontal divisions.
Transitional System
An informal system of layered banding.
Modular System
A series of non-objective elements that are constructed as a standardised unit.
Conclusion
Student designers may initially find the system awkward but as work develops and understanding of the systems emerges whereby its creative potential (in terms of its permutations or combined uses) is realised.
Many designers focus primarily on the grid system for design and are unaware of the the potential that other systems hold. This here system is one of many possibilities that affords some level of distinctiveness from the grid systems in certain situations.
An understanding of the systems organization process allows the designer to break free from “the rigid horizontal and vertical grid systems of letter press” (Elam, 2007). It allows designers to use more fluid means to create typographic messages.
AdTypo_2_Typographic Composition
Principles of Typographic Composition
In class, we learned that design composition is guided by several key principles such as:
Emphasis
Isolation
Repetition
Symmetry & Asymmetry
Alignment
Perspective
While these ideas are often applied to imagery, it can feel abstract when applying them to typographic layouts. Typography involves arranging various elements (text, images, color) that can sometimes feel disconnected on screen.
However, by understanding and using these principles carefully, we can create clearer, more cohesive typographic compositions. Some of these principles are easier to apply than others, but they all contribute to effective visual communication.
Among all the design principles, some—like emphasis—are easier to apply in typographic compositions than others.
Design composition relies on key principles like emphasis, isolation, repetition, symmetry/asymmetry, alignment, and perspective.
While these concepts work well in imagery, applying them to typographic compositions can feel less straightforward, especially when dealing with complex information.
Rule of Thirds
The Rule of Thirds is a visual guideline that divides any frame into three equal columns and three equal rows. The points where these lines intersect are commonly used to position important elements, helping to create a more balanced and visually appealing composition.
Typographic Systems
We studied 8 typographic systems in both theory and practice. Among them, the Grid System (also known as the Raster System) is the most practical and widely used. It originates from the structured layout used in letterpress printing.
Although it may appear outdated or strict, the Grid System is incredibly adaptable. It aligns with our natural preference for structure and makes reading more comfortable and organized.
Postmodern typography introduced randomness, chaos, and asymmetry, often sacrificing clarity to create visual impact.However, the most effective designs strike a balance between legibility and visual interest.
Other Systems
Environmental Grid
This system is built by exploring existing structures—either one or several combined. Designers extract key lines, both straight and curved, to form a structural base. They then organize content around this superstructure, including abstract elements, to create rich texture and visual interest.
This method brings context into the design, as the grid is formed from meaningful parts of a real environment—making the design more connected to its message and setting.
Fig 2.5 Developing a compositional framework using external structures
This approach uses lines and forms extracted from physical or visual environments to build the foundation of a typographic layout.
Form and Movement
This system is a playful extension of the Grid System, encouraging exploration and flexibility. It was designed to help students discover the many layout possibilities grids can offer, and to reduce the rigid seriousness often associated with them.
By viewing a book as a sequence—like a slow-motion animation—movement is created through the placement of text, images, and colors across multiple pages.
Even a simple form, when placed consistently or strategically across pages (whether printed or digital), can generate a strong sense of visual rhythm and motion.
The complexity of the composition gradually increases as new elements are added step by step—starting with a single color, followed by images, dummy text, and other components.
Fig 2.7: Progressive addition of elements in a visual sequence
In the second week, Mr. Vinod reviewed the Typographic Systems exercises we posted on Facebook, providing specific feedback on alignment, axis structure, and overall layout organization. He pointed out that my Transitional system needed to be redesigned, which made me realize the importance of element organization and visual flow. He also introduced the new Type & Play project, explaining how to extract letterforms from images and refine them through iteration while maintaining a connection to the original form. Throughout this week’s practice, I encountered several challenges, such as adapting to changes caused by software updates, and I realized that different typographic systems require different approaches to text structure and visual organization. This process not only deepened my understanding of typographic structures but also improved my proficiency with design tools, making it a very rewarding experience.
Week 3
AdTypo_3_Context&Creativity
Handwriting
Why is handwriting important in typography?
Historical significance:
The earliest mechanical typefaces were designed to imitate handwriting.
Handwriting set the standard for form, spacing, and visual conventions.
Influence of tools and materials
The shape and line of handwritten letters were shaped by:
Tools: sharpened bones, charcoal sticks, plant stems, brushes, feather pens, steel pens.
These tools affected the stroke style and texture.
The writing surface also mattered:
clay, papyrus, palm leaves, animal skins (vellum/parchment), and paper.
Different materials led to different visual results and techniques.
Time period: 2613–2160 B.C.E.
The Egyptian hieroglyphic system combined pictorial symbols, phonetic elements, and the art of relief carving. It marked an early and important step toward the development of the modern alphabet.
There are three main ways hieroglyphs were used:
Ideograms: Symbols that represent the actual object they depict (e.g., a drawing of a leg means "leg").
Determinatives: Non-phonetic signs placed at the end of words to give additional meaning or context.
Phonograms: Symbols used to represent sounds, helping to spell out individual words.
