OUGD603 - Univers - Brief / Initial Research

Working collaboratively with Ed Harland

Ed's skills
- Great technical knowledge
- Professional Considerations
- Typography
- Research
- Conceptual

Ed and I can work together because my practical skills and knowledge of a variety of techniques and processes will compliment Ed's deep understanding of the topic.

We both love the typeface and it has featured in our work throughout the course.

Brief 08 - Research Brief

Collaborative project with Ed Harland

UNIVERS

Problem

We have identified countless projects and publications exploring Emil Frutiger's Univers predominantly to inform on the structure and anatomy of the typeface. Designed in 1957, the typeface was created to help positively shape society after the war and ever since it has been used predominantly for function. Whilst this is important, we intend to push the boundaries of the typeface in order to visually inspire, gain appreciation for the typography and ultimately avoid the mundane.

Rationale

We believe innovation comes from experimentation, therefore we want to interpret Univers from an artistic perspective in order to challenge its original purpose.  Ruder's practice spanned from a variety of typesetting techniques and processes from hot metal type, phototypesetting and finally digital typesetting. We intend to use these traditional and contemporary techniques through process directed design in order to break away from the mundane. This is an opportunity to break away from the usual purpose orientated briefs in order to emphasise process and experimentation. We feel we are at the level where we can take control and break traditional rules of design and Univers' diversity allows us to flex our skills and knowledge developed over the three years.

Aims and Objectives 

• To understand the process of the past that has shaped the use of Univers and practitioners that have successfully used it - Emil Ruder, Willi Kunz, Helmut Schmid
• Reinterpret these processes for more artistic uses as opposed to creating function
• Broaden our approach to typography and design in general
• Take advantage of the variety of weights Univers offers in order to create dynamic compositions. 
• Turn the representation of Univers on its head
• Abuse the typeface
• Increase appreciation for type
• Show an awareness of materials 

Deliverables 

A publication to suit a gallery context

Thorough research into process and history of Univers documented on Blogger and within the design boards.

Audience

Designers - People who work in the design industry will be familiar with the typeface but may not have seen it from an artistic perspective. This is an opportunity to stand out and inspire a new perspective on type.

Artists - Appreciate the conceptual approach and variety of techniques and processes.

Galleries - Galleries may be interested in exhibiting the artwork

Publishers

Concerning members of the public - In order to realise its potential

Consideration - What deems our work as 'artistic'?

The fact that the outcome will have been designed and created subjectively through experimentation and process. It will have no purpose other than itself.

Restrictions 

Limited use of digital design tools in order to emphasise process
Only using the word 'Univers' to keep focus on process

Techniques and Processes 

The outcome will be digitally aided but not designed in order to return to craft.

• Woodblock Type
• Dark Room - Photograms 
• Screen Print
• Monoprint
• Digital Typesetting
• Debossing 
• Collage
• Stencilling 

We may add more techniques and processes as the project develops.

Deadline

11/05/2018

Initial Research 

IDEA MAGAZINE - Ruder Typography, Ruder Philosophy

The publication offers information on Ruder's practice and has a large section dedicated to Univers. This will help me to gain knowledge and provide a personal insight into Ruder's thinking.

'We can only begin to understand contemporary typography when design is interwoven in the closest possible way with the spiritual, social, scientific and technical manifestations of today.' - 1952, p. 57

For example:

Ruder used the format of the periodic table to demonstrate the variety of weights and styles:

Other examples of Univers in the real world:

• Keyboard - Apple Model Number: M3501

• The Louvre 

'To abandon craftsmanship and physical labour almost calls for a cultural and artistic decadence. All the main cultures of the past were based on craftsmanship, and creative articulation is impossible without the resistance of material and technique.' p. 168

Type composition in metal type:

Outcome:

The publication demonstrates the expressive qualities of Univers

Fruiter prefers an asymetric layout as it is more natural.
Designs from the inside out

By contrasting straight and italic letters

Demonstrating how the variety of weights can work cohesively to produce exciting compositions with typography.
Seeing type as a form rather than character.

Univers came before Helvetica - Older brother?

AVOID:

As highlighted within the brief, we intend to avoid 

In order to make the most of our limited time, we decided to share the workload by designating each other with responsibilities. At this stage both Ed and I have a basic understanding of Univers and Emil Ruder's approach, however to avoid researching the same thing we decided that I would go off a research techniques and processes that can be applied to our final outcome. This will inform our concept. At the same time, Ed can continue researching into theoretical and contextual information. 

LETTERPRESS

Alan Kitching 

Aesthetic through process 

Uses letterpress - Inconsistencies in print and finish add character to the composition. 

His playful use of typesetting suggests he has put it together by hand.

There is clear usage of Univers within his work:

Shows good compositional skills and awareness of space

Layering creates different tones - By overlapping the letterforms we can demonstrate the variety of weights. 

  

Dafi Kuhne - Woodtype Now!

Kuhne demonstrates how different pressures, grains and materials can effect the quality of print:

Shimming:

Typographic posters:

Phototypesetting

Ruder was practising through letterpress into phototypesetting. This process was fairly shortlived due to the developments of the PC / Mac. It used a photographic process to generate columns of type on a scroll of photographic paper.

Whilst we don't have a phototypesetter available, it could be possible to simulate the process using dark room photography tools. 

Photogram - A photogram is a photographic print made by laying objects onto photographic paper and exposing it to light

Man Ray - Famous for this technique:

To achieve this we could either/or:

• Laser cut shapes/letterforms out of paper/wood and use them to block the light. 
• Print design out on acetate and expose under light - This technique would be more reliable and consistent when printing multiples. 

Eric Brandt:

Layering characters to create type-scultptures:

Movable type:

Using the form of the book as a tool to manipulate type.

Allows the reader to interact and effect the appearance of the type.

Pushing the boundaries of what a book / letterform can do. 

I will feed this back to Ed and discuss each others findings in order to formulate a better concept.