West Des Moines Community Schools Community Education

Typography is the most essential element of graphic design, even before color or layout. How type is designed, structured, and perceived fundamentally shapes every visual communication. This course dives into the history of type, the evolution of letterforms, and the core principles that govern legibility, proportion, and style. Students will examine letterform anatomy, key terminology, and the theoretical logic behind type design, establishing a critical foundation for understanding all aspects of visual design. Beyond history and form, this course teaches students to critically evaluate typefaces and font families. From historical classifications to iconic designs like Helvetica, students explore the conceptual principles that make type effective, legible, and expressive. Topics include hierarchy, stylistic harmony, and font pairing — providing a framework to understand how typographic choices influence tone, emphasis, and audience perception. Finally, students investigate the theoretical underpinnings of text formatting, typesetting, and hierarchy, including scale, contrast, alignment, spacing, and proportional systems, as well as serif, sans-serif, and decorative type distinctions. By the end of the course, students will have the knowledge and analytical skills to critically assess typography, understand its dominant role in design, and articulate its impact on communication with authority — positioning them to make informed design decisions at a conceptual level.

To progress through this course you will:

• Read the print readings.
• Have the option of accessing the online readings.
• Listen to the audio presentation for the Unit and view the slides.
• Have the option of taking a self-quiz to see how much you have learned.
• Engage in written online discussion with your instructor and other participants.
• The content (readings, audio lectures, slides) and self quizzes are accessible for the entire course, so you can work ahead, or go back and review again, at your convenience.

Discussion:

• The discussion for each unit lasts one week. All comments are made in writing and can be made at any time of the day or night.
• Your instructor will log into the discussion area at least once a day and answer questions, make comments, and respond to comments by you and the other participants.
• We encourage you to make 2-3 comments each day to maximize your learning and enjoyment of the course.