Early Greek Alphabet (5th Century B.C.E.)
Based on the Phoenician system, with added vowels by the Greeks.
Letters were written by hand, without serifs or formal tools.
Reading direction was not fixed—used boustrophedon format.
Later, strokes thickened and serifs appeared, forming the basis for Roman lettering.
Roman Uncials (4th Century)
Written with a flat brush and carved into stone.
Letters became rounder and more fluid, enabling easier, quicker writing.
Influenced calligraphy and type design for over 2,000 years.
English Half Uncials (8th Century)
Developed into a more slanted and compact form in England.
While English and Irish Uncials evolved, mainland Europe experienced writing decline.
The Carolingian Handwriting Reform helped restore clarity and order in writing.
Roman Capital letters, carved into stone with chisels, represent the formal and monumental writing of ancient Rome. These uppercase forms were geometric, sharp, and constructed with precision—often used in inscriptions. They became the foundation for today’s capital letters in Western type design.
Blackletter, also known as Gothic script, was a dominant writing style in medieval Europe between the 12th and 15th centuries. It featured dense, angular forms with tall vertical strokes and tight spacing. This aesthetic reflected Gothic architecture, emphasizing height and narrow structure. The condensed design also helped save space and materials in manuscript production.
Fig. 3.7 Blackletter Strokes Breakdown
This image shows the construction of Blackletter strokes, based on vertical emphasis and repeated angular patterns. The strokes were created using a broad-nib pen held at a consistent angle, producing sharp contrasts between thick and thin lines. This technique defined the dramatic and ornamental style of Gothic writing.
This chart shows the development of Middle Eastern scripts, starting from Phoenician and branching into Aramaic, Arabic, Hebrew, and others. The Phoenician alphabet played a key role by introducing phonetic writing, possibly influenced by Egyptian hieroglyphs.
This diagram traces how Chinese characters evolved from Oracle Bone Script to modern Simplified forms. It shows a clear transition from pictographic origins to abstract standardized shapes across different dynasties and writing systems.
This chart shows the development of the Brahmi script from 5th century BCE to modern Devanagari. As the earliest known script in India after the Indus script, Brahmi became the root of nearly all Indian and many Southeast Asian writing systems. It evolved over time with major transformations in structure and form, influencing hundreds of scripts still in use today.
Jawi is an Arabic-based script introduced to Southeast Asia through Islam. While Islamic influence brought this writing system, its spread was also supported by missionary teaching efforts, especially in port cities. The script helped promote literacy beyond caste boundaries, but it took time for Jawi to replace older local scripts—and in some regions, it never fully did.
This slide introduces Baloo, a multi-script typeface created by Ek Type. It supports nine Indian scripts and Latin characters, designed to be Unicode-compliant and freely licensed. As global software companies like Google expand language support, more vernacular and multi-script fonts are being created by Asian designers. These fonts serve diverse users by allowing communication across local and global scripts.
Current Challenges and Outlook
The Southeast Asian type movement lacks formal structure but is growing due to inspiration from India and increased accessibility to knowledge and tools.
Young designers are encouraged to explore their own history and culture for creative inspiration, rather than imitating foreign styles without context.
True originality comes from observing local realities and connecting with collective historical identity.
Physical Class
In Week 3, Mr. Vinod provided us with detailed feedback on our progress, particularly regarding the visual observation and letterform extraction exercises. He emphasized the importance of focusing on the core characteristics of the object rather than getting distracted by unnecessary details. In my case, he mentioned that the evolution of my typeface was too rapid, which caused a lack of continuity and visual logic in the transformation process. Following his advice, I revisited my sketches and slowed down the progression, paying closer attention to how each form developed from the previous one. Through this physical class and hands-on refinement, I gained a deeper appreciation for the patience and precision required in type design. This exercise has taught me that type extraction is not just a matter of tracing or copying shapes, but a way of seeing – a process of observing structure, rhythm, and consistency with intention.
Instructions
Task 1 : Exercises
At the initial stage, I created eight sketches based on the eight Typographic Systems.Although I had previously studied the fundamentals of Typography and InDesign, systematically applying typographic principles presented a significant challenge for me.Through this exercise, I realized that each typographic system requires different approaches to text structure and visual organization, demanding more careful consideration of text placement, hierarchy, and composition rhythm.
After completing the initial sketches, I developed the eight Typographic Systems using InDesign.The process took me three days, during which I followed the instructor’s guidelines and systematically studied the characteristics and application methods of each system.For me, this project marked significant progress, as it deepened my understanding of typographic structures and improved my proficiency with design tools through practice.Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience that made me appreciate the process of layout design even more.
Fig 4.3 Compilation of eight typographic system layouts (with guides) based on The ABCs of Bauhaus Design Theory.（04.25.2025)(Week 1)
Fig 4.4 Compilation of eight typographic system layouts (without guides) based on The ABCs of Bauhaus Design Theory.（04.25.2025)(Week 1)
Final
- Use InDesign
- Document size:200✖️200mm
- Color : Black ➕ 1 color
- Export as JPEG @300ppi (1024px); PDF with guides and without guides
2) Type & Play Part 1
For this task, we had to choose a simple image of a man-made or natural object and extract potential letterforms from it. The shapes found in the image were used to create unique letter designs. After sketching and digitizing the forms, we refined them using a reference typeface. In the end, the letters were combined with the original image to show a strong visual connection.
