Course outline
Code: DES106
Title: Typography
Faculty of: Arts, Business and Law
School of: Communication and Creative Industries
Teaching Session: Semester 2
Year: 2016
Course Coordinator:
Dr Ian White
Room:
D 1.39
Phone:
(07)5459 4437
Email:
[email protected]
1.
What is this course about?
1.1
Course description
This course introduces you to the creative, functional and aesthetic role of type in visual communication. By
understanding the basic principles of typography, you will develop your ability to make clear the meaning
of a message. You will study the history of type, type anatomy and typographic terms, while examining
composition, type styles, font management and the use of fonts for both print and digital media. You will
complete a variety of projects encompassing different areas of communication in order to develop a
deeper awareness of typographic attributes and a critical attitude toward the organisation and structure of
text-based information. Adobe InDesign, document construction and page composition will be studied.
1.2
Course content
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2.
12 units
The history of the written and printed word.
Typographic terminology.
Typography for print based and digital applications.
How fonts are managed in a range of design programs.
The functional and interpretative role of typography in producing effective visual communication.
Creative approaches to graphic design and text based communication.
The relationship between the form of the communication and the needs of the user.
Type as a design element in itself.
The use of grids to define the relationship between type and other elements within a design.
Unit value
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Course Outline: DES106 Typography
3.
How does this course contribute to my learning?
Specific Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of
this course you should be able
to:
Use typographic principles to
creatively and effectively
structure text-based
communication in both print
and screen media.
Identify and use a range of
self-directed learning
strategies to maintain up-to
date technical skills and
knowledge.
Produce and present design
outcomes in a professional
and technically appropriate
manner.
Demonstrate knowledge of
type history and the ways type
is used in the contemporary
world.
4.
Assessment Tasks
Graduate Qualities
You will be assessed on the
learning outcome in task/s:
Completing these tasks successfully
will contribute to you becoming:
1, 2 and 3
Empowered
1, 2, and 3
Empowered.
1, 2 and 3
Empowered.
3
Knowledgeable.
Am I eligible to enrol in this course?
Refer to the Coursework Programs and Awards - Academic Policy for definitions of “pre-requisites, corequisites and anti-requisites”
4.1
Enrolment restrictions
Nil
4.2
Pre-requisites
Nil
4.3
Co-requisites
Nil
4.4
Anti-requisites
Nil
4.5
Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills
You should be familiar with working with computers and design software at a moderately
advanced level.
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Course Outline: DES106 Typography
5.
How am I going to be assessed?
5.1
Grading scale
Standard – High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL)
5.2
Task
No.
1
2
3
Assessment tasks
Assessment
Tasks
Individual
or Group
Book cover
design and
documentation
.
Four colour A2
typographical
poster
promoting a
touring event.
On-Line theory
examination.
Individual
Weighting
%
30%
Individual
50%
Individual
20 %
What is the
duration /
length?
Cover design +
documentation:
minimum 8
pages
Cover design +
documentation:
minimum 15
pages
N/A
When
should I
submit?
In class,
Week 5
Where should I
submit it?
In class,
Week 13.
Online via
Blackboard
Monday,
first week of
central
examination
period, 9.00
am—
4.00pm
On Line via
Blackboard
Show in class.
Online via
Blackboard
100%
Assessment Task 1: Grid design and book jacket layout (Three spot colours).
The full project brief along with support resources is in the project 1 folder on Blackboard.
Goal:
In this assignment you are required to design and produce the layout for a book cover
showcasing the effective use of typographical design principles.
Product: A spread showing the book jacket (front, back, spine and flaps) along with printer’s
marks. A single PDF document of the finished project along with documentation of
research and process will be saved to the drop box.
Format:
A book cover design that is both easy and a pleasure to read, using only typographical
forms and with three spot colours only. Photographs and illustrations are not to be
used—however you may create graphical elements on the cover using only typographic
forms if relevant. A full project brief is supplied on Blackboard in the Assessment folder.
Criteria
Ability to apply basic typographic principles to produce an effective design and layout.
Ability to use type as a design element in itself. Basic mastery of Adobe InDesign as a
production tool. Ability to produce digital documents appropriate for print and digital
output.
Generic skills assessed
Skill assessment level
Applying Technologies
Introductory
Communication
Introductory
Problem Solving
Introductory
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Course Outline: DES106 Typography
Assessment Task 2: Full colour A2 promotional poster.
The full project brief plus support resources can be found in the project 2 folder on Blackboard.
Goal:
This project tests your ability to apply knowledge of typographical design principles to
the production of a complex poster.
Product: A four colour (CMYK) A2 typographical poster promoting a touring event. Saved as a
spread showing the poster along with printer’s marks. A single PDF document of the
finished project along with documentation of research and process will be saved to the
drop box.
