Alphabeta: A Modular Typeface – Process Book

A MODULAR TYPEFACE
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I.
II.
III.
PROJECT BRIEF
PROCESS AND DEVELOPMENT
TYPEFACE
POSTER
3D
FINAL DELIVERABLES
page
3
4
5
17
27
31

PROJECT BRIEF
Assignment 1 // Modular Alphabet
Create a typeface, either uppercase or lowercase, using only a small
set of basic geometric shapes: a grid of squares or a grid of circles.
Deliverables:
• ONE TABLOID SIZED copy displaying all the letters in the alphabet
with your designed typeface
• ONE POSTER SIZED copy displaying the designed typeface in an
expressive manner
• THREE PHOTOGRAPHS on a tabloid sized paper displaying a word
in the designed typeface by using 3D materials
(Note: Deliverables are to be presented as both hard and soft copies)
COMD 204 // Celeste Martin

PROCESS AND DEVELOPMENT
Describes the researches, references, sketches, explorations, observations,
refinements, iterations etc. of the following fields:
i.
ii.
iii.
TYPEFACE
POSTER
3D

PROCESS AND DEVELOPMENT
TYPEFACE
OBSERVATION
SKETCHES
DIGITAL SKETCHES
REFINEMENT
FINAL
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 5

OBSERVATIONS
Exploring different forms of
modular typefaces. The cursive ones
particularly interests me.
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 6

The idea of
creating forms
with modular
units.
OBSERVATIONS
Inspired by different sources,
particularly barcodes and QR
codes and how it is mimicked in
typefaces.
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 7

SKETCHES
Experimenting with cursive
typefaces and how to use circle
units to fill in the form.
An ideation taken from braille
text and developing a single
stroke typeface from it.
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 8

SKETCHES
An idea developed from game
consoles and outline fonts.
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 9

DIGITAL SKETCHES
Experimenting ways of creating
modular typefaces online in:
fontstruct.com
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 10

The complete alphabet set of
“Braille”. One of the first drafts
for type presentations.
DIGITAL SKETCHES
Victoria Simansjah // COMD 204
The complete alphabet set
of “Alphabeta”. A typeface
inspired by game consoles and
software ‘betas’.
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 11

REFINEMENT
Refining and correcting the
drafts and narrowing down
which type to push forward.
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 12

REFINEMENT
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 13

REFINEMENT
The process of refining specific
letters in order to get the ideal
and desired form.
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 14

REFINEMENT
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 15

FINAL
Vicky Simansjah // COMD204
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 16

PROCESS AND DEVELOPMENT
POSTERS
OBSERVATIONS
SKETCHES
COLOUR PALETTE
REFINEMENT
FINALS
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 17

OBSERVATIONS
References for presenting
“Alphabeta” in a simple and
expressive poster.
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 18

OBSERVATIONS
More narrowed references on
putting “Alphabeta” based on
software interfaces, the idea of
perspective and the rubics cube.
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 19

SKETCHES
The first draft of “Alphabeta’s”
simple poster that displays all
the letters in the alphabet.
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 20

SKETCHES
Another draft of “Alphabeta”
using the qualities of 8-bit
video game consoles and
‘broken gradient’.
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 21

SKETCHES
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 22

SKETCHES
Poster idea based on the
‘broken gradient’ concept that
is used in 8-bit video game
consoles.
A draft for “Alphabeta’s”
expressive poster based on
creating buildings using letters
to form the shape.
Poster draft based on the use of
perspective and cube forms.
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 23

COLOUR PALETTE
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 24

REFINEMENT
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 25

FINALS
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 26

PROCESS AND DEVELOPMENT
3D
OBSERVATIONS
EXPLORATION
FINALS
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 27

OBSERVATIONS
An idea of using iPod nano and
the icons to develop words.
Stefan Sagmeister’s type play
by using coffee cups. He has
a lot of 3D type-plays in his
works which influenced a lot of
my process.
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 28

EXPLORATION
Experimenting with
magnets with the
size of 2.5 x 2.5 cm.
Playing with foam
sticks that are pasted
on to a mirror.
More magnet play.
Experimenting with 12
rubiks cubes, each with
the size of 3 x 3 cm.
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 29

FINALS
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013 // PAGE 30

FINAL DELIVERABLES
Final iterations of Alphabeta typeface in context

A MODULAR TYPEFACE
VICTORIA SIMANSJAH // COMD 204 // SPRING 2013