Project 4: Type Glossary
Summary: For Project 4, 'Typography Glossary', we created a detailed glossary containing 64 terms using InDesign. Our primary focus was on enhancing legibility and the overall document flow. We utilized Paragraph Styles, which links sections of text, to easily format the term, definition, and typeface credit. We carefully selected the typeface and paid close attention to leading and tracking to introduce text variety. Once the glossary was completed, we designed a cover page and subsequently printed and bound our physical typography glossary.
Goals: In Project 4, I had two primary objectives. The first was to create a Type Glossary that seamlessly combined legibility with visual interest. I accomplished this by employing the serif typeface Athelas for the terms and the sans-serif typeface Sathu for the definitions. My second goal was to explore the process of binding our glossary during the final stage of the project. It was a quick and easy process. We used a stapler and carpet square!
Exercise 1: In the first exercise of Project 4, we explored the art of typeface pairing. Our task involved recreating six predefined typeface pairings, as shown above. This exercise was not only an enjoyable experience, but also served as a means to explore the vast potential of typography. It marked the first time I had considered typefaces in terms of categories such as "hard" and "soft." This exercise fundamentally altered my perception of fonts, allowing me to discern unique characteristics in each typeface and make more informed decisions when working with typography.
Exercise 2: Exercise two closely resembled the final glossary design. In this exercise, we were provided with a term, definition, and a credit. Building on our understanding of typeface pairing, we applied these skills to develop our design theme. In my case, I concentrated on experimenting with various techniques like tracking, leading, kerning to achieve a clear and effective design.
Exercise 3: In this exercise, we set up our InDesign pages. We began by creating Parent Pages and adding four boxes using the rectangle tool, which would later hold images for each term. Then, we duplicated a dialogue box four times and established text threads connecting them. We proceeded to copy and paste each term, definition, and credit, linking each term to its counterpart and likewise for definitions. This approach ensured that when we made changes to one term, it automatically affected all 64 boxes, streamlining the editing process.
Paragraph Styles/ Fonts: During this project we were introduced to Paragraph Styles in Indesign. This tool is extremely useful for changing multiple bodies of text across many pages at once. We had our terms, definitions, and term credits grouped so we only have to change one of the words instead of 64. I chose to use the serif Athelas for the terms and the sans serif Sathu for the definitions because they worked well together, clear and easy to read. In the glossary each image was very easy to place with file:place. Each image was also labeled with its appropriate definition.
Cover: As I brainstormed ideas for my glossary cover design, I created a few quick sketches on my iPad to get started. Subsequently, I set up my document and began selecting a font. For the exterior, I opted for the serif font Athelas, consistent with the font used for each term. To enhance the cover, I cropped the letters to provide a zoomed-in appearance. The shapes behind my title represent the Memphis design style. Using this style made my cover more fun and lively! I maintained my green color scheme both inside and outside. Towards the end of the cover design process, I decided to outline the letters, mirroring the shapes. This choice significantly boosted the visibility of my title. For the glossary's interior, I chose to integrate the shapes from the cover. Each page features three different shapes in varying shades of green. Despite the addition of shapes, the design remains simple and does not obscure any definitions.
Printing: While printing our final glossary for this project, we encountered several technical difficulties. Following Professor Niki’s step-by-step project sheet, I easily converted my InDesign glossary file into a PDF for printing. During this particular step of the project, I gained an understanding of the difference between spreads. Printer spreads do not follow a successive page order; the document is printed with the first and last pages placed next to each other. In our case, with twenty-four pages, only the middle pages twelve and thirteen were in the correct order.
To bind our glossaries, we used a stapler and a carpet square. First, you place the folder glossary and lay the inside of the middle pages on the carpet square. Next, we stapled twice on the spine of the glossary into the carpet square.
Knowledge Gained: I significantly enhanced my InDesign skills during this project. I made extensive use of the group, ungroup, and layer lock tools, surpassing my previous level of proficiency. Additionally, I acquired valuable insights into the character and paragraph styles tools, which will undoubtedly prove beneficial in my future career, especially when needing to make bulk text changes. One fascinating discovery during this project was the Memphis design style. I never realized that the design I've always been drawn to had its own distinct category! Lastly, I gained a sneak peek into the printing process in InDesign through the experience of binding my glossary.
