Module 01

Type is a beautiful group of letters, not a

group of beautiful letters.
Matthew Carter

SONNY NGUYEN ART 230 TYPOGRAPHY | 1

P O N D E R | M O D U L E 01

Hi my name is Sonny Nguyen and my Besides being a pre-requisite for my other design classes dont find it efficient to learn and progress with the mind-
and my web design major, I want to use to this class over set. If you are incompetence in something you know
most distinguishing feature is my lack of improve my sense of typography. In my previous classes, you have to continue to progress and there is lee-way to
features in any specific Asian ethnicity I was always deducted for not having bad typography, progress.
category. which I still have not yet understand what is good and
what is bad.
CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTIONS I hope this class helps push me with conscious
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
Where did you come from, before BYU-Idaho? incompetence. At this point I really dont know anything
What is conscious incompetence and how can about typography besides that I understand what is
Rancho Cucamonga understanding this idea help you be a better graphic san-serif, serifs, modern, old style, slab serif, script, and
or Fontana, California, designer? decorative. After that, I really have no idea what is good
depending how the and what isnt but with the fonts we are given, I believe
question is asked. I see conscious incompetence as something I dont
they are good and I need to see, learn, and understand to
exactly understand or unable to do, but I do recognise
improve for own personal designs with typography.
Why are you here, at what I could or be potentially doing.
BYU-Idaho?
Knowing what I am doing wrong or knowing how I
I am here at BYUIdaho, should do something, can help or guide me to where on
because I wanted to to the correct path of an assignment or design.
explore my career choices
Take a photograph of a letter or without spending too It wont exactly be the easiest road, but it is a road that
number at your current location. much money compared to will get you there.
Crop it and add it to this page with
a caption.
schools in California, go to
a school more renowned I personally see being conscious incompetence as more
than a community college, and learn more about the like a supportive helper or aid instead of a weakness,
people and the religion that I joined. because it is something I can continue to try, learn, and
achieve
Where are you going, after BYU-Idaho

Well, there are so many options out there that I am
interested in. I am hoping to do some work for the
Church, try to apply to international companies
(specifically from Japan) , or even other companies like
SONY, Adobe, theGrid, Apple, etc.
Why are you taking this class and what do you hope
that it will do for you?
It wont exactly be the easiest
road, but it is a road that will get
you there.
I rather be conscious incompetence then be conscious
competence, because being conscious competence
takes a mind to be confident and knowingly confident. I

SONNY NGUYEN ART 230 TYPOGRAPHY | 2

 Module 02
No other design discipline requires
so much learning and training as
fontography, and by no other aspect
can amateurs be so easily distinguished
from professionals. To be font literate, a
designer has to study the history and the
principles of font design.
Dmitry Kirsanov, www.kirsanov.com

