This week was all about wordmarks as this is the next step in our project. They are essential for communication as it “communicates a message where the originator is not present”. When creating a wordmark, choosing the right typography is very important.
Typography can help convey the message of a brand and represent its tone of voice. When choosing typography for my wordmark, I must make sure it is consistent with my brands tone of voice. I also want it to be attention grabbing and stand out. I think its important to choose a typeface that has different weights and styles within it. This way, the brand will remain consistent but there will be some contrast for different elements across platforms.
One of the tasks we were given was on type anatomy. I had to write my name in a chosen typeface and identify the different elements of it. The typeface I chose was Rockwell. I found this very useful as it will help me become more familiar with the anatomy of type and the vocabulary. This is the results:
This lesson helped me expand my vocabulary when it comes to typography. For example, we learnt about Kerning. This is the process of adjusting the spacing between characters. This makes the letters fit together better and makes it more visually appealing.
The website typemethod.ac is a good tool to practice kerning. I think using this will train my eye to get better at spacing letters. Here is an example of one I did:
Before –
After –
This shows me how much of a difference spacing make. I will continue practicing this.
We also learnt about Ligatures. These are made from 2 or more letters which appear connected. This can be seen a lot in handwriting.
Hierarchy is also very important in typography. This draws the audience’s attention to the most important part first. It gets people to look at different elements in the order you want.
When designing our wordmarks, its important to make them stand out and be unique. This can be done using negative space, changing the letter spacing/size etc. However, when doing this, its important to not manipulate the typeface as it can then appear distorted. Instead, choose a different typeface that works better.
Conclusion
I am going to ensure I take everything I have learnt into consideration when creating my personal wordmark. This week, I will continue with the tasks given to further develop my skills and I will continue researching and finding inspiration.