MODULAR TYPEFACE DESIGN - Jacob RobisonThis type specimen book showcases a modular font I created by...

APPLIED TYPOGRAPHYmodular typeface design

MODULARTYPEFACE DESIGN


Modular TypefaceA modular typeface is an alphabet constructed out of a limited number of shapes or modules that can be transformed subtly, by rotating, flipping and so on, to create an entire alphabet.


Optical ConsiderationsA typeface composed of strict geometric rules can lose subtle details and relationships between white space and stroke widths that are pleasing to the eye. Quirky characters that look great in isolation can snag the eye when repeated in a block of text. Attempting to apply exactly the same set of rules to each letter is similar to handing out the same size clothes to a random selection of adults. Some will have excess baggy sleeves, others will be skin tight, and some will barely squeeze over their heads. To solve this problem the pattern has to be adjusted for each character, without losing sight of the overall design.


BalanceThis is an example of a typeface based on a very strict grid of squares and circles. Many characters look quite presentable, but these few look particularly top heavy. Both counters of the ‘8’ are identical in size, but optically the top looks bigger. The ‘5’ has a squared-off counter on the top half, which creates larger area of white space than the bottom — making it look ridiculously unstable.


WidthsBy cutting and pasting modular elements it’s common to make many characters the same width, but this creates widely different white spaces inside each character. Take the ‘b’ and ‘h’ for example — the squared-off counter of the h makes it appear much larger than the ‘b’s.


The JoinsAt the point where two strokes meet or cross each other, the join is liable to “clog up”. A typical example above, shows a circle attached to a vertical line to create a ‘b’. A heavy area appears where the curve tries to pull away from the straight. By trimming a little from the inside, it pushes the curve down in the right direction.


The SThe ‘S’ is a difficult character to get right, it relies on a careful balance of two open counters both horizontally and vertically. The classic “cut and shut” technique of pushing two semi-circles together leaves a tell-tale kink in the middle. This meeting point has to carefully smoothed out to give the impression of one long stroke.


Stroke WidthsThe horizontal and vertical strokes should not be the same thickness. If they are, the horizontal strokes will look heavier. An example above shows how a visually monolinear typeface such as Futura, has subtle adjustments to the horizontal strokes to make them appear even.


OvershootUnfortunately, lining up straight and curved edges using guidelines does not work. In the above example, the circle is the same height as the two squares, but appears to be significantly smaller. To compensate for this optical illusion, the curve needs to increase in size so it seems level with the horizontal lines.


SpacingSpacing can be a huge challenge to those new to type design, and only gets easier with practice. The example above shows rounded and straight shapes, all equally spaced apart. However, the two squares appear much closer than the two rounded shapes. By adding extra space to the straight edges and less to the curved shapes a good balance can eventually be achieved.


Your Typeface’s Visual LanguageThere are many options to explore when deciding how your modular typeface will look and function. Here are some considerations.

What type of grid should I use? Flat? Dimensional? Circular? Angular?

What are the visual charactaristics of my letterforms? Condensed? Expanded? Bold? Light? Chromatic? or Mono-Chromatic?

What shapes will my letterforms be comprised of? Squares? Circles? Triangles? Lines? Dots? A mix of shapes?

How many modules will make up my letterforms? 1, 2, 3, 7? more?

How do I account for curves in my letters? Curved? Straight?


START WITH ASKETCH

EXPLORE MANYOPTIONS


EXPLORE GRID TYPES


A reliable and versatile circular-based

grid. Allows lowercase as well as capital. Sans serif, minor calligraphic touches, and fair inclusion of ligatures.


Basketball court inspired grid. Narrow, high x-height, inconsistent serif usage.


Basic cube. 6x6 grid on three faces leads to pixelated-looking letterforms.


Isometric Grid to create letterforms with a sense of dimension.


SPECIMEN BOOK


80’s WorkoutThis type specimen book showcases a modular font I created by overlaying shapes of different opacities. I decided to keep the book’s design extremely playful in order to match the feel of the “80’s Workout” typeface. Using Olivia Newton-John and Richard Simmons as my sources of 1980’s inspiration, I used bright colors, a simple font to pair with the modular font and of course, leg warmers to catch the eye.


StructuraStructura is a modular typeface with 3 styles. Each one is made out of 6 elements by Vika Nurislamova in 2015 as a student project in the British Higher School of Art and Design, Moscow


ADDITIONALEXAMPLES


SPECIMENBOOK COVER


SETTING UPYOUR WORKSPACE


Each letterform will get it’s own artboard


Work with the pasteboard to develop and manage modules

MODULAR TYPEFACE DESIGN - Jacob RobisonThis type specimen book showcases a modular font I created by...

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