Typography for Screen and Motion
Overview
This unit introduces the fundamental characteristics of type and communication for the electronic screen and its contrast with type for print media. The unit will explore typographic terminology, structure and the historical context of letterforms and Roman alphabets and their application in visual and information hierarchies within the electronic screen environment.
Requisites
Rule
50 credit points in:
Bachelor of Design (including double degrees and old Bachelor of Design tagged codes – currently on teach out), Bachelor of Design (Communication Design) (Honours), Bachelor of Screen Production, Bachelor of Games and Interactivity (including double degrees), Bachelor of Film and Television, Bachelor of Film and Television (Honours), Bachelor of Animation and affiliated double degrees.
01-June-2025
02-November-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Analyse a range of historical and contemporary screen-based conceptual, typographical, motion and navigation solutions, to inform the development of a motion-graphic outcome
- Integrate knowledge of key typographers and type design in screen and print contexts into the design of a typographical motion-graphic outcome
- Apply consistent typographic principles and information hierarchies to a screen environment
- Produce a motion typography design outcome applying knowledge of relevant industry standards and information management
- Appraise typography design project work visually and verbally based on the application of typographic principles and practices
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Activity Type | Activity | Total Hours | Number of Weeks | Hours Per Week | Venue Type and Activity Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus | Studio | 36 | 12 weeks | 3 | |
| Unspecified Activities | Various | 24 | 12 weeks | 2 | Readings, Video Tutorials |
| Unspecified Activities | Independent Learning | 90 | 12 weeks | 7.5 | Independent study, Assignment preparation, Revision |
| Total Hours: | 150 | Total Hours (per week): | 12.5 | ||
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brief 1 | Individual | 50% | 1,2,3,5 |
| Brief 2 | Individual | 50% | 1,2,3,4,5 |
Content
- History of typography, particularly the roman alphabet
- Typographic principles including: kerning, tracking, leading, hyphenation, grid structure, line length, etc
- Readability and legibility of typographic displays
- Historical development of screen navigation principles
- Contemporary standards for screen-based text displays
- Application and meaning of typography in a screen context
- Methods of concept development of motion, colour and typographic design for the screen
- Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Technical literacy
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.