Final Compilation & Reflection

lim jia sheng,
0344034.

BDCM
.Advanced Typography
::Final Compilation & Reflection

task[1]A: exercise[1]: Typographic Systems

Figure 1.1.9, Final typographic systems, 30/8/2021

Figure 1.1.10, Final typographic systems + grids, 30/8/2021

task[1]BA: exercise[2]A: Type & Play — Finding type

Figure 2.1.1, Identified letters from cabbage, 6/9/2021

Figure 2.1.2, Final `FCUK*`, 13/9/2021

Figure 2.1.3, Final `FCUK*` + grids, 13/9/2021

Figure 2.1.4, Final FCUK* PDF, 13/9/2021

task[1]BB: exercise[2]A: Type & Play — Finding type

Figure 3.1.1, Final Sterile, 17/9/2021

task[2]A: project[1]: Key Artwork

Figure 4.1.1, Final key artwork, 4/10/2021

Occupation — Audio mixing/mastering engineer.

task[2]B: project[2]: Collateral

Figure 5.1.1, Poster, 12/10/2021

Figure 5.1.2, Final animation, 12/10/2021

Final animation full quality here.Final animation full quality here.

Figure 5.1.5, Tote bag, 12/10/2021

Figure 5.1.6, Mug, 12/10/2021

Figure 5.1.7, MP3 player, 12/10/2021

Figure 5.1.12, Various glam shots, 12/10/2021

Figure 5.1.13, Flatlay, 12/10/2021

Figure 5.1.14, Everything above, but PDF, 21/20/2021

task[3]: project[3]: Type Exploration and Application

the typeface itself

faint

font + AI = fAInt

Figure 5.2.1, Faint, 11/11/2021

Figure 5.2.2, Faint character set, 11/11/2021

rationale

Ai is a collective advocating for the ethical use of AI. Its mission is to spread awareness by utilizing AI artistically.

AI/ML have the potential to do amazing things, often times this includes things no human will ever be capable of. What if that becomes true for surviving on this Earth? We need no apocalypse to be able to perceive its loom among us, just ask GPT-3, no literally. Thus, every single one of us will need to equip ourselves with the abilities to fight back when the day comes.

collateral

Ethics campaign posters

Keychain

A simple magnetic keychain, able to wipe hard drives, floppy disks, & pick locks.

Figure 5.2.7, Ai magnetic keychain, 11/11/2021

Rubberducky

A rubberducky is a device that looks like a usb device, but when plugged into a computer, identifies itself as a keyboard & types commands to execute a payload. (eg. typing WIN + R, https://youtu.be/dQw4w9WgXcQ, ENTER, will commence certain death)

Figure 5.2.8, Ai rubberducky, what does it contain? No one really knows, 11/11/2021

Keycap

Put it on your Delete key & hammer away. This one's mostly a novelty; it's cool looking xd

Figure 5.2.9, Ai keycap, 11/11/2021

Captcha

An alternative captcha service utilizing the brand typeface to fight against bots. Introduction moving distortion also enables us to increase the total interference per frame, while retaining readability to humans.

reflection:

"Advanced typography" is very self descriptive. It takes all things type & cranks it up to 11. It also gives way more leeway to "break rules", like with any advanced implementation of a craft. I find this combination extremely freeing... sometimes. The briefs & instructions were all very open ended, but often in ways where it causes confusion instead of encouraging expression. This may simply be because they don't hook enough onto existing concepts & experience; we're thrown in to a tool pit & expected to build a spaceship. The benefit of this approach is that the mean creativity level is bumped up, but it's an extremely inefficient process when it comes to comparing it against the total workload.

Now I understand if the workload isn't the largest priority in designing a successful module, but I've seen this open ended approach implemented in a much more pleasant way before. The difference is 100% in motivating the students through feedback. This I feel is especially required in an online setting where any social nuance that students may take & ride off with is lost. Without it, an atmosphere is created where people fail to improve, not because they're dependent on feedback, but because they're left to their own echo chamber. In a perfect world, each student would be able to have some time with the lecturer so that they can look into detail & diagnose what the student is actually stuck with (I mean, there's two lecturers in this module this shouldn't sound that far fetched). However, keeping in line with the philosophy of "staying out of the way in order to not introduce design bias", one may still provide nudges simply through verbal delivery — have enthusiasm be the default to emphasize when something is critical. This backhanded way changes the dynamic so that the student aims to get the lecturer excitement (that may parallel their own), rather than simply the lecturer's acceptance — working beyond & enjoying it.

With all that said though, I still enjoyed my time with the module. Definitely the main thing I observed throughout the semester was the lack of safety. Students needed to play outside their comfort zone to even be in the same ballpark of the requirements. This wonky path instilled in me a lot of new knowledge, most probably won't be productive in my future of designing, but the rest being essential to paving new road when this runs out — aiming to be visually intriguing, not to be scared of thin margins & suspicious gradients, embracing serifs, etc. In hindsight & said out loud, all things designers should probably have already had, but hey better late than never. In terms of raw execution skill, I don't think I've progressed much in terms of designing traditionally, but I guess that's because it's early in the course & "the design eye" is prioritized. However, the last project really gave my ass a kicking, & I'm really grateful to have a chance to explore something like that.

At the end of the day, & at the end of all my ramblings, the experience was invaluable, the observations were reflective, & the findings will stay important. I may not find the module perfect, but hey if that's not a sign of most things done better than right, I don't know what is!

🔎