ADVANCED TYPOGRAPHY - TASK 2: KEY ARTWORK & COLLATERAL

14.05.25 - 18.06.25 (Week 4 - Week 8)
Michelle (0373843)
Advanced Typography / Bachelor of Design (Honours) in Creative Media / Taylor's University
Task 2: Key Artwork & Collateral

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Lectures

2. Instructions

3. Process Work

3.1 Task 2A: Key Artwork

3.2 Task 2B: Collateral

4. Feedback

5. Reflections

6. Further Reading

LECTURES

Week 4
In Advanced Typography Task 1: Exercises

Week 5

Perception & Organization

Perception: The way something is understood or interpreted.

Etymology of Typography

From Greek word: "typos" (form) & "graphis" (writting).

Contrast

Size, larger text draws attention first.
Weight, bold emphasize important points.
Form, distinction between letter cases or different typefaces.
Structure, different letter forms create visual interest.
Texture, overall appearance of text can create layers and depth.
Direction, mixing vertical and horizontal text can create dynamic layouts.
Color, thoughtful use will enhance contrast, but must be applied carefully to avoid confusion.

Form: Overall look & feel of composition

Creates visual impact & first impression, leads the eye, and determines memorability.

Gestalt

Law of Similarity: Similar elements are grouped together
Law of Proximity: Elements close together are perceived as a group.
Law of Closure: Incomplete forms are perceived as complete.
Law of Continuation: Elements aligned in a continuous line are perceived as a single unit.

INSTRUCTIONS

PROCESS WORK

Task 2A: Key Artwork

Mind Map

Figure 1.1.1 Self Mind Mapping, Week 4 (14/05/25)

1st Attempt in Reference & Digital Sketches

I first attempted to build a wordmark which captures my identity as an artist who keeps learning and growing. So I shaped my "M" to represent an artist's stroke. I also added a heart-shaped-arrow to also make it look like a rising graph.

Figure 1.1.2 First Ideas, Week 4 (14/05/25)

Though I liked my idea, I don't think the results are good. I also found out that the reference should be in the same form of what our targeted final outcome will be. So if I'm doing a wordmark, my references should be wordmarks as well. So, I decided to revise and expand my research and create a mood board.

Mood Board

Before looking at wordmark references, I first find out about the symbolization of the key words I've chosen from my mind-map. After I've gotten a clearer vision on what to look for and how the keywords could be represented in graphic, I explored on Pinterest to find wordmarks that could work for my keywords.

Figure 1.1.3 Mood Board (Wordmark References), Week 5 (21/05/25)

Rough Sketches

I sketched all of the ideas popped in my head. Some were inspired by the references, while some are just my own ideas I thought of while sketching.

Figure 1.1.4 Manual Sketches, Week 5 (21/05/25)

Digitization

I picked a few ideas that I liked and thought might be good for digitization. In a digitized form, I can better depicture the end result of each idea, so I can choose what looks best.

Figure 1.1.5 Ideas Digitization, Week 5 (21/05/25)

I decided to go with my smiley face idea. In class Sir Vinod also approves on it with minor adjustments on the kerning.

Figure 1.1.6 Chosen Idea Developments, Week 5 (21/05/25)

Color Palette

I browsed color hunt and searched for the keyword yellow and blue. Yellow because it represent happiness and creativity, while blue radiates trust and stability and also contrast with an orangey-yellow. I didn't find a palette that I fully like, so I used these for reference and build my own.

Figure 1.1.7 Color Hunt Reference, Week 6 (28/05/25)

I tried multiple color combinations.

Figure 1.1.8 Color Palette Ideas, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Figure 1.1.9 Color Palette Explorations, Week 6 (28/05/25)

I also used some sources online to help see the visualization of my color palette.

Figure 1.1.10 Color Palette Visualizer - Coolors, Week 6 (28/05/25)

After seeing how my color palettes work, and also with some external opinion from friends and family, I decided to go for my first idea.

Figure 1.1.11 Chosen Color Palette, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Animation

For the animation, I initially had no idea on how to do it, so I looked for animated words in YouTube. More specifically I looked at Word as Image - Ji Lee and Emotions - a kinethic typography - PixelValet.

