Week 4 – The week of January 22nd – 26th: Combining typefaces

In class

Project 1 is due. Class review and critique.

BREAK

Lecture: Choosing your typeface lectures.
Demo: Prototyping projects in Suitcase. Click here to read about Suitcase Fusion's quick comps.

In class assignment — Practice combining typefaces.

For more fun practice combining typefaces try this site: Type Connection

HOMEWORK

For the next few weeks you will be working on a type driven design project. You will be designing only the front face of a package. Please choose one of the following as your topic (to read the text and client summary, click on the links below):

* Coffee

* Frozen Fruit Bars

* Whiskey

2. Start creating a Style Board. Print out your style board and bring it to class. Click here to download Style Board.

3. Sketch out various layouts to scale (5-10 variations) that create a structured hierarchy for your chosen project. Consider text groupings, hierarchy, scale, weight/emphasis.

Choose one layout that you like and choose two typeface families from two different typeface classifications (use one typeface family as your foundation and your second typeface family as emphasis or accents).

For your digital rough, don’t bother using color/imagery/illustration at this point and try not to make the ornamentation the focal point of the design. I want to focus our attention ONLY on hierarchy, grouping, scale weight/emphasis and typographic tone. It doesn't have to look pretty, yet. Print out your file and bring it to class next week. Bring your sketches of your various layouts, your style board and your rough digital design to class.

READINGS AND LINKS

Required reading:

Stop Feeling Dumb About Pairing Fonts

Style Board (Indesign file)

General Overview for Choosing Typefaces (pdf)
A Closer Inspection on Choosing Typefaces (pdf)
Subtle Details for Font combinations (pdf)
Practical Advice for Choosing Typefaces and top 10 lists: serif/sans serif typefaces (pdf)

Recommended reading:
The differences between type styles and type weights (Site)
Setting up your typographic space in Indesign (PDF file)