This began by looking at the basic layout of typography. We have been taught this before, looking at the tails, defenders and ascenders etc. However it was a nice recap, and got me thinking about typography as an actual design and not just text.
Kerning
We then moved onto kerning. Kerning is the process of altering the space between each individual characters within a word. As you can see below er experimented with the words Windows and Claws. I found that kerning with the word "claws" was harder as the "A" and the "W" can make it hard to do by eye.
Tracking
After kerning we moved onto tracking which is the process of a;tiring the spacing of a whole word, or a line of text.
We were asked to experiment on the words Jupiter and Jawwal. This was my experiments shown above. It is a lot easier using tracking as it is done automatically to look even. However kerning is essential in some instances where the letter forms do not look right on the eye, even if they are numerically correct.
Leading
We the experimented with leading which allows the user to create different densities in the text. This can be a good way to help fill a block of text, or make the words easier to read.
This was my experimentation with leading. As you can see, there are different densities throughout the block of paragraphs. This is easy tool to use, and can make all the difference when designing a publication.
Cropping
We then looked at cropping. Type does not always have to be concerned with legibility and communication, you can use it for decoration, pattern, texture and many creative opportunities. I experimented with this concept and this is what the result was:
Choosing suitable typefaces
Choosing the correct typeface for a word can mean all the difference between good and bad design. I experimented with this in the session. These are some examples:
Dynamic Type
The next task we had was to make the word represent itself. These are some of the things i came up with:
Overall I enjoyed the session. My favourite part was the last task as this let me get more creative. However I believe that the start of the workshop was the most important. Type setting and presentation is very important in design and looking at kerning, tracking, leading and cropping is an essential in order to improve as a designer and is something i will be thinking about in my projects.
