jacquelinenathaniel

[jacquelinenathaniel]

Reflection - overall course

This studio gave me a deep and wonderful journey with a lot things came to me. Throughout all the tutorials in this semester, I have learnt a lot of new things about typeface’s theory, skills, and type characteristic in different timeline and culture. All these have developed my skills and knowledge in typeface world. I had done a lot of typeface design before, but I never gone a deeper understanding of how the typeface will affect the design, how the typeface will represent a work. I also got to learnt two new software which is very useful for me in the future, Fontforge and P5js. 

My favourite project was the major project which I could get to create a typeface from scratch into a professional typeface. Even though the process was very difficult and I got stuck along the process on creating my sampler by using code, but I really enjoyed the project as this is one of my goal int this studio. At the end of this studio, I able to use these two software smoothly for now. Moreover, I able to get the right composition of kerning for each particular typeface which is one of the important part on designing a group of typeface. 

Overall, I really had a great experience and I can’t believe time gone so fast that this is already the end of the semester. I also very thankful to my teacher, Andy and Karen who has being such great tutors and put a lot of effort in this studio. I hope that I will apply all my knowledges and skills in the future in my study and career.

[jacquelinenathaniel]

MAJOR PROJECT

Finally finish with my big and last project in this studio!! My typeface and sampler are ready to publish. This was a great assignment that I had although it was very long process I have gone through, and a lot of problem came out during writing on my coding. It was very stressful but enjoyable and I learnt a lot of new things about code that I have applied in my sketch. I have changed a lot of things compared with my initial concept idea, especially working with the text to point. Instead of wasting a lot of time just stuck with this point, I ended up get rid of this idea. To make up this, I added some other page within the page which I gave a showcase for my typeface. In this project, I had applied all the code the I have learnt along this studio, it was very helpful which I used to demonstrate my sampler successfully. 

These were some experiments that Karen did for me, but I didn’t apply to my sampler due to the time that I got. I was very thankful and appreciate with Karen as she put a lot of time on helping me and solve all problem that I got outside the class. I successfully finish with my sampler, it was not prefect and what I expect but I still feel satisfied with the outcome. 

[jacquelinenathaniel]

Week 13

Tuesday, 1 June 2021

This studio has come to the final day... Today was my last chance to get feedbacks, got clear with all my doubts that I have before I submit my final design. I was very behind with the sampler coding, so I have a bunch of questions that I want to ask Karen. I also got stuck with my coding, which I want to work with ‘text to point’ for my sampler text. I got very confused even though Karen has explained it to me many times. It also hard and struggle to explain through the camera instead of face-to-face. 

I have tried to work with the ‘text to point’ before I put the microphone in, and it works. But, when I started to put the mic in and I need to join and connect with the mic input. I got really struggle with it and got error many times. At this stage, I was thinking to get rid the idea of working with text to point before late. I realised how it is important to get understand with the code before it came to the last minute. Fortunately, I found other solution that replace this idea while not losing my concept idea. 

[jacquelinenathaniel]

Week 13

Tuesday, 25 May 2021

This is our last week for this studio, we almost done with the project. We gathered all the information and our sampler ideas during the class to get some feedbacks from Andy and Karen, and peers. We posted our sampler sketch on the wall and explained to the class how the sampler will works. It was really great activity that we were able to have a look on each student’s works and how they work with the sampler. Everyone did different type of sampler based of their concept, it gave me a lot of insight as some of the codes they used never been taught by Karen. We need to research and developed ourselves, this is one of the opportunity for us to get know more deeper about the coding from outside the lessons. 

We also discuss to create a website as it gives a showcase for all student’s typefaces and samplers. At this time, Andy and Karen asked us to choose one of our unique letters and put it together as we were manage to create a pangram within different typefaces. This was really great trials as we got to see how every single with different type of letter works together as one. 

