Advanced Typography | Task 3 : Type Exploration and Application

 April 21,2025

12/05/2025 - 12/07/2024(Week 9 - Week 13 )

YANG YANG / 0363575

Typography / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University 

Task 3 : Type Exploration and Application 




Instructions




Task 3: Font Exploration and Application

In Task 3, I explored three font ideas: based on the original idea as well as a game style that I am personally more interested in.

Proposals

Before we started working on the fonts, we needed to come up with three ideas in order to get our design approved and to explore more font styles.

Fig 1.1 Proposal slides, week 9 (17/06/2025)

After getting approval from Mr Vinod, I decided to go ahead with my second idea, to make a twist in the style of the typeface as if it was cut by a metal machine, and apply it to the game poster.


Uppercase Digitised

I like my idea very much but with Mr Vinod's advice I realised that I have some design based errors in my typography so I need more corrections and changes in order to make the typeface more regular.

Fig 2.1 Uppercase , Week 11 (01/07/2025)

Fig 2.2 Uppercase 2, Week 11 (01/07/2025)

Letter digitisation 1

After many rounds of experiments and adjustments, I successfully completed the final version of the grid-based capital letter digitisation. The overall glyphs are clear and standardised, with a stable structure, well-proportioned, good readability and visual consistency. Each letter maintains a unified style under the constraints of the grid, and at the same time has independent recognition, presenting a simple but powerful visual effect.

Fig 2.3 Digitisation 1, Week 11 (01/07/2025)

Fig 2.4 Digitisation 1 outline, Week 11 (01/07/2025)


Fig 2.5 Digitisation 2, Week 11 (01/07/2025)

After designing the upper and lower case letterforms I started designing the numbers and part of the symbols in the same style and specification.

Fig 2.6 Digitisation number, Week 11 (01/07/2025)

Fig 2.7 Digitisation number outline, Week 11 (01/07/2025)

Fig 2.8 Digitisation number outline, Week 11 (01/07/2025)

Fig 2.9 Digitisation symbolic, Week 11 (01/07/2025)

Final Letter digitisation :

Under Mr. Vinod’s guidance, I gradually realised that my previous design still had several shortcomings in terms of structure and visual presentation. Taking his suggestions into careful consideration, I revisited the original layout and made a number of targeted improvements. These changes were aimed at refining areas that appeared illogical or visually unbalanced, so that the final design would not only be more aesthetically pleasing but also more consistent and functionally coherent. This process helped me better understand the importance of critical revision and thoughtful iteration in design work.

Fig 2.10 Digitisation process1 , Week 11 (01/07/2025)

Fig 2.11 Digitisation process2 , Week 11 (01/07/2025)

Fig 2.12 Digitisation process 2 outline , Week 11 (01/07/2025)

Fig 2.13 Digitisation process 3 , Week 11 (01/07/2025)

Fig 2.14 Digitisation process 3 outline , Week 11 (01/07/2025)




FontForge:

Once I completed the design of all my glyphs—including uppercase and lowercase letters, numerals, and punctuation marks—I moved on to the typeface construction stage using FontForge. Instead of exporting files separately, I chose to copy and paste my vector outlines directly from Adobe Illustrator into FontForge. This approach proved to be both time-saving and highly adaptable, as it allowed me to bypass redundant steps and concentrate on refining each glyph within the font editor itself. I was able to make precise adjustments to stroke positioning, spacing, and overall visual harmony, which helped maintain consistency across the entire typeface.

Fig 3.1 Adjustment of word spacing , Week 12 (08/07/2025)

Fig 3.2 Adjustment of word spacing 2 , Week 12 (08/07/2025)

Fig 3.3 Presentasion , Week 12 (08/07/2025)




Font Presentasion:

For this typeface poster, I chose a color palette that complements the sharp, industrial character of my font, which is inspired by the clean, precise lines of metal-cut forms.

The vivid red (#FF3F33) serves as the main accent color—it captures attention instantly and reflects the energy and intensity I associate with metalwork, like sparks or heat from cutting tools. It helps convey the strength and impact I wanted my typeface to express. To balance this intensity, I used a soft blush tone (#FFE6E1) as a neutral base. This lighter shade offers breathing space and contrast, allowing the angular, cut-like structure of my glyphs to stand out more clearly without being overwhelmed by the background.

The deep teal (#075B5E) adds depth and industrial weight to the overall composition. It reminds me of dark steel or machine components and reinforces the mechanical feeling of the typeface, which is an important part of its identity.

Finally, the muted green (#9FC87E) introduces a more organic and calming element, which I felt was necessary to avoid making the poster feel too harsh or cold. It brings balance to the palette and subtly supports the visual rhythm of the layout. By combining these colors, I aimed to create a poster that not only showcases the typeface itself, but also evokes the visual world that inspired it—structured, bold, and contemporary, with a sense of refined power.


