Kimberly's DES 115 process book

Kimberly Li’s DES 115

Process Book

Table of Contents

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Minimal Letterforms Sketches

Minimal Letterforms Mockups

Minimal Letterforms Final

Type Hierarchy Set 1

Type Hierarchy Set 2

Type Hierarchy Set 3

Book Design Sketches/Mockups

Book Design Final

Minimal Letterforms Sketches

In the minimal letterforms project, we’re have to choose a typeface, study every letter, and subtract it to its unique traits in a four-square dimension without changing the typefaces, sizes, or cap/lowercase in between each square of the letterform project. After looking at the other fonts, I was interested in Helvetica and gave myself a challenge to make a ‘boring’ font interesting with this project. I traced a lot of the letterforms*, and found myself drawn to the curves and straight edges, and how they clash and contrast strongly against each other. I think that’s what brought my inspiration when I put these curves and straightedges together in these sketches above, most of which were lower cases. I tried playing with negative space too (top left) to see if it’ll create a stronger dynamic. * the tracings were recycled before I could add them, sorry!

digital form (via Illustrator) to see what they look like without the pencil shade and boxy markings (see above). I later grew fond of the black-on-white instead of white-on-black, which shows a professional touch rather than a kid’s play. I also chose lowercase letterforms of Helvetica because there are different heights, counters, and shapes that look more interesting than all-caps.

After a lot of experimentation, I finalize two mock ups with different meanings to themselves: one that is the balanced, plain, and safe a-n-g-u (bottom left), and the experimental, playful a-h-q-e (mid-left).

Minimal Letterforms Mockups

I placed the sketches into

Minimal Letterforms Final

The final version end up being a combination of both final mockups; I included both the harmonious mirror-like b-p combination as well as disrupting the balance with x-height/ascender/descender contrast. I think that this dynamic is appropriate for highlighting Helvetica’s trademark curves, geometric sans-serif, and proportioned strokes.

Visible Language A lecture series exploring the relationship between form and content

Thursday, December 3 135 Walker Hall UC Davis 6 pm

Thursday, December 10 135 Walker Hall UC Davis 6pm

Thursday, December 17 Design Museum UC Davis 7pm

Lectures are free and open to the public

The Type Hierarchy Studies project is about finding new and creative ways to make layouts for the same set of information. There are three sets of layouts that I created for this project: Set 1, 2, and 3, each divided into two additional categories of A and B. Set 1a constraints is to use 15 pt. Universe 45 (light) typeface. Set 1b constraints is to use 15 pt Univers 45 and 65 (light and bold). For Set 1, I printed out all of the information on paper, cut them out, and align them different ways to brainstorm how to communicate the information clearly, effectively, but also interestingly. Like with project 1 mockups, I split the 1a and 1b into two versions in Indesign: one that is experimental and playful, and one that is safe and professional. The dynamic of 1a’s use of vertical positioning, zig-zag alignment, as well as the use of white space creates the playful sense and something that draws the eye. 1b’s use of bold hierarchy, center positioning, and strict alignment makes the information seem more professional and adult-like.

Visible Language

A lecture series exploring the relationship between form and content

Orientation and disorientation Richard Saul Wurman Nicholas Felton Ruedi Baur

Thursday, December 3 6 pm 135 Walker Hall UC Davis

More than just a love of letters Tobias Frere-Jones Jonathan Hoefler Zuzana Licko

Thursday, December 10 6 pm 135 Walker Hall UC Davis

Matter/anti-matter/does it matter?

Stefan Sagmeister Andrew Blauvelt Marian Bantjes

Thursday, December 17 7 pm Design Museum UC Davis

Lectures are free and open to the public

Set 1b

Type Hierarchy Set 1

Set 1a

Matter/anti-matter/does it matter?

Marian Bantjes Andrew Blauvelt Stefan Sagmeister

More than just a love of letters

Zuzana Licko Jonathan Hoefler Tobias Frere-Jones

Orientation and disorientation

Ruedi Baur Nicholas Felton Richard Saul Wurman

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Set 2a deals with the constraints of using 15 pt and 9 pt Universe 45 and 65 (bold and light), while Set 2b deals with the constraints of using 15 pt and 9 pt Univers 45, 46 and the italic Univers style.

I sketched out different layouts and started modifying the chosen sketch(es) or combining them into mockups. For Set 2a (top), I sketched out a layout based on the use of an angle set on a four-way grid.

It later refined to an angle set on a stack, then I spreaded it out in the final version to take up the white space. For Set 2b (bottom), I sketched out a layout based on organized boxes, then modified it to an experimental distribution of juxtapositioned listing, and finally refined it with the idea of the organized boxes in an evenly centered hierarchy. I flushed the rest of the text right and left in order to create a slight dynamic.

Set 2b

Visible Language A lecture series exploring the relationship between form and content

Orientation and disorientation

Thursday, December 3 6 pm 135 Walker Hall UC Davis

Tobias Frere-Jones Jonathan Hoefler Zuzana Licko

More than just a love of letters

Thursday, December 10 6 pm 135 Walker Hall UC Davis

Stefan Sagmeister Andrew Blauvelt Marian Bantjes

Matter/anti-matter/does it matter?

Thursday, December 17 7 pm Design Museum UC Davis

Richard Saul Wurman Nicholas Felton Ruedi Baur

Lectures are free and open to the public

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Set 3a gives us the same limitations as 2b, but with the use of rules (i.e. lines, shapes, etc). Set 3b, on the other hand, permits us the use of any size, style, and weight of Univers, with or without rules.

With this freedom, I created more different layouts, especially for 3b. I decided not to go with the mockup in 3a because the angle was too rough, the rules were distracting, and the center type did not go well with the boxes. I then sketched out another layout idea and went with that version instead because of its uniformity, minimal use of rules, and still readable with the light angle. For 3b, I didn’t go with the mockup because the number was too big, the shapes and rules were going all over the place, and it was hard to see what was going on in the layout. I refined from another sketch that I used to play around with the title in addition to a stairstepping set of rules to help guide the reader to the units of information.

Set 3b

V isible L anguage Orientation and disorientation Ruedi Baur Nicholas Felton Ricard Saul Wurman Thursday, December 3 135 Walker Hall UC Davis 6 pm

More than just a love of letters Zuzana Licko Jonathan Hoefler Tobias Frere-Jones Thursday, December 10 135 Walker Hall UC Davis 6 pm

A lecture series exploring the relationship between form and content Lectures are free and open to the public

Matter/anti-matter/ does it matter?

Marian Bantjes Andrew Blauvelt Stefan Sagmeister Thursday, December 17 Design Museum UC Davis 7 pm

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Book Design Sketches/Mockups

The idea of the Book design project is to assemble the contents of Paul Rand’s “Design and the Play Instinct” book into a different book design, created by ourselves. I decided to sketch out the possible covers and page layouts for the project, and decided to mockup the covers as well as the introduction of the book. I found myself changing colors consistently in order to see what works and what doesn’t work as a playful and defining color of what makes Paul Rand who he is.

shapes help to evoke the sense of play. I also utilize time to put the word bank into a word cloud as well as a uniform layout for the intro, body, and reference pages. I printed the book out and binded it with bookbinding glue, C-clamps, paper clamps, and wooden planks.

Book Design Final

I end up going with the color blur in order to help show the professionalism in design, and the use of