Letterform Extraction
For this task, I only selected an image of dried, cracked earth. I was attracted by the natural fracture lines and the bold, irregular shapes they formed. By carefully tracing sections of the cracks, I extracted potential letterforms and began transforming them into a type design. This process helped me explore how natural surfaces can inspire abstract yet structured typographic shapes.
Digital Process & Refinement
In this version, I arranged the extracted letterforms based on their overall rough shapes, while using the square proportions of the reference font as a guide. I kept some sharp and uneven edges to preserve the raw, rocky texture inspired by the cracked earth.
Final Outcome of Part 1
Fig 5.12 Overall Process (09.05.2025)(Week 3)
In Part 2 of this exercise, Mr. Vinod instructed us to design a movie poster by incorporating the typeface we created earlier. The goal was to establish a strong visual relationship between the image and the letterforms.
For the final part of the project, I designed a movie poster using the custom letterforms I developed from cracked earth textures. The poster title "LOEVY" blends the rocky type design with a volcanic background, visually reinforcing the theme of emotional rupture and destruction.
The tagline “When love cracks the earth, destruction follows” connects the concept of love with geological tension, echoing both the visual and typographic language of the design.
Final Type & Play Part 1
Fig 5.26 Overall Process(PDF) (09.05.2025)(Week 3)
Fig 5.27 Final Poster (PNG) (13.05.2025)(Week 4)
Feedback
Week 1
Specific feedback:
(To be updated based on lecturer's comments)
e.g. — Need to explore more layout variations in axial/radial system.
e.g. — Ensure consistent use of typeface size and hierarchy.
General feedback:
Week 2
Specific feedback:
This week, Mr. Vinod reviewed the Typographic Systems exercises we posted on Facebook, providing specific feedback on alignment, axis structure, and overall layout organization. He pointed out that my Transitional system needed to be redesigned, which made me realize the importance of element organization and visual flow. He also introduced the new Type & Play project, explaining how to extract letterforms from images and refine them through iteration while maintaining a connection to the original form.
General feedback:
Throughout this week’s practice, I encountered several challenges, such as adapting to changes caused by software updates, and I realized that different typographic systems require different approaches to text structure and visual organization. This process not only deepened my understanding of typographic structures but also improved my proficiency with design tools, making it a very rewarding experience.
Week 3
Specific feedback:
Mr. Vinod commented that the progression in my letterform transformation was too abrupt, which resulted in a lack of continuity and visual logic between the steps. He advised me to slow down the design process and focus more on extracting the core characteristics of the original reference, rather than being distracted by superficial details.
General feedback:
This week’s exercise made me realize the importance of observing carefully and designing with intention. The process of letterform extraction is not simply about reconstructing shapes, but about understanding their underlying structure and rhythm. Through this practice, I learned to be more patient and precise, which helped me improve both my observational skills and my sensitivity to form development.
Reflections
Experience
Over the course of this project, I explored how visual inspiration from nature can be translated into type design. From analyzing cracked earth surfaces to building custom letterforms and applying them in a movie poster, I went through a complete design process that involved observation, sketching, digitisation, refinement, and final application. Although the task was challenging at times, especially in maintaining visual consistency and legibility, it allowed me to experiment with the relationship between texture and typography.
Observation
One key takeaway from this project was learning to slow down and really observe the form and rhythm of natural elements. Instead of rushing into stylization, I learned to identify the core characteristics of my chosen image—such as the uneven, fractured edges of dried ground—and translate those traits into type structures. Mr. Vinod’s feedback reminded me that good design is not just about making things look interesting, but about developing visual logic step by step.
Findings
This exercise taught me that letterform extraction is not merely about tracing shapes—it’s about understanding how form carries meaning. My final poster, "LOEVY", demonstrates how typography and imagery can work together to build a narrative tone. The typeface carries the weight and tension of the cracked ground, supporting the movie’s theme: "When love cracks the earth, destruction follows." Through this project, I developed stronger skills in structural observation, form refinement, and visual storytelling.
Further Reading
Further Reading – Typographic Systems by Kimberly Elam
For this project, I referred to Typographic Systems by Kimberly Elam to better understand how different layout systems can be applied in design. I focused mainly on the first half of the book, which introduces several key systems including Axial, Radial, Dilational, Random, Grid, Modular, Transitional, and Bilateral structures.
Each system offers a unique approach to organizing typographic elements. What I found most helpful was the visual breakdown of how hierarchy, alignment, and spacing work differently within each system. This supported my understanding of type organization, especially when designing in transitional and modular styles.
The diagrams and overlays in the book made it easier to analyze how type moves across the page and how to maintain visual balance within complex compositions. This reading helped reinforce what Mr. Vinod taught us in class and gave me extra confidence when building my own layout experiments.
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