University Day 2 - Design Principles

Tuesday 27th September (Week 10) - HPO Studio - Typographic Mapping

After looking around zone 10 this morning I came across different forms of type throughout the zone. In the forms of signs, graffiti, road markings and building shapes. 

Sketchbooks

In today's studio session we had a presentation about the different methods of using a sketchbook and why we should use a sketchbook. Although we will all use sketchbooks in different ways, sketchbooks are used to explore different ideas, help you share and communicate ideas, reflect on your work (what's working and what's not) for example. A key use for a  sketchbook is that you record EVERYTHING down even if it is good or bad it can be useful when you look back on how your designs have developed and can give you ideas for future projects. Sheffield Hallam has no preference to what size sketchbook you use because they like you to use whatever size sketchbook you feel comfortable using for your designs.

I personally use the Moleskine Cahier Plain Pocket Journal (Available on Amazon 

(Click Here)) I find them really easy to use, transport and it's a great little space to get your ideas down on paper when you are out and about compared to carrying big A3 sketchbooks around with you. The Moleskine Cahier Plain Pocket Journal has the dimensions (mm) of H 142 x W 90 x D 5.

The Moleskine books are available in ruled, plain and graphed paper.

Typographic Maps

After the presentation about sketchbooks, we were set a task using an A3 map of our zones and tracing paper and to use our current collected material to overlay above the mapped zone. Using the iMacs we used google maps, Wikimapia to find out different information about the different buildings and the roads within the different zones.

First using the tracing paper and my mark making materials I coloured in all the roads within my zone, which in turn creates a unique map on its own. 

 Then using a separate sheet of tracing paper I wrote the different road names in the correct position to create a basic map of the just the road names.

I then overlayed the map of the road names map over the roadmap, creating a more detailed map of my zone. 

On a new sheet of tracing paper, I then added the parking signs and road marking for the direction of traffic flow. When looking at the original zone map n more detail I started to notice letters forming within the shapes of the roads and buildings.

The letterforms that I have found are:

A, C, E, F, I, J, L, N, O, R, U, !

From my findings, I have started to record them in my sketchbook and looking at how I could present the different letters, to create my typeface.

 What Next...

Wednesday 28th September - Self-directed Study

I will continue to research into the history of the different buildings of my zone and start developing sketches in  my sketchbook.

Thursday 29th September All day - Primary Research

this task is to Generate a body of research using as many different devices for translating your experiences and observations of all the type you find in your zone, whilst recording and establishing what character you notice in your assigned area of Sheffield.