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ADVANCED TYPOGRAPHY | TASK 2 — KEY ARTWORK & COLLATERAL

Week 5 – Week 9 | 22/05/24 – 21/06/24
Emily Soh Ching-Ling | 0359478
Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media
Advanced Typography | Section 01 | GCD61004
Task 2 — Key Artwork & Collateral

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1.0 LECTURES 

1.1 WEEK 5 — PERCEPTION & ORGANISATION

CONTRAST:

Figure 1.1-1: Size
  • 1. Size

Figure 1.1-2: Weight
  • 2. Weight

Figure 1.1-3: Form
  • 3. Form

Figure 1.1-4: Structure
  • 4. Structure

Figure 1.1-5: Texture
  • 5. Texture

Figure 1.1-6: Direction
  • 6. Direction

Figure 1.1-7: Colour
  • 7. Colour

Figure 1.1-8: Form
  • 8. Form:
    • Definition: The overall look and feel of the elements in a typographic composition.
    • Purpose: To represent a concept in a visual form.
    • The interplay between meaning and form brings balance and harmony to function and expression.
    • When a typeface is perceived as a form, it no longer reads as a letter.
      • It has been manipulated, distorted, textured, enlarged, and extruded into a space.

2.0 INSTRUCTIONS 


3.0 TASK 2A — KEY ARTWORK 

Instructions: 
  1. Turn your name / pseudonym into a wordmark.
  2. Requirements: 
    1. The name / pseudonym used must be readable and pronounceable.
    2. The wordmark must look good in B&W and colour.
  3. Create a simple GIF animation featuring your wordmark.
  4. Size: 1024 × 1024 px.
  5. Resolution: 300 ppi.

3.1 RESEARCH

Figure 3.1-1: Mood Board, Week 5 (20/05/24)

Keywords / Elements I want represented in my wordmark:
  • 1. Retropunk: 
    • A visual trend I noticed in my art and designs.
    • Represents my visual style.
  • 2. Fluidity / Round shapes: 
    • Adaptable and at ease.
    • Friendly, approachable, and personable.
    • Represents traits I hope to embody — I've been told I'm unnerving.😅
  • 3. Bold strokes / Sharp edges:
    • Represents my current personality.

3.2 NAME / PSEUDONYM

Made a list of all possible variations of my name:
  • 1. Emily (English name) — Not too keen on using my English name since it's very common.
  • 2. Ching-Ling (Chinese name) — While it's unique, it's very long for a wordmark.
  • 3. ESCL (initials) — I identify the most with my initials, however, it wouldn't fit the assignment's requirement of being pronounceable.
  • 4. Em (nickname) — The most frequent nickname I've ever received, to the point where this is what I call myself in my internal monologue.
  • 5. Ciel (pseudonym; phonetic pronunciation of "CL") — An homage to my Chinese initials. I use this pseudonym primarily online. 
I've decided to go with Em since it is the name that's truest to my identity. Plus, it feels more personal for a brand identity.

3.3 EXPLORATION

Figure 3.3-1: Exploration, Week 5 (20/05/24)
Software: Procreate (Sketches & Annotations), Adobe Illustrator (Digitisation)

Uppercase "E" "M": EM #1.1, #1.2, #1.3, #1.4, #2.1, #3.1, and #3.2.
Lowercase "e" "m": EM #3.3.1, #3.3.2, #4.1, #4.2, and #4.3.

EM #1:
  • I played with the idea that "M" looks like a rotated "E". 
  • Wave-like pattern (more visible in EM #1.3).
  • EM #1.4: Extended the "M" into a bird, the bird representing 
EM #2:
  • Same as EM #1, played with the idea that "M" looks like a rotated "E".
  • Leaned into the fluidity aspect.
EM #3:
  • EM #3.1: Hard to tell it's "EM" tbh.
  • EM #3.2: 
    • Inspired by marker pen strokes (bold strokes, sharp edges) combined with retro calligraphy (fluidity, round shapes).
    • If I squint, the "M" could be mistaken for a "K".
  • EM #3.3.1 & #3.3.2: 
    • Tried to include a smiley face in the "e". Inspired by Pac-Man.
    • The "e" was inspired by marker pen strokes (bold strokes, sharp edges).
    • The "m" was inspired by retro calligraphy (fluidity, round shapes).
EM #4:
  • Tried to include a smiley face in the "e". 
  • Half moon / oval outline.
  • Inspired by wide-stroke calligraphy (bold strokes, roundish shapes).

I decided to further explore EM #3.3.2 because I think it best encompasses all of my keywords.

Figure 3.3-2: Exploration, Week 5 (21/05/24)
Version #1 (Left), Version #2 (Middle), & Version #3 (Right)

Version #1: Original.

Version #2: In my original design, the "e" is supposed to be a side profile smiley face. I wanted to see how else I could express the smiley face, so I rotated the eye of the "e" to be the smile, with the two dots being the eyes. The "e"...looks like it's sad and droopy.

Version #3: I noticed the white space in my original design looked like a crown. On one hand, it could be used as the signature element in my collaterals, on the other, it doesn't particularly relate to my keywords.

