Reflection on Poster
This last process to put the poster together was interesting. It seemed easy, but it was very hard to activate well. Although my poster was very white, so it should’ve been relatively easier, I think, or I thought. It was hard because the type had to help the image, not add harm.
When it was finished, and as I compared it to the poster without any type, I really began to feel that the difference. I felt that the poster with type felt accomplished/finished, it felt held together, in comparison. The simple act of adding type, though not a thoughtless or simple process, made the simple poster visually different.
When I compared it to working on the white page, supposedly there were many limitations, but also many possibilities. The white page had so many possibilities that I began not to really know why I would be doing something, but the image had so many possibilities that I could play with according to the existing image. The difference was actually quite interesting.
Also, I never really realized that we were really running towards this one poster the whole time. When I grasped this idea I felt it was so absurd, because the poster was put together in this one/two weeks, but it took the whole semester essentially to put the poster together right? This blew my mind. It made me reconsider and appreciate, and made me really think about what I saw on other images.
The poster is a surface representation of all the things that happened this semester. The time and effort that was put into the physical creation of the perfecting of the type, so much thought and struggle through the 50/50, and so much learning about type as sentences and paragraphs.
Reflection on the course
I think I personally found many struggles through the process of this class. I was scared that I might not really have an eye for type, because I was finding it very difficult to create type in the beginning.
I found type one of those things that could really have a million different answers, and because I was new to exploring type, I had no opinion for myself. Therefore, it was a very questioning and anxious process.
I think trying to look at type as shapes, was easy but difficult. Sometimes I would be thinking I was doing it, but then again, when I would lay out a whole bunch of typefaces to choose from and I would struggle to choose it, I would realize that I should treat it and choose it from its formal qualities. That’s how I was choosing it in the end, but to realize it and make yourself think about it, made it an easier process. I’m still not sure if I’m doing it properly, but I’m learning, I feel that this is important.
I think this class was somewhat tedious, but also a very worthwhile and a overall fun experience. Learning about type as a graphical element, as a formal element, as a possible physical element was interesting. Looking at how type can be transformed to play different roles was a very fun experience. It made me look at type anew, the various possibilities with type, made it very interesting.
The main idea that I really want to keep with me is that type is breathing and living, it should be treated and thought through – this doesn’t necessarily mean that I have to spend a lot of time, but that it should always be something that I use with awareness, because type is alive. This for me, reminds me of how much type can do and therefore how useful and important it is.
Reflection on type
Throughout the course of this semester, I think my view of type and ability to see it has drastically changed. I think the main difference is in how my eyes are seeing type as another important, essential image and form. Before, it used to be that type was kind of just there to inform, but now I see it as another opportunity, as a very useful and very important tool. Actually, just in the fact that I am consciously aware of type, as a tool, is a drastic change.
I really began to find type even more interesting, and more curious, when I heard that type is what really makes our graphic design field special, and differentiated from the other fields. I began to think about how important type is in our lives.
Some more specific things that I really appreciated about type was that it needs to be taken care of in a way that functions well and comfortably as something to be read – less so for shorter length text, but I really had fun learning what made the eye most comfortable. I think it was interesting because it was very relatable, because we see type everywhere, but its questionable whether many of those are done well. Also, I really began to see why some rules in type came along – like the idea of orphans or widows, I understood it to be something that was necessary for type to be read without a sense of disconnect of content, and for the better flow of message.
Although I am still very unsure of what exactly is good type, I allow myself this lack of certainty, because I feel like this is homework that I will have for the rest of my career, as I develop my own opinions on type. I think what’s important now for me, is to learn all the existing “rules” for typography, and learn about how other people broke it. I think I should keep looking around for type – the good and the bad.
Because I somewhat enjoy literature, I find it more precious that type is done well and type is used in a very meaningful way. It was the first time I learned about how type communicates so much by itself. I never really thought about it, but the difference between bold and regular, all capitals to lowercase/normal.
Also, realizing how much effort goes into formatting, aligning, and thinking about type is actually very striking when I think about it. The small things we have to care for, the optical arrangements. The intention behind the type vs. gimmicks. It’s full of considerations and thoughtful decisions. Thinking about this, I felt it was super interesting.
I felt like I learned so much through this process. Before I was only able to recognize bad design and type, but didn’t care, now I want to produce better type. Looking around and being able to automatically think about type was a very interesting change. I felt proud I guess or happy, because it really felt like I was learning something about type.
It made me think about how type is ‘abused’ somewhat, in today’s society. I had to wonder if the people designing packaging, brochures were graphic designers or not. Either way, it felt like design wasn’t getting as much respect and care most often times.
Though I am never 100% really sure that something is wrong/right, I begin to really be able to pick out the tension of good/bad kerning, breathing space, and grey text, as well as redundancy of messages.
Yeon Geong Hwang 