TGMRA: Archives and Design Practice

Module code: TGMRA

Module provider: Typography; School of Arts and Comm Design

Credits: 40

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 2 / Summer

Module convenor: Professor Gerry Leonidas, email: g.leonidas@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Professor Fiona Ross, email: f.g.e.ross@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: No

Last updated: 20 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module aims to introduce students to the use of archives and collections as a research tool informing design practice, with particular emphasis on the collections within the Department and the University. The module covers methodologies of working with primary archival material, as well as digital artefacts as evidence. Students explore typeface design at the intersection of type-making and typesetting technologies, and investigate the role of primary sources in knowledge construction.  

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Identify and describe archival or other collected material relating to typographic design and production
2. Place archival material in the appropriate political, economic, social, and technological context
3. Identify and analyse perspectives in established sources, including in formal archives and collections
4. Be familiar with the Department and University collections
5. Have gained experience handling and displaying artefacts

Module content

Students commence work with guided independent study on approaches to constructing narratives for craft and design outputs. This includes specific texts on typeface design projects across typemaking technologies. Fortnightly discussions with staff during the semester help identify themes that will be explored in the intensive residential period in the summer period.  

During the summer period students look closely at typeface design for specific typographic applications (such as editorial design, reference works, and signage) across genres and rendering environments. The sessions include lectures, seminars, and workshops with archival material, covering design and evaluation methodologies for revivals, adaptations, and new designs that explore innovation in design. There is particular focus on research approaches to the design for scripts that are under-represented typographically, or where new use scenarios require innovative solutions. Sessions on global scripts start with an understanding of the forms and composition of each script, extend to issues of quality throughout extended families, and the balance of originality and utility in each script and style combination. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module begins with a Semester of guided independent study with fortnightly feedback sessions, which serve as a preparation for the intensive residential period in the beginning of the summer period, and work on a substantial written assignment later in the summer. The sessions make extensive use of the Department and University’s typographic collections, and develop approaches to working with archival material for research and to inform design practice. 

Sessions focus on: 

• identifying the provenance of material 
• placing material in a technological, social, and business context 
• cross-referencing drawings, drafts, and other production material with correspondence and related texts 
• detecting the influence of type manufacture and typesetting considerations on the design process 
• developing criteria for qualitative evaluation of artefacts related to typeface design and production 
• identifying elements that are useful in contemporary practice 

Study hours

At least 80 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Tutors provide feedback on interim work by commenting on drafts and/or through discussion in mutually arranged tutorials leading up to the submission of the final work. 

Reassessment

Additional costs