Course Outline of Record

Item	Value
Curriculum Committee Approval Date	10/02/2024
Top Code	061400 - Digital Media
Units	3 Total Units
Hours	90 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 36; Lab Hours 54)
Total Outside of Class Hours	0
Course Credit Status	Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee	No
Basic Skills	Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable	No
Open Entry/Open Exit	No
Grading Policy	Standard Letter (S)

Course Description

Formerly: Typography II. Typography and Branding explores the intersection of typography and branding through designing custom typefaces and developing brand identities. Students will learn vector-drawing techniques, including the Pen Tool, and create custom typefaces using industry-specific software. They will apply these typefaces in hypothetical brand identities and design comprehensive brand guidelines that reflect the chosen brand’s tone and style. By the end of the course, students will produce professional, portfolio-ready projects that showcase their custom typefaces and brand assets. PREREQUISITE: DMAD A181. Transfer Credit: CSU.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

1. Design and Create a Custom Typeface using vector-based tools like Adobe Illustrator and typeface creation software.
2. Develop a Comprehensive Brand Identity that incorporates their custom typeface, logo design, and other visual elements aligned with a brand’s tone and style.
3. Produce Portfolio-Ready Work that includes a custom typeface, complete brand guidelines, and visual brand assets.

Course Objectives

• 1. Understand the role of typography in branding and how custom typefaces contribute to brand identity.
• 2. Master vector-drawing techniques, such as using the Pen Tool and extreme point lettering, to create clean, professional letterforms.
• 3. Learn to design and export custom fonts using industry-standard software.
• 4. Create a functional typeface that includes upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.
• 5. Develop comprehensive brand guidelines that include typography, logo, color palettes, and other brand elements.
• 6. Design a cohesive set of branding assets that utilize their custom typeface.
• 7. Prepare and present portfolio-quality work that demonstrates proficiency in custom type design and brand identity development.

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Lecture Content

Introduction to Typography Branding Lecture Content: The Role of Typography in Branding History of typography in brand identity Case studies of brands using custom typefaces Typography Fundamentals Extreme Point Lettering Lecture Content: Anatomy of Letterforms Understanding serifs, stems, counters, etc. Introduction to Extreme Point Lettering Techniques The Pen Tool Digital Letterform Creation Lecture Content: Introduction to the Pen Tool in Adobe Illustrator How to trace and refine hand-drawn sketches into digital form Refining Vector Letterforms Lecture Content: Fine-Tuning Digital Letterforms Cleaning up anchor points Creating smooth curves and maintaining consistency Introduction to Font Creation Software Lecture Content: Overview of Typeface Design Tools (Glyphs, FontLab, etc.) Importing vectors into font creation software Managing font files and the font creation process Designing Lowercase Letters Lecture Content: Maintaining Consistency in Typeface Design Balancing proportions between uppercase and lowercase letters Numbers, Symbols, and Special Characters Lecture Content: Designing Numerals and Punctuation Marks Considerations for spacing and readability in non-letter characters Ligatures, Kerning, and Font Optimization Lecture Content: Advanced Typeface Features Ligatures, kerning, and spacing for professional-quality fonts Introduction to Branding Visual Identity Lecture Content: What is Brand Identity? Creating a visual language that communicates brand values The role of typography in shaping brand perception Logo Design with Custom Typography Lecture Content: Logo Design Using Custom Typefaces Case studies of logos created with custom fonts Building a Visual Brand Identity Lecture Content: Color Theory Visual Identity The psychology of color in branding How to pair colors with typography Developing Brand Guidelines Lecture Content: How to Create Brand Guidelines Key elements of brand guidelines (typography, logo, color, layout)

Lab Content

Refine uppercase letterforms in Illustrator. Start creating a functional font file for uppercase letters. Begin creating lowercase letters in Illustrator and font creation software. Add numbers and symbols to your font. Apply kerning and spacing adjustments in your typeface. Develop a hypothetical brand brief outlining key brand values, audience, and personality. Create a logo for your hypothetical brand using your custom typeface. Develop a color palette and supporting visual elements for your brand. Start developing your brand guidelines document. Review and refine brand guidelines. Prepare your custom typeface, brand guidelines, and visual assets for portfolio presentation.

Method(s) of Instruction

• Lecture (02)
• DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
• DE Online Lecture (02X)
• Lab (04)
• DE Live Online Lab (04S)
• DE Online Lab (04X)

Instructional Techniques

Software demos, digital image and video presentations, field trips, guest lectures, student critiques

Reading Assignments

Students will spend 1-2 hours per week on: Readings from required text Reading from assigned online resources

Writing Assignments

Students will spend 1-2 hours per week on: Self-Reflections Analysis of Elements and Principles of Design  Written Reports of Attended Events and/or Materials Read

Out-of-class Assignments

Students will spend 1-2 hours per week on: Design projects using appropriate softwareAttend on campus student art showsSketching and conceptualizing drawing

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

Exams on assigned reading, exams on typographic workbook, skill demonstrations, problem solving exercises, written assignments, attendance Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

Written reports, critiques of work seen outside of class, group critiques of student work

Eligible Disciplines

Commercial art (sign making, lettering, packaging, rendering): Any bachelor's degree and two years of professional experience, or any associate degree and six years of professional experience. Graphic arts (desktop publishing): Any bachelor's degree and two years of professional experience, or any associate degree and six years of professional experience. Multimedia: Any bachelor's degree and two years of professional experience, or any associate degree and six years of professional experience.

Other Resources

1. Selected handout materials to be provided and distributed by the instructor.