This course introduces basic principles and techniques of typeface design through a series of exercises and one major project. Designing a digital revival typeface, inspired by historical sources, cultivates skills of observation, analysis, reasoning, and problem-solving. Students will leave the course prepared for the more ambitious project that will span the following two terms.
Each student must bring a Macintosh or Windows laptop computer to each class session, with FontLab installed. Discounted academic pricing is available for this software.
About Jesse Ragan
Jesse Ragan has been designing letterforms for as long as he can remember, dating back to his childhood in North Carolina. He learned from the best how to make them into typefaces: as a student at Rhode Island School of Design, as an intern at Font Bureau, and as a full-time designer at Hoefler & Frere-Jones. Since 2005, Jesse has worked independently in Brooklyn, developing typefaces and lettering for clients including Pentagram and House Industries. Among his many design credits are collaborative contributions to Gotham, Archer, and Omnes. Jesse also teaches typeface design at Type@Cooper, the postgraduate certificate program he co-founded in 2010.
