Adeline Funes, a 4th year graphic design student, originally intended to study landscape architecture or animal science for the pre-vet program at Cal Poly Pomona. She always had a love for art and design, but never originally considered it as an option or a career. She entered a TypeEd drawing at the LA Printers Fair and won the Type Class series of 1, 2 and 3. She tells us a little about what she's learned in the process.
What is your typography educational experience in school?
My art department only offers two typography classes. Our first class, Lettering & Typography, gave me the experience of practicing hand lettering in ink. I trained my eyes to see and determine how cropped letters can be legible. I learned how to construct an accordion fold book about typography. In our second class, Expressive Typography, I had the experience of learning in depth InDesign and designing two books. I learned how to use non traditional materials to create type. We were encouraged to use expressive type, not using just the traditional Helvetica.
What did you learn in TypeEd that you didn't know before?
In TypeEd, I learned about the little things that count. I was always under the impression that paragraphs should never have hyphens, or super clean paragraphs should not have rags, but now I feel comfortable that it is okay to have a little bit. My favorite typeface is Futura, but I never understood why it was so hard to use in a paragraph. Now, I use alternatives. I learned about the "mathematics" in type, picas vs inches, leading, etc. The differences of metrics versus optical kerning makes total sense! I am a visual designer, not an engineer of letters.
What I learned like short cuts in InDesign, has helped me work faster. For example, using character and paragraph styles, automatically setting type in optics, tracking in paragraphs to get rid of ugly rags, little tidbits helps get stuff done faster.
How has your typography or design acumen improved, or has it?
I feel that my typography skills have improved after TypeEd. I feel better mixing different typefaces, it has taught me to be more precise and have the eye to look at type as art not just letters. TypeEd has inspired me to study more carefully my typographic design in projects. I feel more motivated to give it that extra attention to make it better.
What projects are you/have you been working on this quarter?
So far in school, I have designed a poster series about sustainability focusing on the melting ice caps of the Arctic. They had to promote a call for action. Then a book cohesive to my posters, more in depth about my topic with infographics and expressive type. I am also taking a Book Arts class where I have learned different bindings techniques. I have designed a limited edition of six identical books about coffee and its culture.
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