Format:
You will use Adobe InDesign in conjunction with Adobe Illustrator (if needed) to create a
poster promoting a touring event (such as a comedy roadshow, a series of concerts, a
theatrical event or performance etc.) presenting at 5 different venues. You may use
original vector illustration or line art but not photography. A full project brief is supplied
on Blackboard in the Assessment folder.
Criteria
• Consistency of typographical design and appropriateness of purpose.
• Clarity of supporting documentation.
• Originality, uniqueness and design of the final poster.
Generic skill assessed
Skill assessment level
Applying technologies
Introductory
Communication
Introductory
Problem Solving
Introductory
Assessment Task 3: On-line theory examination.
Goal:
The goal of the on-line examination is to test your knowledge of the theoretical and
background knowledge that informs typographical practice and print processes.
Product: Examination.
Format:
Online. Available from 9.00am — 4.00pm, Monday during first week of the central
examination period, 9.00 am—4.00pm.
Based on content from the lecture series, required readings and workshop activities.
The exam will be made up of 20 randomly selected questions from a central database
and will require responses in several modes (e.g. multiple choice, short answer,
diagrammatic responses etc.). Full details will be provided on Blackboard two weeks
prior to the examination date.
Criteria
Demonstrated knowledge of basic type history, type terms and print processes.
Ability to locate resources and use relevant technologies in real time.
Generic skill assessed
Skill assessment level
Applying technologies
Developing
Problem Solving
Developing
5.3
Additional assessment requirements
SafeAssign
In order to minimise incidents of plagiarism and collusion, this course may require that some of its
assessment tasks are submitted electronically via SafeAssign. This software allows for text comparisons to
be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work that SafeAssign has access to. If
required, details of how to submit via SafeAssign will be provided on the Blackboard site of the course.
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Course Outline: DES106 Typography
Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment
Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%
b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
c) You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct
REFERENCING
You are required to use the HARVARD SYSTEM OF REFERENCING for this course. You should also consult
this guide when preparing, writing and editing your work. Please note that page numbers must be provided
for all in-text citations, regardless of whether they refer to a direct quote, a paraphrase, or an idea. For
example, if referencing an idea that appears on page 14 of Communicating in the 21st Century your in-text
reference would appear as follows:
(Eunson 2005:14).
Links to referencing guides are available on Blackboard and the USC website:
http://www.usc.edu.au/University/Library/Resources/Online/Referencing.htm
5.4
Submission penalties
Late submission of assessment tasks will be penalised at the following maximum rate:
 5% (of the assessment task’s identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified
as the due date for the assessment task.
 10% (of the assessment task’s identified value) for the third day
 20% (of the assessment task’s identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and
including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task.
 A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted after seven days from the date
identified as the due date for the assessment task.
Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late. To request an extension you must
contact your course coordinator to negotiate an outcome.
6. How is the course offered?
6.1
Directed study hours
On campus lecture: 1 hour per week
On campus computer workshop: 3 hours per week
6.2
Teaching semester/session(s) offered
Semester 2
6.3
Course activities
Please refer to the weekly planner on Blackboard for more detail.
Teaching
What key concepts/content will I
What activities will I engage in to learn the
Week /
learn?
concepts/content?
Module
Directed Study
Independent Study
Activities
Activities
1
A short history of type, the printing
press and the development of
letterforms, plus a broad overview of
the course and course content.
Introduction to Adobe InDesign
Lecture, workshop,
video.
Find examples of
interesting page
layouts and cover
designs that
demonstrate what you
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Course Outline: DES106 Typography
software. Creative exercise making
language visible.
2
3
4
5
6
7
The Machine That Made Us. The
printing press was the world’s first
mass-produced machine. Setting up
your document in InDesign. Creative
exercise: The meaning of a word can
be expressed through the spacing,
sizing and placement of letters on a
page.
The Anatomy of Type. Good
typography can make the difference
between effective communication
and only just communicating and can
be used as a key design feature in
itself. All designers must be familiar
with the basics of typography, even if
the work is sometimes done by
others. Working with Frames and
Importing and Linking Graphics.
Creative exercise letterforms in
nature.
Text and Typography. As letters and
words accumulate into a body of text,
designers must provide a way for
readers to find their way through it.
Importing and Editing Text, Using the
Story Editor—Working with Type.
Working with Styles.
A Lecture About Nothing. Actually, a
lecture about the white bits, the nonink space that is the page and the
gaps between the various graphical
and typographical elements. Working
with Colour in InDesign, better table
design.
Lecture, workshop,
video.
Type for the Screen. Not all type is
intended for use in print—these days
a large amount of what we design will
be read on screen. Learning InDesign
practical: Creating Tables.
Type in Motion. Not all type is static.
Type plays a considerable role in the
visual media, in everything from Flash
based web content, film and
television graphics to signage and
other urban communications.
