Typefaces, design, and education…
An essay…
We wrapped up the typeface design project this last week. The flyers were posted on the department’s wall for them to see and feel pride in their work. No matter how much the level of effort fluctuates in a class, it’s important to have closure—at least for a bit. All projects can be revisited but in a class, as a group, it is good to close the door to open another.
The students consider the typeface design project a make or break kind of project. The rumor mill has ensured a level of trepidation and anxiety that is both humorous and a tad over the top. Though it makes me wonder how to teach it differently each time, it still comes down to simple steps. Pencil on paper. In fact, the sketching part is the most fun. Coming up with letter ideas, whether big or small, tweaking serifs, crossbars, stems, bowls, and many others is the fun part. Nothing is decided at this point and all is possible.
On the other hand, the refinement of the selected sketches can be tedious. Like a building, a typeface relies on a solid structure: a grid or an organizational system to ensure consistency across the letters. THAT, is where the actual fun (insert sarcastic tone here) starts.
I know there are many articles and courses of how to design a typeface. A search on our friendly search engine will result in a very healthy list of entries. A lot of these searches will probably be related to the software in which the letters will be built to install on the computer. In short, the design of the letters needs to be functional and the software is the essential tool to build them.
Learning the software is one part. But, there is so much that goes into a typeface to be functional: multi language support, punctuation, alternates, numbers, kerning pairs, caps and lowercases, flourishes if any, and even additional symbols. Because of time constraints we need to keep the typeface design as simple as possible. A typeface design can take years. In class, we only have one month out of the semester to come up with a design, do the appropriate research, start working the details and building the system, and testing—which can seem endless to them.
The students need to pick a case: upper or lower. It is usually easier to design capital letters because there is more consistency throughout the letters. The stem for instance, is the same on many of the letters. For the most part the capital letters can be grouped in letters that are triangular, rectangular or square, and circular. But, even then there is always the tension between the accurate mathematics of the measurements and the optical illusion created by said measurements. Especially when circular or triangular letters sit next to the straight ones like an E or a T. Unless a little tweak is done to the circular and triangular letters, they will always look smaller than the straight ones. This is hard for the students to understand in practice. While it’s being explained, they usually say they understand but in practice, it takes them a bit. Because they need to come up with a grid, learning how to stick to it without being inflexible can be unthinkable to them at times.
The design process always reveals each student’s approach to problem solving or challenges. In my experience, how a student approaches life in general is very akin to how they approach a design assignment or project. Many of them do not want to fail, do not want to make a mistake. They want everything to be perfect. On the other hand, there are those who really are so casual about life that their approach to the projects goes hand in hand. Then, there are the ones who want to be done yesterday and can’t give themselves time to think. Or the ones who never like what they did even though it is pretty good. Each design solution resembles their attitudes and approaches.
Messing up has to be part of learning and growing in a design studio class. This is also true in life. There needs to be more space for experimentation but the semester is a treacherous time table. Much of that experimentation that leads to failing should happen in the sketching phase. Here we are not only at odds with the technology but also with the students’ mindset. The accessibility to images that are perfect online, the lack of a waiting period, and the lack of consciousness about processes have created a certain disdain for simple and slow working habits such as sketching.
It is no secret that I love sketching. Not that my sketches are necessarily beautiful like those from architects. Have you seen the sketches done by architects? The majority of them are gorgeous. The purposeful scribbles in a small box with the intent of working out an idea are indeed a critical aspect of our thinking process. There is always a gap between what we imagine and what we do on paper. It is true in different degrees for everyone. In our heads, the visuals have no friction. It all works out. Once we start to work it out in paper, we find let’s say, issues. I love the sketching part of any design project. The possibilities are endless even with the issues. Once we pick one or two, we enter the production phase.
In the case of designing a typeface, the production phase is full of details. Here is where it becomes obvious who’s committed and who isn’t for different reasons. One thing that the students and some practicing designers fail to understand is the tension between the time constraints we professors manage and what the student is willing or not willing to bring to the table. Simply put, we can’t teach everything in the time frame we have. Especially in a field that is constantly changing due to technological changes. We might have forgotten Adobe Flash? Some of you might be thinking “say what?” Exactly. Or Pagemaker? Another blank.
What should we teach then? I believe one of the things we should teach students is to learn how to learn. We should teach students to look at a design project or challenge and differentiate between what they already know from what they do not know, research what they need to learn to solve it, and learn to find the tools and resources they lack. Many times they will need to learn to outsource some aspects of a project. And other times they will need to buckle up and learn what is needed. Either way, one thing is certain: technology is moving at such fast rate that I fear it will be akin to an insult to the essence of human life and creativity. Remember the movie Wall-E?
Because each concept and design for the typeface the students work on is different, they all need to identify what they need to make it work. One of my students wanted to design a typeface with a dotted pattern inside. This solution required a different set of resources. He took on upon himself to research. Funny enough I get the notifications of the forum of the software we use, FontSelf. And I saw my student’s questions and conversation with Franz Hoffman. I was very pleased to see my student being proactive and looking up what he needed to solve his stumbling block.
Overall, the project was a beautiful learning experience for them but also for me. Below I am sharing the video I took of their flyers on the wall. Enjoy!
Love,
Alma