Teaching Strategies for Letterform design

69 IV Encontro de Tipografia, Idanha-a-Velha, 26 a 29 setembro, 2013 - Do Inscrito ao Conclusão Escrito : Livro de atas = Book of proceedings. Castelo Branco: IPCB. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.11/2048 O evento Semana Tipográfica em Bauru atraiu grande número de alunos dos cursos de design da cidade e também profissionais e docentes. Foi relevante visualizar a articulação de docentes, discentes e profissionais em busca de difundir e consolidar a cultura tipográfica. Importante frisar que o resultado não se limitou ao evento, uma vez que o crescimento de interesse pela tipografia pôde ser percebido no meio acadêmico local. A atividade especial oferecida aos alunos da rede pública de ensino abriu as portas para o entendimento da escrita de uma forma mais ampla e aprofundada. Por meio de atividades lúdicas, didáticas e da visita à exposição Bienal de Tipos Latinos, as crianças tiveram uma imersão de alto nível, oferecida por doutores e graduandos em design. Ver esse conjunto de projetos ajuda estudantes, profissionais do design e leigos a entender melhor não só questões tipográficas, mas também a própria cultura a qual estão inseridos. Referências AMBROSE, G. HARRIS, P. (2011). Design Thinking. Porto Alegre: Bookmam. BRINGHURST, Robert. (2005). Elementos do estilo tipográfico. São Paulo: Cosac Naify. FARIAS, Priscilla. (1999). Tipografia digital: o impacto das novas tecnologias. Rio de Janeiro: 2AB. FONSECA. Joaquim. (2008). Tipografia e design gráfico. Porto Alegre: Bookman. FRUTIGER, Adrian. (2007). Signos, símbolos, marcas, señales. Elementos, morfologia, representación, significación. Barcelona: Gustavo Gili. GAUDÊNCIO JR., Norberto. (2004). A herança escultórica da tipografia. São Paulo: Rosari. LINS, Guto. (2004). Helvética: o tipo topa tudo. São Paulo: Rosari. LUPTON, Ellen. Novos Fundamentos do Design. São Paulo: Cosac Naify, 2008. ______________. Pensar com tipos. São Paulo: Cosac Naify, 2006. MEGGS, Philip B. (2009). História do design gráfico. São Paulo: Cosac & Naify. MUNARI, Bruno. (2001). Design e comunicação visual. Trad. Daniel Santana. Lisboa: Edições 70. NIEMEYER, Lucy. (2001). Tipografia: uma apresentação. Rio de Janeiro: 2AB. ROCHA, Cláudio. (2002). Projeto tipográfico - análise e produção de fontes digitais. São Paulo: Rosari. _______________. (2004). Tipografia comparada. São Paulo: Edições Rosari. SAMARA, Timothy. (2008). Los elementos del diseño. Barcelona: Gustavo Gili. WALKER, C. B. F. et al. (1999). Lendo o passado - do cuneiforme ao alfabeto: a história da escrita antiga. São Paulo: EDUSP/Melhoramentos. WILLIAMS, Robin. (1996). Design para quem não é designer. São Paulo: Callis. Teaching Stategies for Letterform design in 1st year B.A. degree in Communication Design course: Letterform design as an expressive eleent of communication. Joana Lessa {Ualg} [email protected] Introduction For first year students’ teachers of Letter anatomy and design in Communication Design BA degree, the lack of sensitivity in distinguishing types, and lack of recognition of the value of typography that most students reveal, is a concern and a strong reason to search for strategies to create stimulus, promote learning and good student work results. In order to implement the teaching of Letter anatomy, and simultaneously allow students an easy contact with a fresh and motivational view on Letter and Type, we have been applying an approach to letterform design as an expressive means of communication: more intuitive, although with the presence of the theoretical notion on Letter anatomy “on the background”. This gives way to a more structured, rational and rule oriented approach, on the following semester. We believe this set of strategies reveal a positive direction to promote student motivation towards letterform design, in a highly dedicated and joyful way, with good examples of putting into practice theoretical concepts of letter anatomy, alongside with conceptual and graphic stimulating end results. This has also promoted student’s investigation on: how to design letterform as an expressive vehicle of content and meaning; how to test the limits of legibility in the Latin alphabet in use, proposing new creative forms for letter design. do inscrito ao escrito De lo inscrito a lo escrito from engraving to written 70 Communication Design Course and Letterform Design About the function of letterform and word shape Mandel states that “In giving a visible presence to thought and words, prolonging them in time and space, the letterform fulfills a precise physical or spiritual function.” (1993, p.9). The letterform design gives visual presence (either printed or digital) and formalization to the meaning of the words, but also goes beyond it: the design of letterforms projects the mood and the sense of the context to which the words refers, might it be a celebration of power in a noble coat of arms, or the sense of clarity and order in an airport signage. According to R. Bringhurst (1997), Typography works as a sensible indicator of time periods, specially pointed through the form of certain parts of type anatomy, like the shape of serifs and terminals, but not only (modulation and axis characteristics, x-height, etc.). And this is derived by their ability to integrate and express in the characteristic