Advanced Typography | Task 2 Exercises
Advanced Typography | Task 2: Exercises
12/05/2025 - 17/06/2025 | Week 5 - Week 9
Jesslyn Octavia Tjong / 0374562 / Bachelor of Design (Honors) in Creative Media
Advanced Typography / Taylor's University
Table of Contents
I. LECTURE
II. INSTRUCTION
III. FEEDBACK
IV. REFLECTION
V. FURTHER READING
VI. QUICK LINKS
I. LECTURE
Typography: Perception & Organization — Study Guide
Perception in Typography:
- Our brains interpret visual cues; good typography leverages this to communicate effectively.
- Visual perception influences how we notice, read, and understand text.
Principles of Gestalt Psychology in Design:
- Proximity: Elements close together are perceived as related.
- Similarity: Similar shapes or styles are seen as part of the same group.
- Closure: The mind completes incomplete shapes or letters.
- Continuity: The eye follows lines or curves smoothly through content.
Contrast and Form
- Contrast: Differentiates elements to establish hierarchy; use color, size, and weight effectively.
- Form: The shape and style of type influence mood, readability, and emphasis.
Visual Hierarchy
- Organize information by size, weight, color, and spacing to guide viewer’s eye.
- Important information should stand out to ensure quick, clear understanding.
Organization in Design
- Structure content logically—think headings, subheadings, paragraphs.
- Group related elements together for clarity.
- Maintain consistency in spacing, alignment, and style.
Social Responsibility of Typography
- Use typography to educate, persuade, and inform responsibly.
- Avoid confusing or misleading presentations, prioritize clarity and accessibility.
II. INSTRUCTION
This Task 2 consists of two interlinked sections that must be completed.
Task 2A
Task 2A focuses on creating a Key Artwork in the form of a wordmark or
lettering. This isn't just a name; it's a trademark for a person's
identity, versatile enough to be used on various products (collateral).
The goal is to explore and develop numerous combinations for the name,
ensuring the final Key Artwork is an elegant, well-balanced, and clear
solution that is both functional and communicative, avoiding any
complication or confusion.
The submission required for this task includes :
- Black wordmark on white background
- White wordmark on black background
- Colour palette
- Wordmark in actual colours on lightest shade of colour palette
- Wordmark in lightest shade of colour palette on darkest shade of colour palette
- wordmark animation (Gif format)
Process Work in Illustrator :
To begin Task 2, I'll start by mind-mapping who I am or who I aspire
to be. Next, I'll gather inspiration by creating a mood board. I
began my mind map by exploring my strengths, weaknesses,
interests/hobbies, things I dislike, things I like, and my personal
background.
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Fig 1 "Mind-Map about Myself", Week 5 (21/04/25)
I was actually known for my handwriting styles and fonts, so I gathered
several inspirations from Pinterest to come up with this moodboard.
Fig 2 "Handwriting Moodboard", Week 5 (12/05/25)
Hence, I began to brainstorm and sketch several ideas out. I picked
"Allvia" which is actually an alias. I envision my name in either all caps or all lowercase, with the 'A' as a
potential drop cap.
Fig 3 "Allvia Sketches", Week 5 (12/05/25)
My first feedback involved a submission featuring an all-lowercase
design, where the initial 'A' was given amplified personality. The
keywords guiding this font choice were 'handwriting,' 'elegance,' and
'timelessness
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Fig 4 "Week 5 Progress", Week 5 (12/05/25)
Based on this feedback, I proceeded with a new digital iteration,
informed by an updated mood board. My aim was a sans-serif design that
subtly incorporates romanticism through its flairs and decorative
elements
Fig 5 "New Moodboard", Week 5 (12/05/25)
My sketches incorporated a distinctive element within the letters. On the
right, a keyword featured simple yet elegant flairs, which I then
digitized in Illustrator.
