Typographic Systems of Design 1th(First) Edition

by Kimberly Elam

Typographic organization has always been a complex system in that there are so many elements at play, such as hierarchy, order of reading, legibility, and contrast. In Typographic Systems, Kim Elam, author of our bestselling books, Geometry of Design and Grid Systems, explores eight major structural systems beyond the traditional ordering systems of the grid – including random, radial, modular, and bilateral systems. By taking the reader through exercises, student work, and professional examples, Elam offers a broad range of design solutions.Once essential visual organization systems are understood the designer can fluidly organize words or images within a structure, combination of structures, or a variation of a structure. With clarity and substance, each system – from the structured axis to the nonhierarchical radial array – is explained and explored so that the reader comes away with a better understanding of these intricate complex arrangements. Typographic Systems is the sixth title in our bestselling Design Briefs series, which has sold more than 100,000 copies worldwide.

Genres: Design, Art Design, Art, Nonfiction, Reference, Creative

Paperback

First published May 3, 2007

About the author

Kimberly Elam is a writer, educator and graphic designer. She currently chairs the Graphic + Interactive Communication Department at the Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota, FL, where she has developed an academic minor in the Business of Art and Design. Her previous design education positions include the Kansas City Art Institute, North Carolina State University and The Ohio State University—where she received a Distinguished Teaching Award.

She has written extensively about graphic design and design education. Her first book, Expressive Typography, Word as Image (Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1990) identifies and analyzes methods by which words can transcend didactic meaning and become images. Geometry of Design, Studies in Proportion and Composition (Princeton Architectural Press, 2001) visually illustrates the connection between classic proportioning systems and modern graphic design, industrial design, illustration and architecture. Grid Systems, Principles of Organizing Type, (Princeton Architectural Press, 2004) puts forth a clear methodology for understanding and learning the grid system of composition. Graphic Translation, A Graphic Design Project Guide, (BookSurge.com) focuses on the creation of images with the visual means of abstraction, reduction and interpretation with point, line, plane, shade and shadow. Her most recent book, Typographic Systems, Rules for Organizing Type (Princeton Architectural Press, 2007), presents an innovative series of nontraditional, rule-based, visual language systems for typographic composition. Her current work focuses on the development of a series of innovative ebooks and print-on-demand books for design education on her website, www.StudioResourceInc.com.

Reviews

[Reido · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book back in College, but wanted to make sure it's profoundness found other minds. If your like me, and want to understand the aesthetics of type; why type looks good diagonally, as apposed to horizontally, and all the other tricks that typographic wizards do. Then you'll want to read this book. She coined a lot of different phrases, and elements that you would see in graphic design, but were not traditionally spoken of. Therefore, giving them resonance in other ways.

Serendipitously I got to meet her at a design conference I was volunteering for that year. After speaking with her about her ideology between language and Graphic design, it was transforming. After that conversation I officially became a "word-nerd", But lets not linger on the details. This book let's you dive into graphic design for what it truly is; a science of space and distance. Read it.

[Natalia Wahlberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extremely educational and thorough. It was simple and concise and it touched on great points of type on the page (or layout). I would really recommend this book to anyone interesting in better understanding the role of type in the design process, whether you are a good and seasoned designer or a junior designer or learning about design.

[Dil Nawaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are 8 Typographic Systems

1- Axial
2- Radial
3- Dilatational
4- Random
5- Grid
6- Modular
7- Transitional
8- Bilateral

What is Axial Typographic?

Axial Typographic is a hierarchical chart. It has many steps (boxes) within the pyramid. Each box has a specific function.

What is Radial Typographic?
Radial Typographic is the same as Radial Graph but modified to fit a typeface.

What is Dilatational Typographic?

Dilatational Typographic is the opposite of Radial Typographic. It is a table. The table has multiple levels and each level has a specific function.

What is Random Typographic?

Random Typographic is the simplest of the types of typographic systems.

What is Grid Typographic?

Grid Typography is a chart or scale. It has many levels and columns.

What is Modular Typographic?

Modular Typographic is a sophisticated type of Graph Typography. It has many different levels, each level is used differently. The lower level grids are used like tables. The middle level is designed to be used in vertical and horizontal layouts. The upper level is for general design purposes. There are two popular styles of Modular Typography: Block Modular and Scroll Modular. Scroll Modular is the most common.

What is Transitional Typographic?

Transitional Typography is a combination of Dilatational and Radial Typography.

What is Bilateral Typography?

Bilateral Typography is a combination of Modular and Grid Typography.

Not too much about grids but about specific projects she mentioned. If you want to buy more about typographic grids system then buy other ones rather than this one.

Dil Nawaz,

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[Lailatun Nadhirah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sistem tipografi, atau struktur tipografi, atau kami kerap juga panggil sebagai "architectonic of graphic design".

Kemahiran ini antara kemahiran yang agak sukar untuk saya dalami, walaupun kerjaya saya adalah pereka grafik.

Reka letak untuk sistem tipografi memang memerlukan sensitiviti jarak, ruang, saiz, ketebalan dan peletakan. Hendak mahirkan diri dalam struktur-struktur tipografi ini memang disyorkan untuk sentiasa membuat latihan grafik. Setiap reka letaknya juga tidak boleh dibuat secara semberono. Peletakan-peletakannya perlu ada kaitan dengan konsep dan tujuan.

Sangat bermanfaat bagi mereka yang meminati seni grafik.

[Yatri Bhatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a working professional in design and this book shows some of the most creative and standard typographic layouts. An amazing book if you're in that experimentation stage of your design career and a very handy resource when you need to look for layout inspiration.

[Ania Gaska · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was very helpful, with many visual examples and clear explanations and descriptions!

[Tayebe Beheshti]

I don't know how to find it as an online pdf to read it. Please help me if u have a version of it

[Sathakjavid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m still confounded the lecture talking at my class,. I want reading this please.. if when I will understand the ebook this

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grids are awesome. Ive always heard that they're the foundation of any graphic design project. I thought that was just meant to be funny because it's a pun, but it's true! Well mostly. The categories or grids are really helpful. I think about them every time I have to do any kind of layout.