Project. Writing
Excerpts
Purpose. The
purpose of this project is to explore the potential of typographic
variables and the placement of letterforms within a composition
to communicate the meaning and the essence of a text.
Among the goals are to expose students to examples
of superb writing, encourage them to examine language carefully
and discover the power and beauty of typography as the visual
representation of language.
Assignment. Excerpts
from texts by writer William Faulkner, naturalist William Beebe,
writer Scott Momaday and the 1925 Scopes Trial argument between
William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow are randomly assigned.
Students must read the given texts carefully and then develop
a visual hierarchy. This is a preliminary exercise to visually
diagram all the parts of the text to better understand its meaning,
hierarchy, structure, sequence and all interrelationships within.
From this exercise students develop a concise communication goal,
focusing on a specific sentence, phrase or key words. Students
then identify three specific visual variables (size, weight,
shape, texture, position, orientation) that might successfully
support, enhance, or otherwise reinforce their communication
goal and explore the variables individually. Students evaluate
their three interim compositions and develop their final solution.
The final solution may be the best of the three compositions
or a synthesis among all three. This assignment is designed for
Junior level students.
Format. 10 x
10 inches (25 X 25 centimeters)
Time. 18 hours
+ 3 hour critique |
