SUBJECT DESCRIPTION

The subject provides the foundations for understanding and appropriatelly using modern typography in the context of a wide number of applications in visual communication. The knowledge and skills you will acquire (both theoretical and practical) of the historical evolution of modern typography and the principles that govern its use, will help you progress in your undegraduate programe of studies. You will use these skills to build on other design related outputs in the other years of your study in this programme. In brief, this subject covers: the emergence and development of written language, the invention of printing and the development of Greek and latin writing, basic font types and their historical evolution, the associated typographic principles and anatomy of letterforms, and the work of pioneer printers and typographers. You will experiment with typography, use it to produce and design functional outputs, and you will deal with issues that relate to readability and legibility. The main tools you will use will be digital (software and hardware). The teaching methods include lectures, practical work, case studies, visual research, individual work, oral presentations and a final practical examination. For this subject you will have access to a laboratory with computers, you will be given weekly notes and will join a dedicated Facebook group where present and past students of this subject help each other. In addition, the university library has several related books and magazines on typography.