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Fig 6 "New Sketches with Element Design", Week 5 (12/05/25)
I developed three iterations of the design. The first edition's flairs
appeared disproportionately large compared to the 'A', creating an
imbalance. In the second, I transitioned the undecorated elements to a
Cream font, aiming for enhanced visual edge and stroke. The third and
final edition introduced an italicized 'V' to create a central point of
interest, while also increasing the stroke weight of the flairs
Fig 7 "Allvia Edits", Week 6 (19/05/25)
Once the digitization was confirmed, I proceeded to test the design
against black and white backgrounds. This step is vital because it reveals
the design's underlying structure, legibility, and how well its forms hold
up without the influence of hue or saturation, ensuring its versatility.
Additionally, following the submission guidelines, I applied the design to
a range of other colors, from the lightest to the darkest shades, to
effectively define the optimal color palette.
Fig 8 "Testing out Allvia Shades " Week 6 (19/05/25)
The final color palette was primarily inspired by a Pinterest board,
supplemented with an orange-yellow from my mind map, a vibrant sage
green for added dynamism, and an essential near-white beige.
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During the final editing of the keymark, I received feedback to adjust
the kerning and reduce word spacing for improved visual appeal and
impact.
Fig 10 "Kerning and Legibility", Week 7 (26/05/25)
Process Work for GIF:
Fig 11 "Animation AI Layer", Week 7 (26/05/25)
I saved the file as an Illustrator document and imported it into
After Effects. Then, I created two compositions, specifically focusing
the majority of the animation on the "2as" with their corresponding
flares.
Fig 12 "AE Layers", Week 7 (26/05/25)
To direct the flair elements along their intended paths, I used the Pen tool to stroke out the path on a shape layer, applied trim paths, utilized a matte, and then finalized the animation by setting precise start and end timestamps.
Fig 13 "AE Progress", Week 7 (26/05/25)
FINAL SUBMISSION
includes the following :
- Black wordmark on white background
- White wordmark on black background
- Colour palette
- Wordmark in actual colours on lightest shade of colour palette
- Wordmark in lightest shade of colour palette on darkest shade of colour palette
- wordmark animation (Gif format) + mp4 used for IG
Task 2B
This task involves designing an animated key artwork first, then
fine-tuning it to become a brand. From this key artwork, I will create
mockups that might be a t-shirt, a label pin, and an actual working
Instagram account. All my work must stem from in-depth exploration and
clearly communicate the key artwork's message, mood, and
function.
The submission required for this task includes :
- Collateral 1, 2, 3
- Instagram handle & link
- IG screen grab with good resolution. IG featuring 9 tiles (profile must feature a bio).
I attempted a mockup or practice exercise in class and discovered a specific feature in Illustrator that achieves this effect. This experience led me to decide against pursuing a shirt brand.
Fig 11 "Mockup Preview in AI", Week 7 (26/05/25)
My initial approach to the collaterals involved designing comforting,
'homey' items, such as pillows and candles, intended to evoke a sense of
tranquility. I subsequently explored classic patterns like plaid lines and
bubbles, which formed the basis of my first feedback presentation for this
assignment.
Fig 12 "First Draft of Instagram", Week 7 (26/05/25)
Upon receiving feedback that my initial collaterals did not align with
the brand's overall identity or patterns, I sought alternative options.
My research on my usual Pinterest feed led to the realization of my profound interest
in fashion, which became a new source of inspiration.
Having primarily sourced my mockups from platforms such as Freepik,
Behance, and Pinterest, I consequently explored product categories
including heels, perfume, and cushions. This selection of items
naturally aligns with the aesthetic and offerings of a fashion brand.
Here were the initial images before editing :
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Fig 13 "Choosing Mockup Pictures Finalized", Week 7 (26/05/25)
The primary steps involved using the quick selection tool to
isolate the object. Subsequently, I created a new layer and applied
the Vanishing Point filter to establish a four-dimensional grid.
Prior to this, I ensured the 'Allvia keymark' pixels were copied and
then pasted them into the Vanishing Point grid, which contributed
significantly to the brand's realistic integration before proceeding
with blending options.
Fig 14 "Mockup Editing", Week 7 (26/05/25)
For the heel design, I drew specific inspiration from YSL Heels. My concept involved integrating and trademarking the 'A' from 'Allvia' directly into the heel itself. The A was made into a 3D shape and came out looking in Fig.15. After that, I followed the previous steps and continued editing other elements.
