Description
The advanced typography course from Gatlin International combines the convenience and affordability of online learning to help you learn at your own pace from the comfort of your own home.
Typography, technology, and culture are intertwined. The letterform (in the right hands) has the power to communicate meaning and mood through its quirks and beauty, its history an
Outline
LESSON 1 Letterforming Lesson One opens your eyes to the expressive power of type. You'll begin with an introduction to the exciting field of type design, exploring some of the challenges that typographers face. You'll investigate the difference between seeing type and reading it, helping you develop your appreciation for both functional and expressive letterforms. In the exercise, you'll experiment with type fusion, creating your own little Frankenstein's monster!
LESSON 2 Type Details and Hierarchy Type layout professionals look at the big picture and the details. Lesson Two covers all the minutaie (special characters, ligatures, dashes, and hyphens) you need to know to add finesse to your text layouts. You'll learn how and why to make kerning, leading, and tracking adjustments, exploring how your choice of typestyle affects your overall approach. You'll absorb principles of visual order by studying an advanced example of information design. In the exercise, you'll use your layout program to apply these fine-tuning techniques.
LESSON 3 Making Type Sing What makes type sing? Lesson Three explores the expressive aspects of typography, looking at the different ways in which letterform, layout, and color choices can create an abstract, almost musical impact on the reader. You'll explore outstanding examples of typography and test the analogy between type and music. In the exercise, you'll make your own music, by designing a pair of music performance posters.
LESSON 4 Type As Symbol In a logotype, typography transcends textual communication, becoming instead an image or identity, a potent source of cultural resonance. Lesson Four explores the embedded meanings in the logos we see everyday, analyzing how and why they communicate so powerfully. You'll look at a Floridian case study in identity creation. Then in the exercise, you'll create a civic identity -- for another student!
LESSON 5 Two, Three, Four Dimensions Mastered 2-D type? Then it's time to make your text pop and fly. Lesson Five explores techniques for lifting type off the page. 3-D effects such as shadow and perspective lead into a discussion of sculptural type and signage in our visual environment. The brave new world of dynamic typography is also explored, with case studies on leading practitioners of motion graphics and interactive text. In a logo design exercise, you'll design a standout brand for the most generic of products.
LESSON 6 Type Culture Type has cultural (and subcultural) weight. It can capture the spirit of the times and the power of the people. Lesson Six explores the different ways in which typography reflects and communicates cultural meaning. A particular focus is upon one vehicle for typography important to all designers: money. The visual language of currency design is explored, setting you up for a final project in which you redesign your local lucre. Just don't go spending it!
Additional Info
- Languages
- English
- Course Length
- 60.00 hours
- Duration of Access
Once enrolled in our typography course, students have access to the class for six months. During this period, questions or assignments may be submitted at any time to the instructor. Each course lesson requires an average of 10 hours of study time.
- Instructor
Andrew Shalat teaches our typography course. He is an author, designer/illustrator, educator, and Mac expert. Since 1985 he has been designing and writing articles about Macintosh, Mac software, and publishing technologies that have appeared in Macworld, maccentral.com and macweek.com (for which he was a columnist writing "Shalat's Web"). He has been a regular speaker/faculty member at Macworld Expo since 2001 and has written three books: How to Do Everything with Online Video (McGraw-Hill, Osborne), Do It Yourself Mac Projects (McGraw-Hill), and MacDesign Out of the Box (Peachpit). Andrew is a regular contributor to design and Macintosh related sites including Inside Mac Radio, InDesign Magazine, and Creativepro.com. His design work covers a large range of media including book, CD and DVD covers, brochures, catalogs, outdoor signage, print ads, artwork, logos, Flash and Web design, and grocery lists. Over the past two decades, Andrew has taught literature, writing, Web design, and print design.
- Prerequisites/Audience
Courses are designed for adult learners interested in building skills and portfolio for a design career. To take the course, students simply require a computer (PC or Mac), an Internet connection (56 Kbps modem or faster), and any required software. For courses with software requirements, computers must meet software manufacturers' system requirements.
- Requirements/Materials Included
To take this typography course you'll need Adobe Illustrator or equivalent vector-based drawing program, or Adobe InDesign or equivalent page layout program, and basic experience in typography, graphic design, and the software packages needed for this course.
- Certification
Sessions College is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). Certificate programs are accredited by the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools.