Sheli Avivi, Typography participant 2024

Fees

Regular fee: £1200

Location

Online
Eight sessions over four weeks
Three hours 10.30am – 1.30pm BST per session

Melanie Dikaiou, Typography short course 2023

Watch the course introduction video

Typography is part science and part art. A failure to understand this can result in mediocre typographic expression or, worse, miscommunication. This course aims to acquaint you with the core principles of typography (the science) and inspire you to develop your powers of typographic expression (the art).

In this intensive learning and working environment, you will be given the practical and theoretical support needed to develop your own typographic practice.

Each participant will work on individual projects that develop personal and professional skills and inspire original expression. Participants will be encouraged to follow RCA's pedagogical philosophy in developing their own projects and working towards validating and presenting their proposals to RCA tutors.

The course is led by Adrian Shaughnessy (Graphic Designer, Writer, Editor, Publisher and RCA Associate Lecturer) who also leads the Editorial Design short course, with support from Jack Llewellyn (RCA Visiting Lecturer; Freelance Typographer; Senior Designer, Hudson Powell, Pentagram) and Can Yang (Senior Tutor and Archivist, RCA School of Communication).

View our case studies:

Case study: Typography Summer School 2024.

Case study: Typography Summer School 2023.

Case study: Typography Summer School 2022.

Case study: Typography Summer School 2021.

Image credit: Melanie Dikaiou, Typography short course 2023

About the course

Course structure

This course is delivered online and is highly interactive, through live learning with self-directed work undertaken by participants between sessions.

The course will run over four weeks, with 2x three-hour sessions each week.

Personal and organisational benefits

In this course you will gain:

the confidence to recognise and explore the multifaceted nature of the typographic discipline
the ability to discuss approaches and gather knowledge about contemporary and historical trends
awareness of the broader typographic landscape
a chance to work on MA-level projects and experience professional-level critique
a certificate of online attendance.

What will you learn?

By the end of this course, you will have learnt:

to confidently make type function in various settings, from traditional to contemporary, from handmade to computer-generated, from print to electronic
to develop your own typographic projects and present them in front of RCA tutors
a set of new skills and tools to improve your personal typographic expression.

How will you learn?

Students will work on briefs in their own time and use the online sessions to present work, receive critique and engage in group discussions
Work with practitioners and educators to develop a critical, creative and insightful practice in an environment catered for personal exploration
Attendees are encouraged to make work in response to briefs, and then submit it to informed critique

Online delivery

The course is organised in synchronous sessions in a live virtual environment that combines various digital platforms and tools.

Zoom
Using the videoconferencing service Zoom, the RCA's esteemed academics and facilitators deliver a mix of:

live lectures
case studies
guided assessments
presentations

Participants interact with the faculty and peers in breakout rooms in real-time.

Miro

Participants engage in cross-functional teamwork with the use of visual collaboration tools.

Through the online whiteboard platform Miro, participants get to:

interact with various formats and templates
plan and brainstorm ideas
create processes and workshop activities in the digital workspace

Moodle

The College's learning platform Moodle is personalised according to the course's requirements to provide participants with a secure integrated system where they can access the course content.

The hub hosts a range of valuable resources to enable the learning experience, including comprehensive timetables, pre-reading materials, course slides, curated videos, tutorials and session recordings.

Slack

Participants stay connected and communicate via the channel-based messaging platform Slack throughout the whole duration of the course.

In this space, the academics, facilitators and delegates get to network, plan the course activities, and share documents and files during the live sessions or offline.

Course outcomes

Participants might work on:

a new typeface
typographic outputs (print and/or digital)
typographic publication (print and/or digital)
validating and testing their concepts in front of experts.

Who should attend?

Graphic design students
Recent graduates who wish to improve their typography skills and knowledge
Professionals working in publishing, advertising and communication
Prospective graphic design/visual communication students
Anyone seeking an opportunity to experiment without professional constraint

Admission criteria

This course is not suitable for beginners.

It is preferable for participants to:

have an undergraduate degree in a design subject or a demonstrably creative background
be familiar with some of the industry-standard software packages (e.g. Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop, FontLab, Glyphs, etc)
use a desktop computer or laptop
have a basic understanding of typography
have a good level of English
be 21 years or over

*Limited number of places up to maximum 18 participants.

Disclaimer: The information given is accurate at the time of publication, however, the RCA reserves the right to amend the described course as circumstances dictate.

