Teaching Type Design: The More I Learn, the Less I Know

I teach typeface design at an undergraduate level at the University of Washington in Seattle, USA. Most of our students become visual (graphic) designers rather than typeface designers. That is, they will be responsible for selecting and commissioning typefaces—and they may design logotypes and typographic illustrations—but they will probably not be involved in producing digital fonts for professional foundries. Over the past two decades, I have experimented with a number of approaches that vary in the amount of time required and the level of students enrolled. In this presentation, I would like to share both successes and failures, and reflect upon what, how and why students learned (or did not learn). I hope that discussing these projects will be helpful to other teachers of type, and that this talk will encourage other design faculty to share how they teach type design at their institutions.

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CITY TYPEFACE PROJECTS

Auggie Sans (St. Augustine, Florida) by Mike Frettohttp://mikefretto.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikefretto/

Harrison by James Atkins
https://cargocollective.com/jamesatkins/Harrisonhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/james-atkins-362054b0/

Detroit by Felix Wang
https://wayjaywang.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayjaywang/

Hamilton (Bermuda) by Sean Douglasshttps://douglassbydesign.myportfolio.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-douglass-bb934014/

Qashiko (Kyoto, Japan) by Kaito (also goes by Khaito) Gengo
https://www.myfonts.com/foundry/Khaito_Gengo/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaito-gengo-a530939b/

FOUND TYPEFACE PROJECTS

Breuer Sans (Seattle Waterfront Sign)By Ashten Alexander, Sakura Chino, Vera Drapers, and Alan Enriquezhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/uw_design/50170739511/in/album-72157629304792692/

Castor (C&R Train Car) By Alex Alspaugh, Eli Kahn, Claire Kantner, Eric Nakassa, and Jack Sinclair after an image on Instagram from Jean François Porchez (https://www.instagram.com/typofonderie/) of a railcar at the B&O Baltimore Railroad Museum.
https://www.eli-kahn.com/castor-typeface
https://www.jacksinclair.design/castor-sans

Coco Rounded (Coconuts Sign)By Jessie Huynh, Dustin Mara, Riley Mehl, and Lillian Murphy from an image posted by the Alphabette Erin Ellis (www.erinellis.com) in New York City on 7th Ave between 35th and 33rd. Image on Instagram: www.instagram.com/p/BwtAYyFl1ag/https://www.flickr.com/photos/uw_design/50170739321/in/album-72157629304792692/

Esso
By Lacey Verhalen, Rachel Hobart, Molly Boyd and Jamie Martin with additional work by Koko Morrillhttps://cargocollective.com/rachelhobart/Esso-Typeface
http://www.studentshow.com/gallery/11578233/Esso-Typefacehttps://www.kokomorrill.com/esso-typeface

Knize
By Raziah Ahmed, Calvin Kordel, Koko Morrill, Eliza Townsend and Ian Yuhttps://www.flickr.com/photos/uw_design/43069970812/in/album-72157629304792692/

Mercado (Nick and Sons)
By Mckayla Buckley, Andrea Gonzales, Lavinia Tang, and Ashley Tseng based on an image on Flickr from Nicholas Felton www.flickr.com/photos/feltron/29918947125/

Patisserie (from Louise Fili’s Graphique de la Rue)
By Cameron Coupe, Dana Golan, Eva Grate, Sahm Lee, Jennifer Stronghttp://www.evagrate.com/patisserie-typeface

Workroom Sans (Delivery Sign)
By Philbert Widjaya, Ruby Peven, Joe Jang, and Annabelle Lee
https://www.flickr.com/photos/uw_design/43069970812/in/album-72157629304792692/
https://www.rubypeven.com/workroom-sans

ADDITIONAL UW TYPEFACE PROJECTShttps://www.flickr.com/photos/uw_design/albums/72157629304792692

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About Karen Cheng

Karen Cheng is Professor of Visual Communication Design at the University of Washington in Seattle. Her book, Designing Type, combines two of her passions: type design and information design. Since its initial publication in 2006, Designing Type has been translated into six languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean). A new, fully revised edition of Designing Type will be released in October 2020. The new edition includes an expanded discussion of how and why typefaces are designed, and two new case studies of student typeface projects. The selection of typefaces shown has also been substantially enlarged to include recent award-winning designs from premier contemporary type foundries.

Website: https://art.washington.edu/people/karen-cheng
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karen.cheng.5245
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kchenguw/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KarenKcheng