In ‘The Grand Design’, Robert Bringhurst frequently compares typography to music. If you were to draw an analogy between typography and something else, what would you choose? Write an essay discussing this analogy.

"Typography is to literature as musical performance is to composition: an essential act of interpretation, full of opportunities for insight or obtuseness." Robert Bringhurst – The Elements of Typographic Style

1.WHY have you chosen your subject and the related question? (What personally motivated you to choose this question?) I created a typeface for one of my outcomes in Unit 3, the Genius Loci element of the Catalogue project. Beforehand I knew nothing about typography and what makes a successful typeface. I wish to explore and learn more about typography whilst also looking at music, mathematics and literature.

2. HOW you are going to go about answering the question? I am going to read others theories on the connection between typography and Mathematics and their reasoning behind it. I will also research mathematical systems, facts and the ‘golden ration’ in typography in depth. I am going to look at artists, writers and creatives work who use typography and their decisions behind the work. To research the connection to literature I will use my own literary knowledge and poems from writers. I will also investigate why authors use certain type or layouts for their pieces.

The Golden Ratio Parthenon, Phidas BC, Athens, Greece

Le Corbusier

Fibonacci Spiral

Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa

Vitruvian Man, Da Vinci, Looking at geometry and human proportions. I will see how Da Vinci’s thinking on human proportion can also apply to visual layout and typography today.

3. WHAT do you think you will gain by answering this question? Firstly, I will gain knowledge on what makes a successful typeface which I can apply to all future design work. Secondly, I will learn the rules of the first fonts and I can choose to follow them or break them in my typography. Lastly, I will gain an in depth knowledge on visually successful layouts, numbers and ways to engage the appropriate audience using the correct formulas.

4. WHO will you use to help you construct your arguments? The Grand Design, Robert Bringhurst Universal Principles of Design, William Lidwell, Kritina Holden, Jill Butler Making and Breaking the Grid, Timothy Samara Math=Typography?, Richard Lawrence typography typography "Handbook of typography for the mathematical sciences" by Steven Krantz (2001) Leonardo Da Vinci Salvador Dali Le Corbusier

Exhibitions and Artists I will use to construct my argument/design my essay Secret 7 David Hockney Rubens Neville Brody Dali furniture David Shrigley

5. WHERE will you go to get information to help you write your essay? Books from the library My own books and literary knowledge Online sources, discussions and books

6. WHEN will you do all this work? (Present a detailed timetable of when you are going to write your essay and construct your CATALOGUE) May 1 st -10 th Researching May 1 st -4 th Writing mini summaries of each lecture May 4 th -15 th Establishing Layout May 10 th -20 th Writing essay May 12 th -21 st Editing