These headings identify the core seminar topics on the MATD, which take place roughly every two weeks. A student leads a seminar on a specific topic, having prepared both a presentation and a handout. A guided discussion follows, covering a range of related resources. Seminars roughly shadow the progress of issues raised by practical work, and other teaching. (So, the first two seminars coincide with Wayne Hart’s workshop on cutting letters in stone, James Mosley’s lectures on inscriptional lettering, and Richard Grasby’s guest lecture.)
Note all items are to be received critically — some are on the list precisely because they help illustrate the advance of scholarship, or the changing views in our field. The list is scaled to fit within the time limits of the discussion, and not offer a definitive resource on the topic.
There is a link to the main list of items reviewed and discussed in each session. These secondary listings will be populated gradually throughout the 2012–13 academic year.
Note: some key sources are not included (e.g. James Mosley’s superb blog) because they are part of a general reference list that every student is expected to be familiar with. Locating any relevant entries is part of the preparation for the seminar. Also, some items may appear in more than one list, if they are relevant to more than one topic.
The lettering tradition
Key text: Nicolete Gray’s History of lettering
> Full list of items discussed.
Roman inscriptional lettering
Key texts: Father Catich’s The origin of the serif, and Richard Grasby’s monographs
> Full list of items discussed.
The punchcut letter
Key text: Fred Smeijers’ Counterpunch
Full list of items discussed forthcoming.
Designers and makers
Key topic: the French Academy’s Romain du roi
Full list of items discussed forthcoming.
Typeforms and writing
Key texts: Gerritt Noordzij’s The stroke and The stroke of the pen
> Full list of items discussed.
The computer in typeface design
Key text: the Visible Language issue on ‘The computer and the hand in type design’
Full list of items discussed forthcoming.
Early digital typefaces
Key texts: GU on Demos, Lucida, Proforma, Sumner Stone on Stone
Full list of items discussed forthcoming.
Models and patterns
Key text: Richard Southall’s Typemaking in the twentieth century
Full list of items discussed forthcoming.
Typeface design as an open-ended system
Key texts: Don Knuth and Douglas Hofstadter’s exchanges in Visible Language
Full list of items discussed forthcoming.
Designing paragraphs
Key text: Geoffrey Dowding’s Finer points in the spacing and arrangement of type
Full list of items discussed forthcoming.
Emerging disciplines
Key text: Robin Kinross’ Modern typography
Full list of items discussed forthcoming.
Global typeface design
Key texts: FR in Computers and typography and Language, culture, type
Full list of items discussed forthcoming.
Typefaces in testing environments
Key texts: Kinneir / Calvert / Lund on the Motorway typefaces
Full list of items discussed forthcoming.
Legibility and readability
GU’s While you’re reading and related texts on legibility of type by MD and Kevin Larson
Full list of items discussed forthcoming.