Ultimately went with Version #1 as it still looks the best.

3.4 REFINEMENT

Figure 3.4-1: Traced Sketch, Week 5 (23/05/24)

Figure 3.4-2: Traced Sketch (Pink) VS Cleaned-up Version (Black), Week 5 (23/05/24)
Made the width of brush strokes and gaps more consistent.

3.5 COLOUR PALETTE

Figure 3.5-1: Retro Logos by sohel_rana, Week 6 (27/05/24)

I researched other retro wordmarks' colour palettes before making my own. Frequently used colours include: red, pink, yellow, green, light blue, cream, and black. I narrowed down my colour palette to red, yellow, teal / green, and cream because:
  • I personally like that combination.
  • I want to use colours associated with brightness and friendliness.

Figure 3.5-2: Original Colour Palette (Left) VS Altered Colour Palette (Right), Week 6 (27/05/24)

I found a colour palette from Color Hunt that matched the vibe I was going after. We were advised to choose a more saturated colour palette for our brand identity, so I altered the values of the original palette (i.e. increasing the darkness of the green and the saturation of the yellow and red) as they were more desaturated.

3.6 GIF ANIMATION

Figure 3.6-1: GIF Animation — Starting Frame, Week 7 (09/06/24)
Eyes closed, mouth narrowed.

Figure 3.6-2: GIF Animation — Ending Frame, Week 7 (09/06/24)
Eyes opened, mouth widened.

I animated the GIF in Procreate. In my rationale, I mentioned how I wanted the "e" to look like it's smiling. When animating, I made the eye of the "e" blink in time with the mouth widening.

3.7 FINAL SUBMISSION


Figure 3.7-1: Wordmark & Colour Palette — JPEG (Final Submission), Week 7 (05/06/24)

Figure 3.7-2: Wordmark — Black Against White — JPEG (Final Submission), Week 7 (05/06/24)

Figure 3.7-3: Wordmark — White Against Black — JPEG (Final Submission), Week 7 (05/06/24)

Figure 3.7-4: Colour Palette — JPEG (Final Submission), Week 7 (05/06/24)

Figure 3.7-5: Wordmark — Darkest Against Lightest — JPEG (Final Submission), Week 7 (05/06/24)

Figure 3.7-6: Wordmark — Lightest Against Darkest — JPEG (Final Submission), Week 7 (05/06/24)

Figure 3.7-7: Wordmark & Colour Palette — PDF (Final Submission), Week 7 (05/06/24)

Figure 3.7-9: GIF Animation, Week 7 (09/06/24)

4.0 TASK 2B — COLLATERAL 

Instructions:
  1. Expand on your key artwork.
  2. Create three collaterals for your brand identity.
  3. Create an IG account for your brand.
  4. Create nine tiles for your IG profile featuring your collaterals.

4.1 KEY ARTWORK EXPANSION

Figure 4.1-1: Key Artwork Expansion, Week 8 (10/06/24)
Expansion #1 (Left), Expansion #2 (Middle), Expansion #3 (Right)

Figure 4.1-2: Drop Shadow (Left) & Long Shadow (Right) Effect, Week 8 (10/06/24)

Expansion #1:
  • I repeated the "e" to create a pattern.
  • Light pattern on dark background.
Expansion #2:
  • Same as Expansion #1.
  • Dark pattern on light background.
Expansion #3:
  • Inspired by the drop shadow and long shadow effect frequently seen in retro type designs (Figure 4.1-2).

4.2 COLLATERAL #1 — TOTE BAG

Figure 4.2-1: Collateral #1 — Tote Bag, Week 8 (11/06/24)

After editing the background and tote bag colour to match my colour scheme, I perspective warped the key artwork expansion / pattern to fit the tote bag's dimensions.  I then did the following to create the fabric texture over the pattern: 
  1. Duplicate the Photoshop file (without the pattern) to be used as displacement.
  2. Apply Surface Blur (Radius: 18) to the displacement file.
  3. In the original file, apply Color Dodge blend mode (90% opacity) to the pattern.
  4. Apply Displace (Horizontal & Vertical Scale: 10) to the pattern and select the displacement file.
  5. Duplicate the image.
  6. Apply Linear Dodge blend mode (50% opacity) to the duplicated image.
  7. Create a clipping mask of the duplicated image to the pattern.
  8. Adjust the brightness of the image back to normal using Levels.

4.3 COLLATERAL #2 — NOTEBOOK

Figure 4.3-1: Collateral #2 — Notebook, Week 8 (13/06/24)

I applied my key artwork and its expansions on to a series of notebooks. As with the tote bag, I replicated the paper texture using Displace.

4.4 COLLATERAL #3 — WOODEN STAMP

4.4.1 STAMP ON PAPER

Figure 4.4.1-1: Attempt #1 — Inner Glow + Inner Shadow + Texture, Week 9 (17/06/24)

Originally, I followed a tutorial on how to make the stamp effect on paper:
  1. Apply Inner Glow layer style (Blend Mode: Screen, Opacity: 50%, Source: Center, Choke: 25%, Size: 13 px, Contour: Gaussian, Range: 93%) to the key artwork.
  2. Apply Inner Shadow (Blend Mode: Screen, Opacity: 93%, Distance: 0 px, Choke: 2%, Size: 10 px, Contour: Gaussian) layer style to the key artwork.
  3. Create a clipping mask of the texture to the key artwork.
  4. Apply Screen blend mode (100% opacity) to the texture.