SONNY NGUYEN ART 230 TYPOGRAPHY | 1

CO M P O S I N G W I T H G LY P H S | T H U M B N A I L S K E TC H E S

Sans Serif

2 3

Serif

2 3

SONNY NGUYEN ART 230 TYPOGRAPHY | 2

CO M P O S I N G W I T H G LY P H S | D I G I TA L S K E TC H E S

Sans Serif

A
Serif

SONNY NGUYEN ART 230 TYPOGRAPHY | 3

S K I L L S AC T I V I T Y | T Y PE - FAC E
Courtney
Courtney
She enjoys reading, writing, and running. Has
a job in graphic design. Previously did cross
country, but now just loves the simplicity of
sitting on the couch and eating chips.
SONNY NGUYEN
SHELBY
Shelby
A Rexburg native, who loves to plays video
games, especially the racing kinds. One of
his favorites is mario kart. He enjoys all kinds
of food. For his future, he just wants a simple
family and career, but hopes to become a
graphic designer for the Church.
KA TI E
Katie
From Texas, she is fond of the city life. She
hates the wildereness,, but at the same time
does enjoy some outdoor activities. She is
a shoppoholic and has a strong passion in
it as well as sharing it. She especially loves
thriftshopping, quilting and cooking in her
spare time.
SONNY
Sonny
From California, he enjoys indoor activities
such as a playing video games, listening to
Japanese music, and staying indoors and
perventing himself from becoming tan as
much as possible.
ART 230 TYPOGRAPHY | 4
P O N D E R | S K E TC H E S A N D T Y PE FAC E S
No other design discipline requires
so much learning and training as
fontography [typography], and by no
other aspect can amateurs be so easily
distinguished from professionals.
Dmitry Kirsanov
How does the quote impact your outlook on
pursuing a graphic design education?
Well, I find this really bold as if it was personally targeting
me, because my typography always seems to hurt my
designs insomuch, that no matter how good my design
could ever be, it could not be made up by how horrific
my bad typography would effect it .
It also puts me in the mind-set, that learning typography
can help distinguish myself as potential professional
in my future career in web design or graphic design
incompare as to an amateur. It really helps set up a goal
that is not only reachable but as well as beneficial to my
future.
THUMBNAILS
Where were you most successful in the sketches?
I felt from my sketches, that the most successful area
was probably me emphasizing the size and the main
letter that would be use. I also felt I had a good balance
it finding which letter or number would best be large,
medium, and small.
SONNY NGUYEN
DIGITAL SKETCHES CONCLUSION
How did you use your concept thumbnail sketches What was the most beneficial part of this module?
when creating the digital sketches? How did it help you?
I used my concept thumbnail sketches as a main I felt the most beneficial part of this module was doing
prototype or reference. After that, I would come back the twenty-four hand-drawn sketches because although
and forth to other thumbnail sketches to expand on and they werent really good luck, much rather decent, they
to overall improve my digital sketches. were quite beneficial as inspiration for better and more
forms of design.
RESEARCH | TYPE-FACE
I felt it really helped me, because it is sometimes really
In what way has the Type-Face activity helped you?
hard to find inspiration so having these sketches I can go
I felt the Type-Face activity helped me classify certain back and forth and use and resuse for my own beneficial
typefaces and font to certain objects to my own point purpose.
of view and applied it. It really helped me look at what
type of person are they, along with their interests, their
personalities, and their overall wellbeing and use them
all as factors for my overall final result and product.
THINKING WITH TYPE
You can express the meaning of
a word or an idea through the
spacing, sizing, and placement
of letters on a page.
Page 20
I chose this type design because it not shows
the contrast between fine and bold, but it also
expresses definition on it, giving a not only
three dimensional, but indented feel to it.
ART 230 TYPOGRAPHY | 5
 Module 03
Geometry can produce legible letter
but art alone makes them beautiful. Art
begins where geometry ends, and
imparts to letters a character transcending
mere measurement.
Paul Standard, 1947 www.smith.edu/library/rarebook/exhibitions

SONNY NGUYEN ART 230 TYPOGRAPHY | 1

CO M P O S I N G W I T H G LY P H S | VA R I AT I O N S

Sans Serif

Serif

SONNY NGUYEN ART 230 TYPOGRAPHY | 2

CO M P O S I N G W I T H G LY P H S | FI N I S H E D CO M P O S I T I O N S

Sans Serif Serif

SONNY NGUYEN ART 230 TYPOGRAPHY | 3

CO M P O S I N G W I T H G LY P H S | T Y P O G R A PH I C A N ATO M Y

stem

stroke

uppercase

aperture

diagonal stroke

Sans Serif Serif

SONNY NGUYEN ART 230 TYPOGRAPHY | 4

SKILLS | BUILD UP LET TERING
1. I felt like drawing letter definitely
gave me a better understand and
gratitude for all those who have
creative individual typefaces
and fonts.

2. After scanning it and see up close

it feels somewhat up equal and
unbalanced especially if I typed
the letter in its font and overlap,
I could see all the extra need
attention in certain areas.

SONNY NGUYEN ART 230 TYPOGRAPHY | 5

V I S UA L AU D I T | T Y PE J O U R N A L 01

SONNY NGUYEN ART 230 TYPOGRAPHY | 6

P O N D E R | M O D U L E 03

If I woke up in a musical it would be Les
Miserables, because it is a well balance
musical in musical styles, refreshing and
historical background, and catchy and
memorable songs.
I had to remember to align everything and if it isnt
aligned it has to have a strong reason or more bluntly
obvious it isnt aligned.
3. The third and last or the important concept I found
and learned from this project was that limits are
essential to each one of ones own designs. I

It is because sometimes we may or maybe have gone

I especially would love to wake up in too far or done too much on a design and either
becomes too busy or lost in the composition.
the song I Dream a Dream or Stars Sans Serif

because they not only have so much Looking back over the process what part of your
process would you change and why?
emotion, they too are relatively loud
If I were too look back to my process and change a part
enough to probably wake me up. of it, it would most likely be how I approached the design
principles because I went at it from the beginning, slowly
PROJECT
left the concept after more and more add-on items.
I still really liked the concept, but
I still really liked the concept, but I most definitely want
I most definitely want to restart to restart my execution on it.
my execution on it.
BEHANCE LINK
Serif
What are the three most important concepts that you https://www.behance.net/sonnykun
learned from this project?
1. The first important concept I found and learned from
this project was trying to make readjust or recreate
something that you thought was already finished or at
least met the requirement of the project.

I really found it hard because the first portion I was

thinking and determining what was exactly wrong with
it so I could improve it.

2. The second important concept I found and learned

from this project was going back to basic fundamentals
such as the design principles from the introduction to
graphic design class that I had previously taken.

SONNY NGUYEN ART 230 TYPOGRAPHY | 7