features of their anatomy, specific visual clues, in order to suggest a mood, an emotion, a period, a personality (Brighurst, 1997; Bringhurst & Chappell 1999; Lupton, 2004). So we can say that letterform design is an important part of any given communication product or service using words, and that is: almost every product/service we use in every day’s life. This justifies the importance (and the presence) of Letterform Design and Typography teaching, in the curricula of Communication Design course (BA) in almost every college across de country, rest of Europe and beyond, also recommend by designers, design researchers and pedagogues (Lupton, 2004, 2009; Spikermann & Ginger, 2002; Heller, 2003; Dabner et al., 2010). Of course there are different approaches, which we believe is a healthy indicator of the variety of teaching methods, of goals established and the overall formation profile that each degree course offers. he first-year design student Through teaching experience [active research and experience methodology – qualitative research methods (Silva, F.J.C.M., 2010)] of Communication Design BA degree students, we consider that, for the first grade students, the premiere contact with letterforms is of utter importance. Mainly because, students are better prepared, from their high school formation, to develop skills in image concept and creation, alongside with technical skills of image editing, but usually poorly prepared to deal with type analysis, unable to proper select letterforms and type to convey a specific meaning, and without experience in concept and letterforms design. Most of all, they enter the first year of college without a developed sensitivity towards the differentiation of letterforms, the aspects (in letterform) that promote the differences, and the “tone” they “speak”. Teaching Stategies: Letterform design as an expressive eleent of communication. With the purpose of teaching Letter anatomy (Lupton, 2009; Bringhurts, 1997), and simultaneously let students relate to Letter and Type with a fresh and motivated view, we have adopted an approach to letterform design as an expressive means of communication: more intuitive, although with the presence of the theoretical notion on Letter anatomy “on the background”. This gives way to a more structured, rational and rule oriented approach, on the following semester. For the first-year students, we propose the development of a set of exercises that explore the potential for conceptual expression within the practice of design, throughout the use of letterforms. The students are challenged to designed letterforms as expressive artifacts which: communicate content and meaning; evoke a certain context or environment (cultural, social, commercial, geographical, etc.); and express an emotional mood or tone, in a word - personality. They are also encouraged to test the limits of legibility in letterform design, as a way to understand where the barriers between communication and its absence might be drawn. In order to promote the conceptual expression within the practice of design (which implies a design methodology) they experiment with unconventional materials, to learn that “it doesn’t take a computer to make design, but a brain”. In this context, this approach also incentives the development of unconventional forms of Typography, exploring the expressive potential of type (under the major area of Typography, and within the field of letterform design). Another aspect we intend to put into these strategies, aimed at first-year students, is the sense of “game”, as a motivational tactic, “hands-on-approach” in Typography. This tactic has been applied to the teaching of Typography and specifically to Type Anatomy, mainly through books: see Spikermann’s “Stop steeling sheep…” (2002), and Woolman’s “Detective Story” (1997), but we believe they express an approach followed by many teachers. In these examples (which we selected through research methodology of case study), the authors explore anatomical comparisons with people, objects or the personification of type, in order to communicate theoretical concepts regarding type anatomy, type genealogy, type styles, typefaces design, etc. And there are also historical examples in type/letterform design games, that were developed for: children 71 storybooks, learn-to-read books, or in a purely decorative or ornamental letters for postcards, etc. (Purvis et al., 2010a, 2010b). This was mainly explored through a specific element: the text-image or image-text artifact (Willen & Strals, 2009; Dabner et al., 2010; Lupton, 2004, 2006). We will concentrate on this particular feature later on. Stategy “from ype anatomy to Fankenstein and back again” On the subject of Letter and Type Anatomy, it is inevitable the comparison to human anatomy, from which so many terms where borrowed. Therefore, to teach the basics of Letter Anatomy and the notions of anatomy parts (previously given to the students in the lecture “Type Anatomy”), whilst stimulating interest and promoting group dynamic in class, we’ve adopted a method that uses big scale elements – body size type. This reinforces the notion of anatomy and (we believe) makes it easier to relate to the abstract contents. In this strategy, the students deconstruct type and consequently reconstruct it in a “special environment” (with