03/04/2007
Students (clockwise): Magnus Riise, Kristian Pedersen, Ragnhild Wigdahl, Ola Tore Ranes, Dagrun Kristine Reiakvam, Lotte Gr¯nneberg, ÿrjan Ingvaldsen, Sten Brian Tunheim, Elida Linge, Fredrik Rysjedal, ÿrjan Ingvaldsen, Caroline Gannefors, Tomas J¯ssang
The type design workshop at the Bergen National Academy of the Arts (KHiB) that was held in connection with the Interdisciplinary Weeks in the autumn of 2005 was about the creative exploration of the formal qualities of type and the physical body of letterforms. Instead of looking to produce functional fonts, the workshop explored visual play and typographic experimentation.
The basic task was to create a set of modules and systematically build the letters of a typeface. This implied a reverse design process with a deconstruction of letter shapes into their basic elements and an analysis of their core structures. The properties of the final modules were not restricted and could take any shape in any material. Everything from simple geometric forms to complex organic structures. Participants were also encouraged to explore inventive design approaches from 3-dimensional sculptures over spatial typographic installations to interactive applications. One purpose of the workshop was to familiarize students with some of the basic principles of type design and give them a better understanding of alphabetic form, harmony and proportion. However, the most important goal was the development of conceptual, aesthetic and technical skills needed to create new and interesting types. Lectures on theory introduced the students to the history and current state of our alphabetic culture.
The final outcome of the workshop offerered a fresh and alternative view on type. Although ranging in material, style and conceptual approach all projects clearly showed how the use of modular systems and repetitive elements can lead to original design solutions and new alphabetic forms.
Read the full article on KHiB's website
Look at all the workshop results with project descriptions in detail here and here
