This course is for creative visual communicators looking to refine and develop their typographic skills, and to gain experience in researching, creating and structuring a visual identity project. Whether an early-career designer or an established professional, this courses offers an opportunity to enhance your skills and portfolio through the exploration of the creative potential of typography.

Prerequisites

A good working knowledge of Adobe InDesign and Adobe Illustrator is required.

Assessment

Learners will be assessed on their own project.

Programme outline

4 × Weeks

Saturday (4h)

                 1hr Lecture/Seminar

                 3hrs Studio workshop

Wednesday 1hr Online. 

                 Alternating between tutorials and guest lectures

Independent work 

                 Students are expected to complete 8 hours of independent work each week.

Week 1 

Saturday:

Typography and place 

An introduction to key concepts in location  branding, and typographic research methodologies  (identifying the typographic and linguistic  character of a location). 

Assignment: Identify location in Dublin for  typographic visual identity project.  

Wednesday:  

Unthink, branding location and culture. Unthink  are a Dublin-based branding design agency with an  indepth knowledge of Irish cultural branding and a  creative approach to typography.  

Week 2 

Saturday:

Typographic meaning 

Identifying and deploying cultural, historical and  connotative meanings in typefaces. Typography  and language: punctuation, casing, and language  guidelines.  

Assignment: Develop typographic voice. 

Wednesday:

Tutorials, online 

Week 3  

Saturday:

Typographic systems 

Distinguishing different functions for typography  within a system, and assigning appropriate form.  Working with multiple languages and/or scripts.  

Assignment: Develop typographic system 

Wednesday: Guest lecture  

Aoife Mooney, an introduction to type design  and lettering for brands. Aoife Mooney is a  typedesigner who has designed fonts at Hoefler &  Frere-Jones and Google Fonts, and is an Associate  Professor at Kent State University. 

Week 4  

Saturday:

Logotype 

We will explore the purpose of logotypes (what  is a logotype for? Why don’t you begin with the  logo?) with the crafts of letterspacing and letter  modification for logotypes.  

Wednesday:

Tutorials, online 

Week 5  

Submit final project

Typographic Futures is a creative professional development programme for early-career designer and established designers. Upon completion, participants’ portfolios will include a typographic visual identity project made to industry standards. Further, the typographic skills acquired will have application in all areas of communication design.

Educational Standard

All applicants are expected to present an approved Bachelor degree at minimum level of 2nd class honours (2.2)

Applicants who do not meet the minimum academic entry requirements may be considered on the basis of prior work or learning experience (RPEL). Candidates may be required to pass a qualifying examination set by the relevant department before being accepted to a Masters degree programme. Attendance at selected undergraduate lecture courses at NCAD, together with related written work may be prescribed. 

You may apply for the programme if you are currently completing your Undergraduate Degree. NCAD will review the rest of your application If necessary, we can make you a Conditional Offer. When your degree is completed and you send us final transcripts we will upgrade this to a Full Offer. 

Applicants who have not been educated through English must show proof of achieving IELTS 6.5 (with a minimum of 6 in the writing section on the Academic Version) or an equivalent score in another accepted test.

As part of your application, you will be asked to upload the following supporting documentation:

1. A statement framing your reasons for applying to the programme, i.e. how attending the above selected course will benefit you and your practice  (500 words)
2. A recent CV
3. Certified transcripts of previous programmes followed
4. Certified copies of degree / certificates and/or other appropriate third level qualifications bearing the official stamp of the institution.
5. English Language Proficiency certificate 
   • This is only required if English is not your first language. 

You can see the full list of the English Language Qualifications NCAD recognises at this link.