OUGD403 - Studio Brief 02 Evaluation

Evaluation

Studio Brief 02

Typeface Design

The brief was to communicate a given adjective through a typeface. The type face created has to work together in endless combinations in a harmonious, consistent sequence. I think I have achieved this with `Helvetica LOUD’.

Learning from Studio Brief 01 I have a much broader range of research to support my final outcome. I was heavily influenced by colour schemes and bold styles of existing designers. This lead me to research colour theory which helped me create my own colour scheme for the typeface.

I took a much more practical approach to this brief by creating letters out of paper first in order to understand how they needed to look when replicated digitally. I think this helped create a more genuine design and created letters that were correctly proportioned.

The typeface is specifically designed for use as a title font. This limits its use which could make it more difficult to market. The letterforms work well as a collective, however, some would be difficult to interoperate individually, especially the E and A. I think this abstract nature adds to the personality of the type. The most exciting part of the typeface is that the colours, textures and patterns are interchangeable and the large surface area means the designs can have a real impact. This means the typeface is changeable and it can progress and evolve with trends. This makes the typeface dynamic and more versatile.

When designing this typeface, I did experience some difficulties. This was mainly due to my inexperience in Illustrator and Photoshop. I found it very difficult to create 3D structures that look resilient and bold but also had continuity with other letterforms. The patterns also where difficult to create. Another issue I encountered when using professional printing techniques like the ones used to print my specimens is that the colours that are printed are very slightly different to the colours seen on my computer screen. This is something I had to address and correct before printing my final outcome

The feedback I received on this brief was helpful and constructive. My rationale was considered clear and concise. It shows the intentions behind the typeface and explains my ideas and thought process. I created a magazine cover to show the type in context. This showed a clear understanding and relevance to the context in which it has been place. It was also suggested that the typeface would work well on a film poster and with vintage clothes shops. The two toned outcome works better overall but the patterned letters work well for display purposes and decorative type.

In conclusion, I think I have successfully fulfilled the brief of designing a typeface that works well together and can be arranged in any combination. It is bold, energetic and bright and definitely represents the word loud. However, there is still room for development and the type itself is limited to only being a title font. If taken further I would have liked to place large versions of the letters in public spaces, in order to communicate an idea or as form of promotion or advertising. This is an idea I could apply to future projects.