Figure 1.1.12 Animation Frames, Week 6 (28/05/25)

The first 2 row are my first ideas I come up with, which is basically erasing the tails of the e and making a curved line as a smile instead. Then it zoomed in to highlight the smilling face at the end. I thought about making an entrance for my name, making it pop up and curved when it hit the middle. But it doesn't portray it successfully in animation, so I scrapped the idea and only kept it as my initial plan.

Figure 1.1.13 Animation Timeline, , Week 6 (28/05/25)

I made the beginning and mid-point a bit slow, then I used opacity at the end to make it loop and connect with the first frame.

Task 2A Final Outcome

Figure 1.2.1 Black on white, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Figure 1.2.2 White on black, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Figure 1.2.3 Color Palette, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Figure 1.2.4 Actual colors on lightest color, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Figure 1.2.5 Lightest on darkest, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Figure 1.2.6 Wordmark Animation, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Figure 1.2.7 Wordmark Animation, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Task 2B: Collateral

At first, I tried to edit my design onto an image with a plain version of my item. But I realized it'll took many time and effort to do, at least with my current skills. So, I only did it briefly just to get an imagery to show my idea in class.

Figure 2.1.1 Book & Keychain, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Figure 2.1.2 Sticker, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Then from my friend I found out about mock-up templates which is super easy to use, so I ended up doing this method. I also indlue a hoodie to replace one of my collateral since Sir Vinod said a book is boring.

I soured the Photoshop template from mockups-design.com for hoodie and keychain, then mockupworld.co for sticker pack.

Collateral

Figure 2.1.1 Hoodie Mock Up, Week 7 (04/06/25)

Figure 2.1.2 Key Chain Mock Up, Week 7 (04/06/25)

Figure 2.1.3 Sticker Mock Up, Week 7 (04/06/25)

Identity Expansion - Instagram Post

Along the week, I updated my instagram post design and layout according to Sir Viinod's feedback.

Figure 2.1.4 Instagram Post Design, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Figure 2.1.5 Instagram Post Design, Week 7 (04/06/25)

Figure 2.1.6 Instagram Post Design, Week 8 (14/06/25)

Task 2B Final Outcome

Figure 2.2.1 Final Collateral 1 - Hoodie, Week 8 (14/06/25)

Figure 2.2.2 Final Collateral 2 - Stickers, Week 8 (14/06/25)

Figure 2.2.3 Final Collateral 3 - Keychains, Week 8 (14/06/25)

Figure 2.2.4 Identity Expansion - Compiled Design, Week 8 (14/06/25)

Instagram page: @michelle.__.world

Figure 2.2.5 Instagram Post Capture, Week 8 (14/06/25)

Figure 2.2.5 Task 2B Compilation (PDF), Week 8 (14/06/25)

Task 2 Final Outcome Compilation

Task 2A: Key Artwork

Figure 3.1.1 Black on white, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Figure 3.1.2 White on black, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Figure 3.1.3 Color Palette, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Figure 3.1.4 Actual colors on lightest color, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Figure 3.1.5 Lightest on darkest, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Figure 3.1.6 Wordmark Animation, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Figure 3.1.7 Wordmark Animation, Week 6 (28/05/25)

Task 2B: Collateral

Figure 3.2.1 Final Collateral 1 - Hoodie, Week 8 (14/06/25)

Figure 3.2.2 Final Collateral 2 - Stickers, Week 8 (14/06/25)

Figure 3.2.3 Final Collateral 3 - Keychains, Week 8 (14/06/25)

Figure 3.2.4 Identity Expansion - Compiled Design, Week 8 (14/06/25)

Instagram page: @michelle.__.world

Figure 3.2.5 Instagram Post Capture, Week 8 (14/06/25)

Figure 3.2.5 Task 2B Compilation (PDF), Week 8 (14/06/25)

FEEDBACK

Week 5

General Feedback:

2 Types of word mark:

Commercial brand (can be used professionally for target audience).
Personal/ (whatever we like).