Fig 4.1 colour plate , Week 12 (08/07/2025)

Fig 4.2  Font prsentasion 1 , Week 12 (08/07/2025)

Fig 4.3  Font prsentasion 2 , Week 12 (08/07/2025)

Fig 4.4 Font prsentasion 3 , Week 12 (08/07/2025)

Fig 4.5 Font prsentasion 4 , Week 12 (08/07/2025)

Fig 4.6 Font prsentasion 5 , Week 12 (08/07/2025)

Fig 4.7 Font prsentasion pdf , Week 12 (08/07/2025)




Font Application:

For this font application, I explored a sharp, industrial visual language inspired by the aesthetics of metal cutting and mechanical precision. The typeface was applied across a range of design elements including industrial-style graphics, promotional posters, product mockups, and bold typographic layouts. I used clean geometric forms, angular illustrations, and a strong contrast color palette (featuring red, blush, deep teal, and muted green) to reinforce the font’s identity. These applications demonstrate how the typeface can be used in contexts such as tech-themed exhibitions, branding for hardware-related products, or event visuals with a modern industrial edge.
Fig 5.1 Font application 1, Week 12 (08/07/2025)

Fig 5.2 Font application 2, Week 12 (08/07/2025)

For this font application, I explored a sharp, industrial visual language inspired by the aesthetics of metal cutting and mechanical precision. The typeface was applied across a range of design elements including industrial-style graphics, promotional posters, product mockups, and bold typographic layouts. I used clean geometric forms, angular illustrations, and a strong contrast color palette (featuring red, blush, deep teal, and muted green) to reinforce the font’s identity. These applications demonstrate how the typeface can be used in contexts such as tech-themed exhibitions, branding for hardware-related products, or event visuals with a modern industrial edge.

Fig 5.3 Font application 3, Week 12 (08/07/2025)

Fig 5.4 Font application 4 , Week 12 (08/07/2025)

Fig 5.5 Font application 5 , Week 12 (08/07/2025)

Fig 5.6 Honor competiton 1, Week 12 (08/07/2025)


Fig 5.7 Honor competiton 2 , Week 12 (08/07/2025)

Fig 5.8 Honor competiton 3, Week 12 (08/07/2025)

Fig 5.9 Honor competiton 4, Week 12 (08/07/2025)

Fig 5.9 Honor competiton 5, Week 12 (08/07/2025)

Fig 5.9 Honor competiton 5 gif, Week 12 (08/07/2025)

My lecturer asked me to submit under the “Standby” category, but it wasn’t available on the official form.

As shown in the screenshot, only categories like Themes, Watches, and HONOR Pad Creation are listed, with no option for “Standby.” So I wasn’t able to upload my work.

Fig 5.11 Honor competiton submition, Week 12 (08/07/2025)

Fig 5.12 Font application 6 , Week 12 (08/07/2025)



SUBMISSION:

Fig 6.1 Font , Week 13 (15/07/2025)

Fig 6.2 Font 2, Week 13 (15/07/2025)

Fig 6.3 Font presantasion 1, Week 13 (15/07/2025)

Fig 6.4 Font presantasion 2, Week 13 (15/07/2025)

Fig 6.5 Font presantasion 3, Week 13 (15/07/2025)

Fig 6.6 Font presantasion 4, Week 13 (15/07/2025)

Fig 6.7 Font presantasion 5, Week 13 (15/07/2025)

Fig 6.8 Font application 1, Week 13 (15/07/2025)

Fig 6.9 Font application 2, Week 13 (15/07/2025)

Fig 6.10 Font application 3, Week 13 (15/07/2025)

Fig 6.11 Font application 4, Week 13 (15/07/2025)

Fig 6.12 Font application 5, Week 13 (15/07/2025)

Fig 6.13 Font Presentasion Final pdf, Week 13 (15/07/2025)

Fig 6.14 Font application Final pdf, Week 13 (15/07/2025)


Reflection:

Experience 
This project allowed me to experience the full process of type design—from initial concept to final mockup. Exploring a metal-cut style challenged me to maintain structural precision while building a strong visual identity. Using FontLab for the first time also helped me understand the technical aspects of professional font development.

Observation 
I learned that even subtle changes in stroke width or alignment can significantly affect the typeface’s overall clarity. Decorative elements like punctuation also need to follow the same logic to keep the design consistent. Mockup testing made me more aware of how layout and color influence the font’s perception.

Conclusion 
This project deepened my understanding of typography as both a visual system and a design tool. It taught me how to combine concept and detail, and encouraged me to keep refining my skills in future type-related work.



Feedback:

week 12:
In this week's class Mr Vinod helped me to check the fonts that I had made before, I reworked them and uploaded them to forntlab.
Week 11:
In this class Mr Vinod once again emphasised the fundamentals of typography and gave a detailed introduction and brief on the finished product we need to create next.
Week 10 :
During the week Mr. Vinod went through my fonts and made some suggestions for changes, including but not limited to some suggestions about the aesthetics of the fonts and the design principles, which were very beneficial to me. I was able to optimise my design from the original.
Week 9: 
In this week's class Mr.Vinod gave us very constructive advice on the direction we would be making and researching for Task 3, so that we could be more clear on the direction we would be going in next, as well as giving us a final evaluation and advice on our previous portfolios.

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