Comparisons of Post-Baccalaureate and Graduate Typeface Design
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LEARNING TO SEE: COMPARISONS OF post-baCCALAUREATE AND GRADUATE TYPEfACE DESIGN EDUCATION IN ENGLAND, THE NETHERLANDS, AND THE UNITED STATES IN THE EARLY TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY by Patrick Gosnell, BFA A thesis submitted to the Graduate Council of Texas State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts with a Major in Communication Design August 2015 Committee Members: Claudia Röschmann, Chair Michael Niblett Maia Wright i COPYRIGHT by Patrick Gosnell 2015 ii FAIR USE AND AUTHOR’S PERMISSION STATEMENT Fair Use This work is protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States (Public Law 94-553, section 107). Consistent with fair use as defined in the Copyright Laws, brief quotations from this material are allowed with proper acknowledgment. Use of this material for financial gain without the author’s express written permission is not allowed. Duplication Permission As the copyright holder of this work I, Patrick Gosnell, authorize duplication of this work, in whole or in part, for educational or scholarly purposes only. iii DEDICATION This work is dedicated to Karen, Janie, and Sammie— the incredible loves of my life. – Philippians 4:13 – iv acKNOWLedgements I would like to sincerely thank my professor, mentor, and friend, Claudia Röschmann, for all of the guidance and support she so willingly provided me during my graduate studies at Texas State University. Her passion for excellence in all things is an inspiration, and has pushed me far beyond my own expectations. I am grateful to have bore witness to her exceedingly generous spirit. I know that, because of her example, I will be far better prepared for the next phase of my career. I would also like to thank my other thesis committee members, Michael Niblett and Maia Wright, for their enthusiastic engagement throughout the entirety of this project. Without your feedback and encouragement I would have never completed this work in such a timely manner. On a special note, thank you, Maia, for always believing in what I had to say, and for helping me to phrase it in such a way that people would actually care to read it. Your wisdom and council are always appreciated. My heartfelt thanks also extend to the rest of the full- and part-time faculty within the Communication Design department. It is an honor to have learned from you and to have taught alongside you for this short while. You have made coming to class (and to work) the most pleasurable experience imaginable. I would especially like to applaud the tireless efforts of Christine Haney, who keeps our program running day in, day out—without fail. Most importantly, I want to thank my wife and best friend, Karen, who has been nothing but supportive of every decision that had to be made during graduate school. She is always by my side, and I could not have done this without her. Lastly, I would like to thank my parents, Don and Katie, and Karen’s parents, Tim and Ann, for their unwavering love and support, even while listening to my rants about proper kerning or old style numerals. v taBLE OF contents Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES................................................................................................................ix LIST OF FIGURES ..............................................................................................................x CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 1 II. CHANGING PERSPECTIVES IN TyPE DESIGN .......................................3 Definition of Terms...................................................................................3 The Role of Type Design ...........................................................................4 Historical Background ..............................................................................7 Research ...................................................................................................8 Regarding the Exclusivity of Programs ......................................................9 III. EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS STUDY ............................................................11 Education in England ..............................................................................11 Education in the Netherlands ................................................................. 12 Education in the United States .................................................................13 The Bologna Process ............................................................................... 14 Undergraduate Graphic Design Education ...............................................15 Impact on Type Design Education .......................................................... 17 IV. A BRIEF HISTORY OF TyPE DESIGN EDUCATION .............................22 A Secretive Practice .................................................................................22 The Role of Industry ...............................................................................24 Educational Programs .............................................................................26 vi V. CASE STUDIES .............................................................................................30 Master of Arts in Typeface Design, University of Reading .......................30 Schedule ........................................................................................ 34 Teachers ........................................................................................ 34 Pedagogy ........................................................................................35 Function ....................................................................................... 37 Students and Culture ..................................................................... 37 Benefits ......................................................................................... 38 Forecast ......................................................................................... 39 Type]Media Master’s Program, Royal Academy of Art .............................40 Schedule ........................................................................................42 Teachers ........................................................................................ 43 Pedagogy ....................................................................................... 43 Function .......................................................................................46 Students and Culture .....................................................................47 Benefits .........................................................................................48 Forecast .........................................................................................48 Type@Cooper Certificate Program, The Cooper Union ..........................49 Schedule ........................................................................................49 Teachers .........................................................................................51 Pedagogy ....................................................................................... 52 Function ....................................................................................... 54 Students and Culture ..................................................................... 56 Benefits ......................................................................................... 56 vii Forecast ......................................................................................... 57 Typography as Language Certificate Program, School for the Visual Arts .. 58 Schedule ........................................................................................ 58 Teachers ........................................................................................ 59 Pedagogy .......................................................................................60 Function ....................................................................................... 61 Students and Culture ..................................................................... 61 Benefits .........................................................................................62 Forecast .........................................................................................62 VI. CONCLUSION .............................................................................................66 APPENDIX SECTION ......................................................................................................72 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 179 viii LIST OF taBLES Table Page 1. Geographic Diversity of Students in the MATD Program ...............................................64 2. Geographic Diversity of Students in the Type]Media Program .........................................64 3. Geographic Diversity of Students in the Typography as Language Program ..................... 65 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. TheE ducation System of England ................................................................................... 19 2. TheE ducation System of the Netherlands .......................................................................20 3. The Education System of the United States ..................................................................... 21 x CHAPTER I introduction