Studio Brief 2 - Research

OUGD403 - Visual Thinking - Vector Type

Research

When developing my chosen concept into the final design a certain amount of preliminary research was required. As one of the deliverables for this brief was to submit a functioning grid that my typeface adhered too I needed to conduct a range of research into this element as I felt my existing knowledge of the subject was relatively weak. 

I chose to research two figures that are well known in their developmental roles within typography and grid design; Jan Tschichold and Josef Mülller-Brockmann.

Jan Tschichold (1902–1974) was a German typographer who also worked with book design and layout. He was considered revolutionary by members of the design community grid design and compositional work. Author of 3 books; Die neue Typographie (1927), The Proportion of the Book (1955) and The Form of the Book (1937-1975) detail design and typography fundamentals, he had a long and successful carreer. Some may claim the pinnacle of Tschichold's success was his work with Penguin books in which he laid the foundations for their timeless paperback designs. 

Josef Mülller-Brockmann (1914 – 1996) was a Swiss designer that studied architecture and design at the university of Zurich.  He is best known for his use of minimalistic design and simple typography he has inspired a host of subsequent designers especially after the war. He reinforced shared views from Tschichold however added contemporary innovations to elements such as Tschichold's page layout. His extended work with grid systems and layout is  highlighted in his book 'Grid systems in graphic design' this was a key tool that helped  the use of the grid to be implemented into European and American design.

Following this research I looked at my individual concept to see if I could take inspiration and innovate elements used in previous typefaces. When questioning this I received feedback from a peer student saying the concept looked like a letter stencil that I frequently used as a child. This did not appear to me in the development of studio brief 1 however I feel my design is unique enough not to bear particular reference to similar typographic fonts already in existence. 

Stencilling has been known since 8th century China, its predominant purpose within the visual arts is to reproduce designs by applying ink or paint over the holes within the stencil in order for the underlying surface to be decorated. 

Finally I decided to research how to display my final design as it should still look aesthetically pleasing even when not in context. I look at samples from established type foundries such as; Typeface (Switzerland) and Fontsmith (United Kingdom) to see how they applied layout to their typefaces. As well as this I also looked at examples on Pinterest and around our studio and found that commonly the type is laid out in a systematic order from A-Z that often fits within a shape, typically a square or rectangle, to increase the aesthetic of the design. Below includes some example of typography that I find aesthetically pleasing and will consider using a similar layout when assembling my final design.