1 February5 April 2023
Online Class

Learn the foundations for designing display typefaces, learn how to make letterforms and produce fonts that stand out!

Participants receive an extended trial license and can purchase their own full license at a discount.

Type Electives: Foundations of Display Type Design

Wednesdays, Feb. 1 – Apr. 5, 2023 (10 weeks)
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM EST
Weekly Structure, 3 hours of live class
Optional Instructor and TA office hours (TBD)

Participants will do research to develop their own design brief, practice rigorously through weekly drawing exercises, and hone their personal discipline and craftsmanship. This class will cover the basics of drawing letterforms by hand and digitally using Bézier curves in order to design coherent systems and develop your own typographic language.

  • Week 0:
    Students will be given a very short assignment in preparation for our first class.

  • Week 1: Feb. 1 | Introduction to Display Type Design
    Class introductions
    Community agreement
    Syllabus overview
    Introduction to Display Type
    Warm up drawing exercise
    Design brief overview
    Class presentations & discussion

  • Week 2: Feb. 8 | Theory of Writing: Translation & Expansion Models
    Review of typographic principles
    Introduction to the theory of writing and contrast models
    Introduction to calligraphy and spacing
    Calligraphy practice
    Class presentations & discussion

  • Week 3: Feb. 15 | Typographic Variables and Parametric Type Design
    Review of typographic proportions
    Overview of typographic variables and parametric type design
    Introduction to the type design space
    Overview of sketching and lettering techniques
    TypeCooker exercise
    Class presentations & discussion

  • Week 4: Feb. 22 | Form & Counterform
    Learning how to observe and analyze calligraphy and type
    Review of forms, counterforms, color, rhythm, and spacing
    Class presentations & discussion

  • Week 5: Mar. 1 | Basic Drafting & Proofing Techniques
    Overview of basic drawing techniques in Glyphs App
    Introduction to the type proof and proofing
    Class presentations & discussion

  • Week 6: Mar. 8 | Advanced Drafting & Proofing Techniques
    Overview of advanced drawing techniques in Glyphs App
    Developing a custom type proof
    Class presentations & discussion

  • Week 7: Mar. 15 | Introduction to OpenType Features & Basic Language Support
    Overview of OpenType features in Glyphs App
    Introduction to language support
    Class presentations & discussion

  • Week 8: Mar. 22 | Introduction to Multiple Masters, Interpolation, and Variable Fonts
    Overview of Variable Fonts
    Overview of Multiple Masters
    Basics of interpolation
    Class presentations & discussion

  • Week 9: Mar. 29 | Type Critiques with Special Guests
    Class presentations & discussion
    Q&A with guest critics

  • Week 10: Apr. 5 | Contemporary Type Design Reflections
    What’s Next?
    Final class presentations & discussion

Where?

Online (Zoom)

Who?

Juan Villanueva
Fabiola Mejía

For Whom?

Max 18 seats

How Much?

USD 1200

Language

English