DESIGN X450.9
The Typography Fundamentals course will provide students with a broad understanding of contemporary typography and how to make intelligent, confident typographic design decisions. It is intended to help students develop a professional grasp on the craft of typography and the application of professional processes to content design. It will consider technology, across multiple media. You will receive an overview of the evolution of typography in both forms and printing technologies and you will also gain industry knowledge and printing standards.
Some of the topics you will learn through this class are: grid systems, (column, manuscript and modular). Swiss typography, type classifications which is fundamental to understand and setup typography and type anatomy. Learn how letterpress works and know that it is still highly used in 2021. Gain skills in designing book layouts, and get a grasp of web type, the ideal type set up for websites and applications as well as Google fonts.
By the end of this class, you will be able to identify general typeface and font families, examine and analyze individual letterforms and typefaces, develop micro and macro-typographic analytical abilities, create basic letterform designs, display knowledge of typographic sequencing and progression, and produce great typographic layouts.
Get a glimpse of what our former student Ankita Mantri designed for this course. See some samples of hand-lettering digitized by former student Ian Erlich and be ready for the world of expressive typography by breaking the type rules after you learn them.
Prerequisites:
Working knowledge of InDesign as you will be required to use this software for your project(s).
Course Learning Objectives
University of California ,Berkeley, Extension designs the best possible online learning experience for you with an unparalleled Typography Fundamentals syllabus to prepare you with the skills needed and a quality portfolio to become a confident design professional.
What You'll Learn
Students will design pieces of varying formats using typography alone and in combination with photographic images and illustrations. For each project, students will design for both print and digital delivery. Students will also learn technical aspects of type specification. They will learn to balance aesthetic and technical considerations and to be creative while working within given constraints.
How You'll Learn
We are online! All of the design classes are conducted remotely including: video classes, mentor-led learning and peer-to-peer support through our student online platform called Canvas.
Is This Course Right for You?
The Typography Fundamentals class is intended for anyone willing to learn about typography and how it works for professional layouts in graphic design or visual design. Any person who handles content design, marketing and/or social media can benefit from this course. Our experienced instructor provides practical Information in Typography Fundamental skills and monitors your development along with peer-to-peer support on our student online platform.
Other classes to be considered: Photoshop, Web Design With HTML5 and CSS3
Fall 2025 enrollment opens on June 16!