Education Standards
Activity 2 - Typographic Contrast
Activity 3 - Text Hierarchy
Calligraphr Template
Evaluating Resources for OER Commons
Typography - Formative Assessment
Using Typography to Communicate
Overview
This lesson provides an introduction to the importance of typography as an element of design.
Goal: The goal of this lesson is to understand that typography is everywhere. The way characters or letters are designed plays a part in the message and in creating a brand for an organization. Every font, letter, and character arrangement plays a part in determining how a message is conveyed.
Understanding Basic Elements of Typography
1) Students will read articles and watch PBS video (the linked OER Commons resource). The instructor will informally assess their understanding of the information through group discussion and questioning.
2) Students will complete a short formative assessment covering information in the articles and video.
Creation Date: June, 2020
Grade Level: High School - Grades 9-12
Content Area: Media Technology
Goal: The goal of this lesson is to understand that typography is everywhere. The way characters or letters are designed plays a part in the message and in creating a brand for an organization. Every font, letter, and character arrangement plays a part in determining how a message is conveyed.
Objectives:
- To utilize type as a design element.
- To differentiate between different styles of typography.
- To use fonts to represent specific feelings and emotions.
- To explore creative ways to layout typographic elements.
Message to students:
You will be designing many informational documents and title slides for video for school and community activities. An understanding of typography is imperative to any situation where you want to transmit an idea to another via text.
Read these three short articles for an overview of typography:
Typography Elements Everyone Needs to Understand
Basic Principles for Using Typography
Extra - Fonts Used in Famous Logos - Famous fonts: the typefaces behind the biggest logos
Watch this PBS video:
What is Typography - (this is the linked OER Resource)
Activities to Demonstrate Understanding of Typography
These three activities will reinforce information learned about typography.
While students will be using Google Drawing for these activities, the next step will be to introduce Photoshop Elements and continuing to use the information learned on design activities for the school and community throughout the semester.
Students will be using a poster printer that can print on indoor/outdoor canvas to design banners for the school and community organizations.
Activity 1 - Comparing Serif, Sans-Serif and Decorative Fonts
Click in each box and type your name 3 times.
Each name will be put in a different font.
Each font should be the type of font listed in the box.
When finished, share in Google Classroom.
Activity 2 - Contrast of Type
Type the quote and fill the space below.
Adjust words in the quote by:
Size - make some words bigger than others for emphasis.
Weight - create emphasis on certain words by making them bold.
Color - change the color of the word this should be emphasized.
Structure - choose your emphasis word and type it in a completely different typeface.
Activity 3 - Typographic Hierarchy
Typographic Hierarchy - distinguishes different levels of importance.
Organize the information given below using contrasting typographic contrast to emphasize certain words or groups of words as more important or less important than others to capture the attention of incoming freshmen.
• Emphasize levels of information through typographic contrast of size, weight, color, structure
• Use spatial organization and control hierarchy in both large and small scale
• Select appropriate color combinations to support organization and emphasis without reducing legibility/readability
Enrichment Activity
For Fun - Create Your Own Font From Your Handwriting
1) Go to calligraphr.com
2) Create an account, activate it by confirming in e-mail, log in
3) Start App
3) Create template
4) Choose minimal English, minimal Numbers, minimal Punctuation
5) Click on any characters you don't need and delete
6) Download template and print
7) Fill in each box with your handwriting
8) Take a picture or scan sheet(s)
9) Go back to calligraphr.com, choose My Fonts
9) Upload templates, choose file(s) to upload, upload
11) Preview, Build Font, Name Font
12) Make any adjustments
13) Download, open, install
14) Open new document to find and use font