Typographic learning in the digital space

Michèle Wong Kung Fong
Assistant Professor in Communication Design
University of North Texas

This presentation looks at the current and progressing state of typographic education and responds to the struggles revolving around teaching abstract typographic traditions and principles, systemic thinking, and software instruction to entry-level design students. It sees the potential for learning to extend outside of the classroom walls; it sees the possibilities for students to meaningfully apply design theories—principles and traditions—in practice, when using software, with the support of the software.

This presentation uses Adobe InDesign as a platform for study and suggests a real-time plug-in that enables students to understand and apply abstract typographic principles and traditions as they engage in the digital design process using software applications. The real-time plug-in provides novice design students basic ubiquitous typographic education at different stages and venues in their 'making' process.

What this presentation foresees is a plug-in that enables more meaningful learning; a plug-in that is intelligent enough to provide typographic warnings, critiques, and suggestions to the novice design student.

Watch the video of this presentation here: http://www.socialstudiesconference.org/node/239