ID403BKK
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
Suppose typography is the ninety-some percent of graphic design. In that case, 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. Next, we’ll touch upon western type history, anatomy, classification, and the language needed to converse about type in a design context. Finally, we’ll pivot our viewpoints to see type from the perspectives of art, from the needs of legibility, as well as the geopolitical, 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 engage in the conversations meaningfully.
Learning highlights
- Seeing our environment and all graphic design with enhanced, vivid detail.
- 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
15 classes
Session 1
Lectures & Discussions: What counts as a typeface? Learning to spot patterns How does type assist or detract from intended meaning?
Assignments: Inspiration boards via type walks and internet hunts Research and a written analysis of a selected typeface
Session 2
Lectures & Discussions: What counts as a typeface? Learning to spot patterns How does type assist or detract from intended meaning?
Assignments: Inspiration boards via type walks and internet hunts Research and a written analysis of a selected typeface
Session 3
Lectures & Discussions: What counts as a typeface? Learning to spot patterns How does type assist or detract from intended meaning?
Assignments: Inspiration boards via type walks and internet hunts Research and a written analysis of a selected typeface
Session 4
Lectures & Discussions: What counts as a typeface? Learning to spot patterns How does type assist or detract from intended meaning?
Assignments: Inspiration boards via type walks and internet hunts Research and a written analysis of a selected typeface
Session 5
Lectures & Discussions: What counts as a typeface? Learning to spot patterns How does type assist or detract from intended meaning?
Assignments: Inspiration boards via type walks and internet hunts Research and a written analysis of a selected typeface
Session 6
Lectures & Discussions: Cultural considerations and connotations What makes a typeface good? Familiarising with the contemporary type scene
Assignments: Continue accumulating a type inspiration board Create a type specimen that speaks uniquely to your chosen typeface
Session 7
Lectures & Discussions: Cultural considerations and connotations What makes a typeface good? Familiarising with the contemporary type scene
Assignments: Continue accumulating a type inspiration board Create a type specimen that speaks uniquely to your chosen typeface
Session 8
Lectures & Discussions: Cultural considerations and connotations What makes a typeface good? Familiarising with the contemporary type scene
Assignments: Continue accumulating a type inspiration board Create a type specimen that speaks uniquely to your chosen typeface
Session 9
Lectures & Discussions: Cultural considerations and connotations What makes a typeface good? Familiarising with the contemporary type scene
Assignments: Continue accumulating a type inspiration board Create a type specimen that speaks uniquely to your chosen typeface
Session 10
Lectures & Discussions: Cultural considerations and connotations What makes a typeface good? Familiarising with the contemporary type scene
Assignments: Continue accumulating a type inspiration board Create a type specimen that speaks uniquely to your chosen typeface
Session 11
Lectures & Discussions: Selecting the right typeface for the project Understanding the type of family Typographic layout basics: hierarchy, form, space, colour Considerations in print typography vs. web typography
Assignments: Continue accumulating a type inspiration board Working with multiple typefaces and proper typesetting, create a poster of a series
Session 12
Lectures & Discussions: Selecting the right typeface for the project Understanding the type of family Typographic layout basics: hierarchy, form, space, colour Considerations in print typography vs. web typography
Assignments: Continue accumulating a type inspiration board Working with multiple typefaces and proper typesetting, create a poster of a series
Session 13
Lectures & Discussions: Selecting the right typeface for the project Understanding the type of family Typographic layout basics: hierarchy, form, space, colour Considerations in print typography vs. web typography
Assignments: Continue accumulating a type inspiration board Working with multiple typefaces and proper typesetting, create a poster of a series
Session 14
Lectures & Discussions: Selecting the right typeface for the project Understanding the type of family Typographic layout basics: hierarchy, form, space, colour Considerations in print typography vs. web typography
Assignments: Continue accumulating a type inspiration board Working with multiple typefaces and proper typesetting, create a poster of a series
Session 15
Lectures & Discussions: Selecting the right typeface for the project Understanding the type of family Typographic layout basics: hierarchy, form, space, colour Considerations in print typography vs. web typography
Assignments: Continue accumulating a type inspiration board Working with multiple typefaces and proper typesetting, create a poster of a series
Prerequisites
Introduction to Graphic Design and Harbour Space
Methodology
This module emphasises diverse readings, visual perusal, engaged discussions, critical looking, and digital or analogue making.
Grading
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
Oct 04 - Oct 22, 2021
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.