some rules and restrains). This is done in two stages: the first part - in a small group work, in a class workshop – one specific letter will be redesigned through the collage of printed type parts, parts that originally belonged to different “bodies”; the second part - an individual digital reconstruction - where the starting point is the end result of the first part, on which the student will test, with a synthesis method, modular design construction. First Part: Cass workshop – letterform design (deconstruction-reconstruction) Steps: Each student choose a letter in a specific typeface; then he/she prints it at body size and cut it into parts (each part is in a A4 sheet of paper); in class each student mix their “letter parts” into a pile where all the parts are shuffled; then each one takes out, randomly, the same number of parts he/she inserted in the pile; in groups of two students, the letters are reassembled/reconstructed “a la Frankenstein”, aiming at expressiveness and creativity, and respecting the obligatory use of every part or piece they randomly end up with (constrains: the pieces can be rotated, but only in 90 degrees turns; every piece has to be present in the final design, without cutting any part; cutting instruments are not to be use). Figure 1 . Letterform construction through collage of big scale printed type parts (after deconstruction), 2012. Figure 2 . Letterform construction through collage of big scale printed type parts (after deconstruction), 2012. do inscrito ao escrito De lo inscrito a lo escrito from engraving to written 72 In Figures 1 and 2 we can see, respectively, a group of students constructing one of their letters/ designing a new letterform trough this strategy, while others put them on the wall for final presentation (note the scale of the letterform, in comparison to the students height), and some examples of the final results (an low-case “i” and a high-case “Q”). Second part: Individual digital manipuation – letterform design This part of the Letterform design strategy, aims at the same purpose as part one did, but on digital context: deconstruction and construction of letterform, testing the limits of legibility and the new design possibilities while trying to deal, simultaneously, with limitations and briefing/elements constrains (as described in the next paragraph). Essentially trying to construct a letterform with the elements “at hand”, which we consider might promote mental plasticity/ the ability to overcome difficulties, and problem solving skills in communication design. Steps (see Figure 3): Starting from the end result of the workshop – the new, reconstructed, letterform design from type parts (already photographed and converted into high-contrast black & white image), each student divides the letterform into 6 parts, departing from the anatomic letter division (Bringhurst, 1997; Lupton, 2004, 2006; Cheng, 2006; Kane, 2002; McLean, 1996; Montesinos & Hurtuna, 2002; Paris, 2000; Vilela, 1998); then the student chooses 5 from the 6 pieces and reconstructs the letter; then the same thing with only 4 from the original 6 pieces; then with 3 pieces, being one of those repeated (4 pieces total); then with 2 pieces, being each piece repeated (4 pieces total); then with 1 piece, repeated 4 times (4 pieces total); then with 1 piece, repeated 3 times (3 pieces total); from this point on, the student is encourage to develop new letterform designs with less pieces, but it’s optional. Figure 3 . Final presentation with the end results of the exercise (part one and two) (from left to right, top to bottom): the original type; the end result of the first part of the exercise/method; the digital division of the “Frankenstein” letterform in 6 pieces; letterform design with 5 pieces of the digital division; letterform design with 4 pieces; letterform design built with 3 pieces, plus one repeated (4 pieces total); letterform design built with 2 pieces, each one repeated (4 pieces total); letterform design built with 1 piece repeated 4 times; letterform design built with 1 piece repeated 3 times; letterform design built with 1 piece repeated twice. By student Luís Santos, 2013. From the point where the students design the letterform with only one piece, repeated 4 or 3 times (see Figure 3), the exercise acquires a new aspect: modular letterform design. The results of these steps are more homogeneous and visually solid: the letterforms reacquire “type spirit”, and although unconventional, they loose part of the “Frankenstein” nature. We can detect this feature in the comparison between Figures 4 and 5 that follow. As an exercise, the modular letterform design is also a fundamental student’s learning instrument (Lupton, 2009). 