Typography One

A required course for sophomore GDES majors
Virginia Commonwealth University

Department of Graphic Design

Fall 2011

An introduction to communication problem solving through the visual medium of language. The fundamentals of typography and typographic design
 are explored in experimental and practical projects.

Objectives
— to develop a basic conceptual and aesthetic awareness of type and typography
— to develop an understanding of the use of type as a communicative vehicle
— to develop competency in the fundamental technical skills required 
to work with type
— to understand typographic terminology and anatomy of the letterform
— to acquire knowledge of typeface identification
— to develop a sensitivity to typographic image as visual communication
— to develop an understanding of the relationships between typographic 
organization and message
— to develop an awareness of current tools, techniques, and processes

Required Texts
John Kane, A Type Primer, Second Edition
Rob Carter, Typographic Design: Form and Communication, Fourth Edition
Robert Bringhurst, The Elements of Typographic Style, Third Edition