...However the Inner Glow and Inner Shadow effect made it look like burnt wood rather than ink.

Figure 4.4.1-2: Attempt #2 — Texture + Gradient, Week 9 (17/06/24)

For my second attempt, I removed the Inner Glow and Inner Shadow layer styles and kept the texture as it was. I also did a subtle gradient on the stamp so that it looks like it was applied with uneven pressure:
  1. Create a clipping mask to the key artwork.
  2. Brush on the gradient in a darker version of the stamp's colour.
  3. Apply Linear Burn (36% opacity) to the gradient.

4.4.2 STAMP RUBBER

Figure 4.4.2-1: Stamp Rubber (in Illustrator), Week 9 (17/06/24)
Attempt #1: 3rd, Attempt #2: 4th

I made the stamp rubber in Illustrator by applying Extrude & Bevel to my key artwork. I then copied it to Photoshop and adjusted the lighting.

Figure 4.4.2-2: Collateral #3 — Wooden Stamp, Week 9 (17/06/24)

4.5 PHOTO OF SELF WITH KEY ARTWORK

Figure 4.5-1: Photo of Self with Key Artwork, Week 8 (10/06/24)

I applied a green Screen blend mode (62% opacity) over my black-and-white photo to keep it consistent with the rest of my IG tiles. 

4.6 IG TILES

Figure 4.6-1: IG Tiles Organisation, Week 7 (07/06/24)

Figure 4.6-2: Completed IG Tiles, Week 9 (17/06/24)

4.7 FINAL SUBMISSION


IG handle: @emily_soh_ching_ling

Figure 4.7-1: Collateral #1 — JPEG (Final Submission), Week 8 (11/06/24)

Figure 4.7-2: Collateral #2 — JPEG (Final Submission), Week 8 (13/06/24)

Figure 4.7-3: Collateral #3 — JPEG (Final Submission), Week 9 (17/06/24)

Figure 4.7-4: Collaterals #1, #2, #3 — PDF (Final Submission), Week 9 (17/06/24)

Figure 4.7-5: Screenshot of IG Page — JPEG (Final Submission), Week 9 (17/06/24)

Figure 4.7-6: Screenshot of IG Page — PDF (Final Submission), Week 9 (17/06/24)

5.0 FEEDBACK 

5.1 WEEK 6

Specific Feedback:
  • EM #1: Does not embody your keywords.
  • EM #1.1 & #1.2: The "E" looks a bit like "B".
  • EM #1.3: Looks empty; Hard to read.
  • EM #2.1: Very abstract.
  • EM #3.1: Hard to read.
General Feedback: 
  • Your wordmark should be distinguishable among similar others.
  • All parts of your design must be rationalised / explained.
  • Legibility and key features of your design must not be lost when shrunk.
  • Thinner wordmarks lose presence when shrunk.
    • E.g. Even though Vogue's wordmark is thin, the variation of thick and thin strokes ensures that their wordmark is still readable when shrunk.

5.2 WEEK 7

General Feedback: 
  • Expand your wordmark — Use one letter or certain aspects of your wordmark.
  • Don't just repeat your wordmark in your IG tiles.
  • Don't overuse your wordmark / pattern / expansion — It will look stale.
  • What part of your wordmark used in your expansion should be clear / obvious.
  • Your collaterals must be justifiable.
  • Should have a white / off-white in your colour palette so that you can use it in your IG tiles' background.
  • Your wordmark must be used in your collaterals.
  • Your signature element can be used alongside your wordmark in your IG tiles.
  • Review case studies on Pentagram.

6.0 REFLECTION 

6.1 EXPERIENCE

As with Task 1, I was rushing through this assignment with no time or thoughts to spare. Still not coping well with this semester's heavy workload, but at this point, I'm just ready for it to be over.💀 

Coming up with the wordmark design is by far the most challenging part of this assignment since it requires condensing who I am as a person into a marketable brand identity. The collaterals, while time-consuming, were less thought-consuming (? I.e. it takes up less brain space).

6.2 OBSERVATIONS

I realise I tend to hyperfocus on minute details at the cost of progressing in a project. While this is alright with looser deadlines, I don't have the time to nitpick at every imperfection when I'm on a tight deadline. 

6.3 FINDINGS

I find that having a strict weekly work plan and project timeline helps curb some of the perfectionism. It makes me aware of how much time I have left and when I should start panicking, therefore I'm less likely to overdo things. 

7.0 FURTHER READING 

7.1 WEEK 5–9 — TYPOGRAPHIC DESIGN: FORM AND COMMUNICATION

Figure 7.1-1: Typographic Design: Form and Communication, 6th Edition by Carter et al.

Reference: Carter, R., Meggs, P., Day, B., Maxa, S., & Sanders, M. (2014, October 2). Typographic Design: Form and Communication, 6th Edition. John Wiley & Sons.

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