“This course gave me the time, motivation and space to develop my personal artistic approach to typography and get professional and versatile feedback. I recommend this course to academics in graphic design and researchers of visuality of language to refresh their approaches and to challenge themselves as educators and researchers.”
Niina Turtola, Lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University 2024 Participant
“A wonderful course that can really help you push your typography skills and challenge your thinking behind your concepts, for a stronger design solution”
Nicole Jesenko, Graphic Designer 2024 Participant
“The RCA short course on typography has exposed me to a variety of artistic expressions in type, particularly through exploration of abstraction, deeper conceptual approaches, and unexpected sculptural forms, significantly enriching my understanding.”
Parul Singh, Creative Partner at Springjoy Design 2024 Participant
“I learnt to say more with less; presenting text in ways that created more meaning than the words alone could achieve.”
Susan Staveley, Artist Online Typography short course June 2023 participant
“For those deeply passionate or just type-curious about the construction of typography, stand by to stretch your knowledge and creative base and get a fundamental understanding of the RCA process of visual inquiry. With weekly online practice-based creative briefs resulting in responsive group critiques of work together with informational presentations from great tutors or industry-known visiting tutors you'll find the RCA Typography Short Course a pleasant addition to your professional development. A must for graduates just starting in their career to seasoned professionals seeking a refresh or new direction in their careers.”
Jonny Knight, Designer/Design Director Online Typography short course June 2023 participant
“I had been feeling burnt out on design as a profession, but this course has completely re-energised me and given me a renewed passion. The course environment was fun and friendly but also facilitated serious discussions about typography and design. I'd recommend this course to anyone, be they beginner or experienced designers.”
Matt Lane-Dixon, Graphic Designer Online Typography short course June 2023 participant
“I took the typography course at the RCA at a time of professional uncertainty and it really helped inspire me and get me moving in the right direction. Expect a really encouraging environment, tutors who are highly experienced and who provide amazing feedback and very inspiring course-mates. I learnt to be braver, to experiment more, to value my own work and added many references to my list of people and projects who inspire me.”
Clara Saez Calabuig, Freelance Designer / Production Assistant Online Typography short course June 2023 participant
“I thoroughly enjoyed this course, taught by Graphic Design royalty, we learned where contemporary practice is currently from the tutors and guests, as well as some advice and experience from the RCA archives. It taught me to step out of my comfort zone and freely experiment in a safe learning environment with students and tutors all with a shared love of typography.”
Stephanie Horan, Creative Director & Lecturer Online Typography short course June 2023 participant
“This course is wonderful if you're looking to further your conceptual understanding of typography and how it can breathe within different contexts in the world. I learned about the importance of being aware of every step of my design decisions, of becoming able to direct oneself and be critical with one's own work, and that "learning by doing" is a really valuable approach to creating meaningful work.”
Natalia Ramirez, Graphic Designer Online Typography March 2022 participant
“A fantastic, creative, steroid shot to anyone's career. It reminded me of why I got into design in the first place. Inspiring and challenging while allowing me to explore ideas and thinking in ways I may have forgotten or have never spent enough time on previously.”
Mike Bennett, CEO/ECD Online Typography March 2022 participant
“This course is the most positive whiplash you can have. Tutors are amazingly talented and passionate designers and offer critics that always nourish your creative thinking. This course is an empowerment tool for every designer who wants to achieve their potential.”
Mathieu Hoppenot Graphic Designer, online Typography Summer School 2021 participant
“The course felt like a breath of fresh air in my career. It was very well structured and encouraged students to explore typography by going out of their comfort zone while not losing a sense of their own personal style. I am very grateful to the instructors for being extremely patient and giving attention to every student, making this experience a very cohesive one.”
Sanjana Mohan Visual Designer, online Typography Summer School 2021 participant
“The feedback and the critique from the tutors and fellow students was really useful and I've got lots of inspiration and motivation to take back to my professional practice!”
Laura Walsh Designer at Shelter, online Typography Summer School 2021 participant
“The course is very well planned and executed, with assignments and engagements covering the overall spectrum of typography. Supported by talks from industry experts, hands-on work and presentations along with personal critiques. I feel very satisfied with the varied perspectives I learnt during the course. Thank you!”
Gunjan Ahlawat Creative Head, Penguin Random House, India
“I loved every minute of the Typography Summer Intensive. The course team were deeply knowledgeable, supportive and generous with their time. I'd recommend this course in a heartbeat!”
Christopher Murphy Senior Lecturer in Interaction Design, Belfast School of Art
“This course played a huge role in making me realise how much I want to pursue graphic design as part of my career in the future.”
Morgan Harney Student at George Washington University Business School, USA

Designer, writer, publisher and RCA visiting tutor

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Course Lead

London-based freelance graphic designer, typographer, researcher and printmaker. Senior Designer, Hudson Powell, Pentagram.

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Course Lead

Can is a freelance graphic designer and educator based in London who teaches as an associate lecturer on the MA Visual Communication programme at the RCA and Graphic Design Graduate Diploma programme at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL. Alongside this, She's working on multiple freelance projects including designing and art-directing an annual bilingual magazine, te, focused on contemporary art and cultural anthropology.

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