[jacquelinenathaniel]

WEEK 12 

Thursday, 20 May 2021

I did some trial to improve the personality of my typeface. As I received feedbacks from Andy if there were a lot of opportunities for ligatures and swashes. I did experimentation by playing with my serif, I found that I could joined two letters which facing to each other. 

Then, we also divided into a small group where we discussed about choosing a name for our typefaces. It is very important and I need to carefully while deciding a name as it will represent the personality of my typeface. I shared my idea concept to the group as I was struggling on coming up with the name. A lot of ideas and inspiration coming to my head, which gave me a direction on how to decide one. 

Andy provided some questions about typeface and the project for us to form our artist statement. I never write this before, but this was a very great and useful exercise for me as it used to create a short introduction about my typeface work. Getting provided with some examples given by Andy, helped me to have a clear understanding how to create artist statement for my typeface. 

[jacquelinenathaniel]

Week 12

Tuesday, 18 May 2021

Everything is coming to the end of progress after I did many changes on my typeface. Today’s class was all about discussing about different case studies, and some typeface competitions. We posted our works onto the wall to get some feedback and reviewed on each other’s works. I was amazed that we were nearly done with it and each works has their own characteristics and personalities. Then, we divided into a small group where we discussed about the pangram for our typeface, thinking what the best way to show our typeface.  Pangram is one of the way to show all our letters within one sentence.

We were taught everything that we need for this studio and final project. So, at this point, nothing new being taught, it was just all about our doubts, reviewing and feedbacks for developed our work. I was very relieved that I was done with designing typeface after tweaking and changing a lot of times, and make sure that I was on the right track to the brief. And now, I need to get start with my coding sampler.  

[jacquelinenathaniel]

Week 11

Thursday, 13 May 2021

Coming to the end of Fontforge tutorial, I got to know about new function that very useable and necessary for me. Most of the typeface will need to work with ligatures or some unique features that need to combine two letters together. It is called OpenType, I need to create a new slot within the software and this time we create a ‘ligatures’ subtable instead of ‘kerning’. It was very long process, Andy gave me a pdf tutorial for me to follow. It took me a long time to understand and work on it, during the process, I failed many time and turned to error form. But then, I finally successful create the ligatures for my typeface after I watch some tutorial on Youtube and also follow the instruction that Andy gave me. 

I knew that I was a bit behind at this time, I quickly started to work with my numbers, punctuations and glyphs. At this point, the proportion was different with the letter as I used 4x6 for numbers and same with the punctuations, and even for the glyphs. While my typeface is about horror, it is a good opportunity for me to play around and make a special glyphs that will strongly represents my theme. 

[jacquelinenathaniel]

Week 11

Tuesday, 11 May 2021

This is the last code that Karen showed taught us before we focused to our sampler for final project. The code that I learned getting more complicated and tricky at some point as I got confused with some of the variables for this wiggle letters. In this sketch, we used ‘class’ variable to set up a template for wiggle letters. When Karen gone through this code, I was very confused how to arrange and why we need this variable to work. Then, I gave all my questions to Karen and did some own research for this, finally I understand how it works. I felt like this is one of particular good way to showcase our typeface. As the main goal for this codes were to get the audience to be able to see all the alphabets present in the webpage while get interact by using keypress. I hope I could get use this code for my sampler. 

[jacquelinenathaniel]

WEEK 10

Thursday, 6 May 2021

After I observed some inspiration and brainstormed, I finally finished with all my letters, but I still felt some of the letters I still need to fix it for example like ‘H’ looked a bit smaller than other. I also got some feedback from Andy during the class, the letter ‘M’ and ‘N’ look very similar as the audience might get confuse and mistaken with the shape of letter. I kept researching for some inspiration how to make the typeface looks unity while my typeface seems got a lot of features within one letter.

