Type + Code is a studio course in which students combine web programming with variable fonts to create interactive, dynamic typographic experiences. Students will become proficient in code (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript) and type design (Glyphs) to create original fonts, web specimens, digital articles, and more. This course encourages students to push the boundaries on contemporary type design and find new or underutilized use cases for experimental typography, both as a form of expression and in practical applications. These experiments are supported by readings from a wide variety of influences, including video games, performance studies, and computer science. No prior experience in type design or coding is required.

Elective

Motion design is a powerful, foundational feature of digital screens. It helps direct the viewer’s attention, present information sequentially, add personality or depth to otherwise static graphics, contextualize interactive elements, and so much more. In this studio elective, students will learn the fundamentals of motion design and explore a wide variety of video and animation techniques. We will look at a wide range of influences and styles ranging from stop motion animation, to film title sequences, to early-Internet Flash animations, to interface design, to contemporary practices for brand identities and social media. Instruction will focus on digital motion design using Adobe After Effects, with additional tutorials in Premiere Pro, audio production, and HTML/CSS for web-based animations. Students will leave the course with a broad overview of the field of motion design and a deep understanding of rhythm, timing, sequence, narrative, and expression.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $25.00

Elective

How do you turn an object, such as a flat, digital screen, into something people can interact with and understand? This question underscores the field of user interface and experience (UI/UX) design, which aims to create legible, meaningful experiences for virtually everything we interact with. In this studio elective, we’ll study UI/UX from a digital perspective, exploring the interface design of various mediums including apps, websites, operating systems, video games, appliances, exhibitions, and more. Instruction and projects will focus primarily on using Figma to create mockups and prototypes, with digressions into practices for user experience research. While this is not a coding course, lectures and exercises will explore the relationship between designers and developers. Familiarity with graphic design and typography is recommended but not required.