Typography: Reading & Looking
Faculty
Ksenya Samarskaya
Creative Director, Samarskaya & Partners
Course length
Duration
Total hours
Credits
Language
Course type
Fee for single course
Fee for degree students
Skills you’ll learn
Overview
If typography is ninety-some percent of graphic design, this module is an onramp to understanding the world of type, which will set the participants well on their way to mastering the building blocks that all other visual communication is based upon.
We’ll cover type as a system; addressing issues of contrast, form, sequence, rhythm, and hierarchy. We’ll touch upon western type history, anatomy, classification, and the language needed to to converse about type in a design context. We’ll pivot our viewpoints to see type from the perspectives of art, from the needs of legibility, as well as the geo-political, cultural, and economic connotations embodied in any given piece of lettering.
The sessions will be a combination of discussions, research, presentations, and design assignments. Regular out-of-class reading will be expected to be able to meaningfully engage in the conversations.
Learning highlights
- Seeing our environment, and all graphic design, with enhanced vivid detail.
- Basic understanding of the history of western type design
- Judging the appropriateness of type selections.
- A start to being able to judge the quality of existing fonts.
- An understanding of how to work with type.
Course outline
3 classes
Lectures & Discussions
- What counts as a typeface?
- Learning to spot patterns
- Anatomy of a typeface
- How does type assist or detract from intended meaning?
- A brief history of western typography
Lectures & Discussions
Inspiration boards via type walks and internet hunts
Quizzes
Type Anatomy and Classification
Lectures & Discussions
- Cultural considerations and connotations
- What makes a typeface good?
- Familiarising with the contemporary type scene
Assignments
- Research and present the process behind an existing typeface
- Continue accumulating a type inspiration board
- Business card layout (print or digital)
Lectures & Discussions
- Selecting the right typeface for the project
- Typographic layout basics: hierarchy, form, space, color
- Advanced typographic layout: index pages, heavy text, unique scenarios
- Considerations in print typography vs. web typography
Assignments
Index page layout for the inspiration board (print or digital)
Prerequisites
This course is one of three in a wholistic series.
Students that have already taken MSL-111 and those with prior experience with HTML, CSS, and Javascript building simple web pages will be good candidates for this module.
Ksenya Samarskaya is the founding member of Samarskaya & Partners, drafting type to push against the limits of technology, radiate legibly on small screens, and trigger nuanced algorithms of emotion and history.
Clients and collaborators include Adobe, Apple, Best Made Co., Birnam Wood, Design MW, Font Bureau, Google, Frere-Jones, Hoefler & Co., Ideo, JaegerSloan, Light+Ladder, McCann, MCKL, Monotype, Snoop Dogg, Trollback + Co., WeWork, and YouTube.
See full profileApply for this course
Typography: Reading & Looking
by Ksenya Samarskaya
Total hours
45 Hours
Dates
Feb 19 - Mar 09, 2018
Fee for single course
€1500
Fee for degree students
€750
How to secure your spot
Complete the form below to kickstart your application
Schedule your Harbour.Space interview
If successful, get ready to join us on campus
FAQ
Will I receive a certificate after completion?
Yes. Upon completion of the course, you will receive a certificate signed by the director of the program your course belonged to.
Do I need a visa?
This depends on your case. Please check with the Spanish or Thai consulate in your country of residence about visa requirements. We will do our part to provide you with the necessary documents, such as the Certificate of Enrollment.
Can I get a discount?
Yes. The easiest way to enroll in a course at a discounted price is to register for multiple courses. Registering for multiple courses will reduce the cost per individual course. Please ask the Admissions Office for more information about the other kinds of discounts we offer and what you can do to receive one.