Learning InDesign practical: Working
Lecture, workshop.
consider to be
excellent, interesting
or innovative design
French, N. (2014).
InDesign Type.
Chapters 3 and 4.
Lecture, workshop.
French, N. (2014).
InDesign Type.
Chapters 7 and 9.
Lecture, workshop,
creative exercise.
French, N. (2014).
InDesign Type.
Chapters 5 and 6.
Lupton, E. (2004).
Thinking with Type.
Text. pp. 62–78.
Lecture, workshop,
creative exercise.
French, N. (2014).
InDesign Type.
Chapters 5 and 6
Lupton, E. (2004).
Thinking with Type.
Alignment to
Hierarchy pp. 84–97,
106–107.
French, N. (2014).
InDesign Type.
Chapter 12.
Required reading:
Lecture, workshop,
creative exercise.
French, N. (2014.
InDesign Type.
Chapter 13.
Lupton, E. (2004).
Thinking with Type.
Letter Exercise pp. 58–
59.
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Course Outline: DES106 Typography
8
9
10
Monday,
3rd October
Public
Holiday
11
12
with Transparency. Bitmap Typeface
Design—Screen Font. Create a
prototype for a bitmap font using
only a grid of squares.
The Grid. Grids have evolved over
Required reading:
many centuries to become a
Lecture, workshop.
powerful tool for structuring the
reading space. Grids are the primary
way in which page and web design
programs control space. Well used,
they do not produce rigid structures,
but provide flexible options. Learning
InDesign practical: Working with Long
Documents.
Helvetica is a feature-length
Type Specimen Book
independent film about typography,
and On-Screen
graphic design and global visual
Presentation.
culture. It looks at the proliferation of Lecture,
one typeface as part of a larger
Presentations.
conversation about the way
Mid Semester Break
Introduction to Printing and the Print Lecture, workshop.
Process. This week we examine the
different printing technologies and
the principles that underpin them.
Managing Fonts on your computer.
Introduction to Adobe Illustrator.
Type tracing exercise.
Print and the Print Process Part 2—
PreFlight. We need to think about the
print process from the very moment
we begin to design any printed piece.
Introduction to assessment task 3.
A look at some of the great works of
book design, typography and
printing, encompassing works from
both historical and contemporary
sources as well as conventional and
digital sources. Output and exporting
to PDF. Exam brief.
Full workshop session.
Lecture, workshop.
Students continue
developing type
designs and poster
layouts and refining
type and graphics.
Lecture, workshop,
video.
13
Full workshop. No
Lecture.
Please note that the course activities may be subject to variation.
Detailed reading and support content is available on the DES 106 Blackboard site.
French, N. (2014).
InDesign Type.
Chapter
10.
Lupton, E. (2004).
Thinking with Type.
Golden Section to
Modular Grid pp. 138–
155.
French, N. (2014).
InDesign Type.
Chapter 14.
Jury, D. (2004). About
Face: Reviving the
Rules of Typography.
RotoVision, Miles,
Switzerland.
French, N. (2014).
InDesign Type.
Chapter 8
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Course Outline: DES106 Typography
7. What resources do I need to undertake this course?
7.1
Prescribed text(s)
Please note that you need to have regular access to the resource(s) listed below:
Author
Year
Title
Publisher
Adobe Creative Team 201X
Adobe InDesign, Classroom Adobe Press, U.S.A.
always try for
in a Book
the latest
version. One
version prior is
fine if buying
s/hand.
French, N.
2014
InDesign Type: Professional Adobe Press (Peachpit),
Typography with Adobe
Berkeley
InDesign (Latest Edition)
7.2
Required and recommended readings
Lists of required and recommended readings may be found for this course on its Blackboard site. These
materials/readings will assist you in preparing for tutorials and assignments, and will provide further
information regarding particular aspects of your course.
7.3
Specific requirements
N/A
7.4
Risk management
There is minimal health and safety risk in this course. It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the
Health and Safety policies and procedures applicable within campus areas.
8.
How can I obtain help with my studies?
In the first instance you should contact your tutor, then the Course Coordinator. Additional assistance is
provided to all students through Peer Advisors and Academic Skills Advisors. You can drop in or book an
appointment. To book: Tel: +61 7 5430 2890 or Email: student [email protected]
9. Links to relevant University policies and procedures
For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:
 Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
 Review of Assessment and Final Grades
 Supplementary Assessment
 Administration of Central Examinations
 Deferred Examinations
 Student Academic Misconduct
 Students with a Disability
http://www.usc.edu.au/university/governance-and-executive/policies-and-procedures#academic-learningand-teaching
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Course Outline: DES106 Typography
10. General enquiries
In person:
 Sippy Downs - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C
 USC SouthBank - Student Central, Building B, Ground floor (level 1)
 USC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
 USC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Building A
Tel: +61 7 5430 2890
Email: [email protected]