Use key words which supports branding. Weak base results in weak value in design.
Best word mark designs are neutral and contemporary (timeless).
Intellectual communication (with terminologies) is needed to sell an artwork, for client to understand and be persuaded.
Word marks needs to be whole on its own and versatile to be used.
Have good balance of symmetry: stability and movement.
More complicated: less readability: less memorability (to remember and replicate).
We often times only scratch the surface of an idea and use it too literally, can explore the meaning further (metaphor thinking).
Sometimes good ideas comes from spontaneous intuition.
What's the first thing that comes to mind.
If other me and other people are willing to use our design, is a good sign.
Sometimes people are attracted to only a specific part of our design, like how we are fond of certain melody from a song without remembering the lyrics.
Some artist create by doing - create first then post rationalized.
Construct precisely by using grids.

Specific Feedback:

Not convincing enough, 3 versions are not sufficient, do more explorations.

Week 6

General Feedback:

To review wordmark: 1. Readability 2. Word Craft.
Apply consistency of vertical & horizontal weights, counterspace & serifs shapes, as well as angles & curvature.
Stop eyeballing, always use graph in constructing letterforms -> snap to grid to be exact.
Synchronizing the size of counterspace to the line weight usually will result in a more balanced look.
Never make adjustment directly on the same work, make a duplicate first so we have clear progression and could look back.
Replication before variation.

Personal Feedback:

Interesting and unique, but there's room for improvement.
Reduce the spacing within the letters at least by 3/4.

Week 7

General Feedback:

Make the self-portrait artistic.

Personal Feedback:

Explore more words with the letter "o" to implement logo and make sticker.
Find a better item to replace book (boring).

Week 8

General Feedback:

It takes time for expansion.
Sometimes idea is good, but execution fails to deliver.
Patterns are often used in background. Foreground presents something important. Be careful not to distract the foreground with the background.
We must observe the object we're animating to really capture it's characteristics.
We must overcome our insecurities to take stylistic & professional picture in order to present ourself fully.

Personal Feedback:

Too much use of pattern.

Do more mockups of the keychain.

Improve composition of words with logo, too much white space.

Color palette a bit too light to Sir's liking.

REFLECTIONS

Experience

From the beginning of the task brief, I felt really excited to work on it compared to other tasks. Not only do we got to learn more about typography, we also got to learn more about ourselves. Though I am really keen on it, the process wasn't easy for me personally. It took so much time for me to sit down and think of who I am and come up with idea to represent my identity. I wondered why it is so difficult for me while everyone else seems to be able to quickly come up with something. Each week during consultations I only got to admire how others could come up with good designs while I still haven't quite got it. But on week 8, Sir Vinod's feedback gives me a realization and serenity. I figured out that it's a process, and everybody's progress will be different. This task has started the process for me, that I will continue to explore and improve on as I go on. In summary, I felt really grateful to be given this task as it allows me to pause from everything else and focus on myself.

Observations

In doing this task, since I faced some doubts and idea blocks, I often looked at other's works and it really widens my perspective. Their works opens my mind to things I won't ever come up with by myself. Their strengths inspired and motivated me, and their weaknesses taught me without the need to experience it myself. Collaborative learning, in a community of people with a similarity in field yet diverse goals and values turns out to be really beneficial for me.

Findings

I realized that I barely ever spend time to really feel and reflect on myself. Oftentimes, I got carried away, pressured by my duties and responsibilities as a student, a young adult who needs to figure everything out and be successful. Sometimes even hustling over things that might not really serve me, prioritizing it over myself. Through this task, I got a reason to intentionally spare time to reflect on who I was, currently am, and want to be. I slowly understand the fact that in order to better strive, I need to first understand myself. Everything might not be clear right away, but I need to make efforts everyday to really reflect and make sure whether what I'm doing is right for me. At the end of the day, the reason I have been hustling is for the benefits of my future. But what does it mean if I sacrificed my current happiness and well-being? Turns out I've been seeing everything in the POV of "a price to pay for my future" instead of "an enjoyable journey".

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Michelle (0373843)