Typography 1

Good typography can improve comprehension by up to 500 per cent. Bad typography can kill a readers interest almost immediately. In our word- and advertising-heavy culture, we are bombarded with thousands of printed messages on a daily basis. Written language is presented to the viewer using typography and, unfortunately, much of what currently surrounds us is compromised and amateurish due to the designers lack of knowledge surrounding the old, established discipline of the manipulation of type and typographic elements. The results are serious bad typography can render even the most beautifully written message incomprehensible.
This course clearly outlines typographys central role in the communication process and introduces the student to the history of typography including: the important 15th century introduction of movable type to the western world and its lasting effect on democracy; the different classifications of typography; the development of typestyles and type designs that caused controversy and subsequently changed the worlds of visual and linguistic communication; the relationship of new technology to type designs and trends; and the basic theories and rules behind the professional use and manipulation of typographic elements.
This course is offered as a combination lecture and lab. In the lab component, students use Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop. Besides computer skills, students are encouraged to develop their brain-eye-hand co-ordination in order to enhance their practical understanding and perceptive sensibility.