73 Figure 4 . “Frankenstein” nature letterform designs. By students Diogo Guerreiro (letter “b”), Luís Santos (letter “e”) and Pedro Pereira (letter “d”), 2013. Figure 5 . Modular letterform designs: made out of one module repeated 4 times (letters “b” and “e”); and of 1 module repeated 3 times. By students Diogo Guerreiro (letter “b”), Luís Santos (letter “e”) and Pedro Pereira (letter “d”), 2013. Stategy “Letter as Image/ Image as letter” The exercises/strategies that promote the experimentation of letter as image are widely disseminated in Communication Design teaching (Dabner et. al., 2010; Miller, 1996; Willen & Strals, 2009). This is not a new strategy, but we believe it is a very effective and proficuous one. We consider the strategy “letter as image”, and simultaneously “image as letter”, stimulates student research into the concept/use of letterform design as an expressive element of communication. In order to create a “double reading artifact” -letter as image/image as letter (which leads to test the barriers between imagery and typography) (see Figures 6 and 7), the students are challenged to design a visual alphabet, using photography as medium, where image is created to function as letter and, at the same time, the letter (that is read) is identified as image format (see Figures 6 to 11). Figure 6 . Letters designed as “letter as image/image as letter”: “octopus-F”; “origami-B”; “grassy-M”. By João Assunção (letter “F”), Tiago Ferreira (letter “B”) and Joana Enes (letter “M”), 2012. do inscrito ao escrito De lo inscrito a lo escrito from engraving to written 74 Figure 7 . Letters designed as “letter as image/image as letter”: “fishbones-A”; “carpentry-B”; “gestual-M”. By Mónica Brazuna (letter “F”), Cristina Correia (letter “B”) and Andreia Cacho (letter “C”), 2012. In this strategy, the students need to establish and maintain internal rules (see Figures 8 and 9) that unify the design of all letters: consistency between letters has to be established and maintained through out the 27 Latin alphabet letter design. They are proposed to choose a theme, which might be an activity/action or an object or context/environment (see Figures 6 and 7) that then, they have to communicate through the design of the alphabet. The final result is presented in a poster (see Figures 10 and 11). Again, the students are expected to test the limits of letter legibility and the design of creative and unconventional forms, while communicating a specific meaning in an expressive way. The representation of theme/content as well as its meaning, is explored in form/background relationship, color pallet, form features, connotative value, etc. (and other visual communication grammar aspects) (Dondis, 1973; Arnheim, 2004; Maeda, 2006). Figure 8 . “All fire” – letter design by student João Henrique (made out with fire spinning/juggling item, in the dark – these letters are body size), 2008. Figure 9 . Letter design by student Rúben Monteiro (with a magazine), 2006. 75 Figure 10 . Posters for final “visual alphabet” presentation: “carpentry alphabet” by student Cristina Correia and “origami alphabet” by student Tiago Ferreira, 2012. Figure 11 . Posters for final “visual alphabet” presentation: “octopus-alphabet” by student João Assunção and “olive oil alphabet” by student Andreia Santos, 2012. do inscrito ao escrito De lo inscrito a lo escrito from engraving to written 76 Discussion From the outcomes presented (between 2006-2013, on which the referred strategies have been implemented), in both strategies, we consider them to be positive and effective methods to stimulate the learning of letter anatomy and simultaneously creative letterform design practice, for the considered learning stage. The processes involved in both strategies, allowed the design of expressive elements as vessels of content and meaning, in a highly engaging manner and with good learning and end results. The game approach here present also contributes to this, maintaining the continuous interest and provocative appeal. From the dedication and consistency that the students demonstrate and applied into these exercises, as well as the expressive and communicative quality of their results (only in one session, respectively: the first part of letterform design – the “Frankenstein” approach; and the second part – the digital manipulation), we believe the set of strategies indicate a positive and promise path in letterform design teaching/learning for first-year college students. Related to both strategies, we point out, the common feature that allows students to start from given elements (bypassing the “fear of the blank page”): might it be a type character, or the capture of reality into an image. As these students show good skills in production and image editing, the use of “ready-to-use materials” at this stage of learning, proves to be an important turning point for a more rational typographic rule-driven approach and more complex contents, which will follow. Future Work In the future we intend to further our research by analyzing deeper into these strategies’ results. One option is to compare, within the same academic semester, two groups of first year students, aiming at pointing out the differences of learning with and without the referred strategies. We are particularly interested in aspects like: the effectiveness of learning; the learning pace; and quality of response/work produced. References Arnheim, R. (2004). Art and Visual Perception: A Psychology of the Creative Eye, the New Version. University of California Press. Bringhurst, Robert (1997). The Elements of Typographic Style. Canada: Hartley & Marks Publishers. (1ª ed. 1992). Chappell, Warren & Bringhurst, Robert (1999). A Short History of the Printed Word. Canada: Hartley & Marks Publishers. Cheng, Karen (2006). Designing type. London: Laurence King. Dabner, David, Calvert, Sheena & Casey, Anoki (2010). 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