I think Mystique and Method are opposed. Formality impedes instinct. Just drawing your font takes care of all that "concept development" and "research" stuff (assuming you're not just reviving/remixing something that already exists). On the other hand, doing research into things like readability is useful as a foundation - that any many other things (like exposure to the work of others over time) implicitly guide your drawing anyway.

hhp

New Typeface Design Thesis

1. Objectives of the Project
- Objective functional
- Objective semantic
- Objective communicational

2. Foundations
- Personal Foundations
- Environmental Foundations

3. Development

3.1 Presentation and concept
- Introduction to the project
- Conceptual Development
- Presentation of external antecedents
- Previous references

3.2 References of Development and formal analysis
- Methodology and processes to occupy
- Analysis of the evolution of the project
- conceptual formal Analysis
- detailed formal Analysis
- Analysis and conclusions of tests

3.3 Final process presentation

- To present/display the finished typography
- To show particularitities that it has
- To show to particularitities in its use

4.Conclusion

5.Bibliography

6.Specimen


If anyone have other similar structure for a thesis please post it here or send it to me. I think this kind of information is very useful for a professional typeface project development process. Maybe those who make a typeface for a thesis can contribute here, or something who was study in a typography design school.

MH.

I'm perhaps crazy, but I dont use that at all. I just open FontLab when I have five minutes between to others type jobs, or when watching TV on a good chair... and draw some new glyphs for a current typeface in dev.

Then, couple months later, a new family is done.


If I think a bit more, all the process you describe happen in some way, but in quite destructured way, during my dreams for example.

Anyway I need to stop now, I'm busy right now, I have a meeting with my dreams in couple of minutes, bonne nuit... :-)

Miguel, I would suppose a lot of that has to do with
whether the face is being commissioned (as so many good
ones are) or whether it's going to become a pet project of a
"serious hobbyist" (as so many good ones are).

Since your purpose is academic, I'd think you would benefit
from focusing on the commissioned side, where a client
would hand the designer/foundry a list of requirements
and/or desired attributes and/or research.

[Dang, those are two very fine run-ons. Look out Jon.]

I agree with jfp. Eventually, new typefaces just sort of "happen." Of course whatever method works for the designer is the right method.

Miguel



In idle moments I more or less "write" letters with a soft (4B) flat sketch pencil. This is a habit of a lot of years of comping layouts in pencil. In the early days, a person developed a representative sans and a roman etc. that could be used in a layout, and substitiuted for almost any typeface that was decided on in the production process.

I save all the doodles, and go through them from time to time to find out what I think will work as a type.

The scale I work at mostly is about a 3/4 to 1 inch x- height. Once I have cut in with a fine point to delineate the forms.

People work in many different ways. Whatever it takes to get there is good if it works for you.

Jim Rimmer

Miguel, i

Dear H?ctor,

one of my teachers ones told me , after I asked him 'how can I explain people, why we need new typefaces', typefaces can be like cars. There are cars for every purpose you can think of and still, they always can be designed better.

You should try to think of a purpose/task, which your typeface should fullfill. Then you'll probably have enough to research about.

For example:

thanx jacques, i