‘Try not to follow the rules’ given by Andy, this always stuck in my head. I kept thinking how to make my letters become very unique and not boring as like just designing from A to Z. I did a trial with the letter ‘T’ as Andy’s advice to make it upside down. I tried to came with a special glyphs for this letter, but then I realised that I went too extreme which turn out unreadable (even though its not). I didn’t want to take the risk for it, so I came back to the normal T and its still not losing the uniqueness of the typeface.

[jacquelinenathaniel]

Week 10

Tuesday, 4 May 2021

Stepping forward into our coding for the sampler. Karen showed us a lot of variety code sampler that we might be useful for our final sampler design. I was amazed with all the sampler that she showed, and I found some of the samplers that fits to my design concept. Text to point and distortion have kind of harsh and broken texture which I could related to my horror theme. 

After that, Karen asked and taught us to create a GitHub account for us to upload our code and publish it as a link to the user. 

Continued with my working progress, I did a bit of tweak on some of my letters after I imported to illustrator. Some of the letters, I found that I went too extreme which end up losing a bit of its personality. I was struggle which one to choose fo the letter ‘W’ as the bottom one was the upside down from my letter ‘M’. Along with my process, I wanted to have very creepy shape which was my theme about, so I tried to keep the simplicity and readability for my typeface while it typed in text.  

[jacquelinenathaniel]

Week 9

29 April 2021

Moving forward with the process of making our typeface with Fontforge. Andy taught us how to set the kerning for the typeface. I haven’t completed my major typeface, so I used my own typeface first to get experimented with the kerning. I realised that different fonts could have different kerning either monospace or variant kerning within the typeface. Apart from this, I also got to set the kerning for specific two letters by using kerning metrics, so when I typed them, it would be different from the rest. 

Although I haven’t started to work with my typeface, but by listening to Andy helped me to get a new knowledge and got me to feel comfortable to work with the software later on. 

Other than that,  I continued with some trial sketches from last week, I started draw my final letters into graph-paper. I didn’t start working in digitally yet as I more confident to start with the paper as I could erase and more comfortable to change. The idea of using graph-paper as I want it to have a perfect proportion (6x6) for each letters. I started to draw from letter A, but then I suddenly jumped to letter ‘M’ as I felt it would have a different structure for it. This letter turned out by having a bit different looks than the others. But, it still looks in the same category as it still have common features which couldn’t be eliminated. Then, I also did a sketched how the letter will turned out in the sampler by having waves that will be generated when there is incoming sound.

[jacquelinenathaniel]

WEEK 9

27 April 2021

Today, I started to sketch out how my sampler will run and looks like. By sketching out, it will helps me to get a clear image how will the design ended up. The idea for my sampler was creating an interactive website which would work with microphone. It still very rough as I haven’t decided how exactly my sampler will works. My initial ideas was using microphone to detect and interact with the text. When the text size get to the limit it will change and pop to other new words.

This is my initial ideas for my typeface sampler. As my typeface characteristic have gothic and horror theme, so I might create my letters to have quick actions or something looks like pop-up to create a heart beat to the audience. 

[jacquelinenathaniel]

Inspiration

I looked for more inspirations and motivations to improve my typeface. I was amazed with all typeface that I found as they are all looks very unique and they are all got very different characteristic even though with the same theme. I got attract by the typeface (bottom left) as it looks very simple but special. I really like how the designer have used the sharp edges that could represent a needle or knife which usually used to give a sense of horror looks. I might tried to add these features to my letter to get stronger personality of being creepy. 

Resources:

Pinterest, 202, Street Life (Tattoo Font), Pinterest, viewed 25 April 2021, <https://pin.it/1N0c6Fk>.

n.d., Nothing About Me is Normal (black), Pinterest, viewed 25 April 2021, <https://pin.it/73zZlrJ>.

Pinterest, 2021, Horst Blackletter font by Horst Type Foundry, viewed 25 April 2021, <https://pin.it/4mm7Ft3>.

Unblast 2020, Free Horror Movie Text Effect, viewed 25 April 2021, <https://unblast.com/free-horror-movie-text-effect-psd/>.

