Typography and Graphic Design

Course Description

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course focuses on Graphic Design as the discipline that uses visual concepts to communicate ideas. The course aims to practice the tools of graphic design, Colour, Image, Composition and Typography and the relation between them. Typography is one of the most important tools for graphic designers. Students will experiment from movable type fonts to digital typography movement. In this course students will learn how to design projects that will range from artistic and experimental typography to poster composition, branding, editorial design and digital interaction. Students will also become familiar with basic communication skills, considering that contemporary narratives require the capacitiy of dealing with static and dynamic images.

Short projects will allow students imprlement and experiment with design methodology and basic design skills.

MODULES
– Typography
∙ From sign to type
∙ Mobile fonts
∙ Experimental typography

– Branding
∙ Identity
∙ The new values

– Editorial design
∙ Designers research
∙ Designers book

LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES
At the end of this class, students will be able to:

– Recognize the basic elements of graphic design and typography.

– Use the fundamental tools in the graphic design process, including conceptualization, formalization and printing to design a graphic piece.

– Create graphic elements with basic tools and digital software.

– Design communicative and graphic designs based on typography, color and composition.

– Tell short stories trough videos and moving images.

REQUIREMENTS
– Daily Projects. Student will develop creativity and resourcefulness in developing project proposals and working on daily projects.
∙ Experimental typography: designing a poster with font experimentation.
∙ Mobile types.
∙ Food Typography: Identity and branding.
∙ Digital Typography; Design for an exhibition.
∙ Editorial design: Book of designers based on the research done every week by the students.

– Final Exam: The final exam will be a presentation of all the works the student has created during the semester.

TEACHING METHOD
This course will combine classroom lectures, discussion and interactive hands-on learning.

GRADING
20% commitment and participation in class discussion

30% design process

50% design outcomes

Students will have to complete all the parts included in the grade weights and earn at least a 5/10 in each part.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
– DE BONO, Edward. Lateral thinking: creativity step by step. New York: Harper Perennial, 1990.

– DE BONO, Edward. Six thinking hat. London: Penguin, 1987.

– BELJON, Joop. Gramática del arte. Madrid: Celeste Ediciones, 1997. – The annual of TDC. Typography annual (26, 31 & 16). Collins.

– HELLER, Steven; LANDERS, Rick. Infographic designers’ sketchbook. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2014.

– MÜLLER-BROCKMANN, Josef. Grid systems. A visual communication manual for Graphic designers, typographers and Three dimensional designers. Niggli. 1996.

– SEDDON, Tony. An Essential Lexico of Type Terms. Thames & Hudson