Fig 15 "A with Flair in 3D", Week 7 (26/05/25)
After that, I started playing around with the composition in order to
figure out the Instagram posts needed. From testing various background colors, placement, and layout aspects,
I developed a strong preference for using gradients for backgrounds. I
incorporated this concept into almost all of the posts
Fig 16 "PLorduct Placement with Composition", Week 7 (26/05/25)
For other IG posts, I played around with the effect styles and once
again the use of A trademark. I made it into the shape of a diamond,
which I would like to use as a pattern for one of the posts. The
other ig post uses the keymark with very low opacity of this
pattern.
Fig 17 "A trademarking into a Diamond", Week 8 (3/06/25)
Given the requirement for an Instagram post featuring my face, I
conceptualized a halftone poster design inspired by zine aesthetics.
Initially, a sage background was attempted, but it appeared visually
inconsistent with the predominantly warmer tones of my existing
Instagram feed. Consequently, I'll be switching to a gradient of warmer
tones to ensure better visual harmony.
Fig 18 "Myself", Week 8 (3/06/25)
To complete this phase, I'll add captions to the collaterals. These
captions will serve as quick advertisements or provide essential product
information, effectively showcasing each item.
FINAL SUBMISSION
IG HANDLE : @allviadesigns
III. FEEDBACK
Week 5
General feedback: Mr. Vinod emphasizes the use of good
research and provided us with research materials for us to know more
about.
Specific feedback: The "A" needs to have a simplified yet
still powerful and controlled flair. I decided to make a wordmark
commercially with handwritten references. Mr. Vinod advises doing a
better replication of strokes to maintain control, modularity, and
consistency when using other brush markers.
Week 6
General feedback: Mr. Vinod explains again the wordmark's
length, size, and thickness. We were tasked to find the color palette
and begin the Instagram feed.
Specific feedback: I did not have a chance to ask
since my wordmark wasn't digitized and completed during the time
Week 7
General feedback: Mr. Vinod made sure to remind that Week 8 is the
due date for the final TASK 2 as well as the survey mode for class
participation in Week 8
Specific feedback: The wordmark just needed kerning, as well as
focus on better mockups with elements taken from the wordmark to showcase
our branding better.
Week 8:
General Feedback: This week's class was conducted online
Specific Feedback: Focus on the animation and try to incorporate
simple elements, yet smooth when it comes to the GIF
IV. REFLECTION
Experience:
I've gained significant insight into the intricate process of building a
brand about myself and my identity. I learnt about strategically combining
simple elements and colors to forge a clear, cohesive identity that
effectively communicates a core message. My focus was to work on a
cohesive big image and small image with the understanding of how each
design choice, from developing the keymark to shaping the collaterals,
contributes to a unified brand narrative.
Observations:
I've keenly observed that virtually everything around us possesses the
potential to be branded, capable of conveying a distinct identity.
However, this experience has vividly highlighted the immense challenge of
effectively branding oneself. Despite multiple revisions and earnest
attempts, achieving a clear and objective representation of my own brand
proved unexpectedly difficult. This illustrates how being close to
the subject can blur perspective, making it more difficult to distill a
clear message than when designing for other people or things.
Findings:
I've come to the conclusion that attaining genuine objectivity is crucial
for personal branding. Self-evaluation is inherently challenging, which
emphasizes the value of outside viewpoints and helpful criticism,
particularly through iterative revisions. This experience has reaffirmed
the need for an ongoing cycle of creation, criticism, and improvement in
order to create a brand that is impactful and authentic
V. FURTHER READING
Fig 19 "THE VIGNELLI CANON by Massimo Vignelli"
- Identity provides cohesion and recognition, ensuring a consistent brand or design.
- Diversity prevents monotony, keeping designs engaging and memorable.
- Too much identity leads to redundancy (dullness), while too much diversity causes fragmentation (confusion).
- The goal is to achieve flexibility within a strong identity, allowing for variation without losing core recognition.
- Examples like book series (consistent branding, changing illustrations) and furniture (user-defined look, core design maintained) demonstrate this.
- Ultimately, this dynamic interplay between consistency and variation is what brings life to design, making it effective and engaging
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