[jacquelinenathaniel]

Week 8 (Work In Progress)

Thursday, 22 April 2021

First day of face-to-face class, we shared some of our ideas for the typeface and sampler that we are going to do. I shared my ideas to my classmates whether which concept I should go, they gave me a lot of good feedbacks which directed me and gave confident to go forward. Both of my concept designs was totally opposite, but I more like to go with the gothic theme. I want to try something new as I always gone with the fancy typeface and never tried to create a horror theme. 

I started to design my typeface, but then I found it hard and struggle as I didn’t know which alphabets I need to work first. So, I did some sketches first in random order before I draw for final one. Each typeface must have some unique letters that stands out within the group and representative the characteristic of the group. 

We also shared some ideas during the class, my classmates shared some sites that are particularly useful. This is one of the website which showed many different kind of typefaces, and I found there is one type that very similar to what I want to design. 

Resources: Leah Maldonado n.d., viewed 22 April 2021 <https://leahmaldonado.com/>.

[jacquelinenathaniel]

Week 8 (Hour of Code)

Tuesday, 20 April 2021

The code that I learnt in todays class, I felt like this will be one of the best sampler option to show my all alphabets within the typeface. By having not only show a solid form, there is a way to show it in more attractive and eye-catching to the audience. This is use a variable ‘random’, which allows the letters pop up randomly within the frameRate that I set. Other than that, I got to know with the keyPressed function, this allows me to change to other action of the page, like here, I was able to change into other colour once I pressed the space bar in my keyboard. I did research about it and realised I was able to use this to change the page to the other page within the website. I suddenly thought this will be good if I can used this as if I want to insert multiple page in my sampler. 

[jacquelinenathaniel]

Week 7

15 April 2021

From today, I started working with my major project which is one of the biggest assignment in this studio. This project extended the goal where I need to create a TypeSampler by using code. I was very excited and also one of the project that I waiting for as I can generate my own typeface not only for project, but I could use it for own portfolio and use. Creating a simplicity but strong image was what I aim for this project. I did some small sketches. I came up wit two design sketches,

#First, I improved from my previous assignment which was about garden. I took Karen’s advice by applying some flower will add the sense of flower growing up.

#Second, I went with the gothic theme and this design has opposite theme with the previous typeface design. 

Came back to work with the Fontforge after a while, but this time I moved forward to successfully generated the whole alphabets into functional typeface. I used two kinds of shapes which are triangle and circle to create my letters. It was quite challenging to me to work with these 2 shapes to create an abstract typeface. I realised some letters were quite hard to read like Q, T, Y as these got very abstract figures.

After the class, I couldn’t wait to use these skills to generate my own typeface that I have design it before (top image). This was the typeface that I made while I was in high school, it was inspired to my culture which was ‘Batik’. At that time, I wanted to use it as a display font, but I didn’t know how to generate them. But now, I was very happy that I could get to use it in my design. 

[jacquelinenathaniel]

Week 7 (Hour of Code)

Tuesday, 13 April 2021

We kept moving forward by adding some new variables and bit into the sketch. After I got to know how to write some words, now it was the time thinking how do we write in paragraph. We looked how to insert a large amount of text but having align properly in the centre of frame. This bit was one of the necessary part in coding that I need to learn, as to shows all the alphabets within my typeface in some lines to fit inside the frame rather than just one line. In line 18, this is the most indispensable part as it used divided the whole texts into some lines within the size frame that I applied.

To make it more attractive, Karen showed me how to make the paragraph animated up and down with the ‘frameCount’. This variable is the number of frames that have been displayed since the program started. The bigger number of time, the faster my text will move. 

This will be very useable to apply in my coding if I want to show a large amount of texts inside the frame in interesting way. But the problem with the different version that I got for p5JS. I couldn’t get to set off the hyphenation to align my paragraph, this means that I need to set the position for each line of my text which will be very complicated for me.