Lesson Plan
Course Title:
Professional Communications
Session Title: Typographic Illustration for Communication
Lesson Duration: Approximately four 90-minute class periods
[Lesson length is subjective and will vary from instructor to instructor]
Performance Objective:
Students will use typography as a design element to create a graphic communication piece.
Specific Objectives:
1. Define terms associated with the lesson.
2. Develop sketches that use letterforms as part of an illustration.
3. Develop a completed illustration using color and texture to communicate a message using
text as the overall structure of the design.
4. Evaluate projects according to specific criteria.
Preparation
TEKS Correlations:
(1) The student applies English language arts in professional communications projects. The
student is expected to:
(A) demonstrate use of content, technical concepts, and vocabulary.
(2)
The student applies professional communications strategies. The student is expected to:
(A) adapt language for audience, purpose, situation, and intent;
(D) present formal and informal presentations; and
(E) apply active listening skills.
(8)
The student applies ethical decision making and understands and complies with laws
regarding use of technology in communications. The student is expected to:
(A) exhibit ethical conduct; and
(B) discuss copyright laws in relation to fair use and duplication of materials.
(10) The student develops an understanding of professional communications through
exploration of the career cluster. The student is expected to:
(G) acquire electronic information in a variety of formats;
(I) format digital information for appropriate and effective communication by:
(i) defining the purpose of a product; and
(ii) identifying the intended audience.
(J) apply desktop publishing to create products by:
(i) using word processing, graphics, or drawing programs;
(ii) applying design elements such as text, graphics, headlines, use of color, and
white space;
(iii) applying typography concepts, including font, size, and style;
(iv) applying graphic design concepts such as contrast, alignment, repetition, and
proximity;
(v) editing products; and
(vi) developing and referencing technical documentation.
(K) deliver digital products in a variety of appropriate media.
AAVTC: Professional Communications: Typographic Illustration for Communication
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
1
Instructor/Trainer
References:
1. Williams, R. (2008). The non-designer's design book. (3 ed.). Berkeley, CA: PeachpitPress.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typography
2. Society of Typographic Designers:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Society_of_Typographic_Designers
Instructional Aids:
1. Typographic Illustration for Communication slide presentation
2. Internet website: http://www.amicollective.com/site/index.php?act=detail&itemId=168
3. Internet website: http://www.typographyserved.com
4. Typographic Illustration for Communication Vocabulary Handout
5. Typographic Illustration for Communication Quiz
6. Typographic Illustration for Communication Quiz Key
7. Typographic Illustration for Communication Project Rubric
Materials Needed:
1. Sketch pads
2. Drawing paper
3. Rulers
4. Pencils
5. Colored pencils or markers
Equipment Needed:
1. Graphics software for vector drawing, image editing, and desktop publishing.
2. Computer with Internet access, graphics software, presentation software, and projector to
display slide presentation.
3. Student computers with Internet access and graphics software.
Learner
Complete Type Selection and Classification lesson and Fun with Type lesson.
Introduction
MI
Introduction (LSI Quadrant I):
SAY: We have been investigating the topic of typography. In addition to what we
have learned in class, certainly we come across typographic design in our
daily lives. Consider logos, billboards, advertisements, web design, etc.
ASK: Do specific typefaces have a “personality” that affects the message when we
read them?
ASK: Think of horror movie posters, children’s toy packaging or sports team logos.
Do you think that the typefaces used would communicate as well if they were
of a different typeface? [Allow students to share ideas.]
SAY: Typeface styles are like shoes. Not all shoes go with every outfit. You
wouldn’t necessarily wear combat boots with a swimsuit or satin, stiletto
heels with gym shorts.
AAVTC: Professional Communications: Typographic Illustration for Communication
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
2
SAY: Today we are going to extend our thinking about typography to focus on
illustration to communicate a message graphically.
DO:
Show the slide presentation.
Outline
MI
Outline (LSI Quadrant II):
Instructor Notes:
I. Define terms associated with the lesson.
 Ascender – The part of lowercase letters (such as
Distribute and discuss
the Type Illustration for
Communication
Vocabulary Handout.















b, and d) that rise above, or ascend the x-height of
the other lowercase letters.
Baseline – The line on which most of the
characters in a typeface rest.
Body Text – The bulk of the text in a document.
The body text should be set in an easy-to-read
face, usually at 10- or 12-point size.
Boldface – A darker typeface with thicker strokes
so that it will stand out on the page typically used
for headlines.
Condensed – A narrower version of a font used to
maximize number of characters in a given space.
Copyfitting – The means of adjusting the size and
spacing of type to make it fit within a defined area
of the page.
Descender – The part of lowercase letters (such as
g and p) that fall below, or descend, the baseline of
the other lowercase letters.
Dingbats – Decorative typefaces that consist of
symbol characters such as arrows, ampersands,
and bullets.
Display Font – A font that has been designed to
look good at large point sizes, often for use in
headlines.
Face – Describes the style of a face. For example,
the italic style of the Times Roman family is a face.
Family – A collection of faces that were designed
and intended to be used together including roman
and italic styles, as well as regular, semi-bold, and
bold weights. Each of the style and weight
combinations is called a face.
Flush Left – Text that is aligned on the left margin.
Flush Right – Text which is aligned on the right
margin.
Font – The particular style of a typeface including
one weight and width.
Headline – Abbreviated, emphasized text that
introduces information in the body text.
Italic – A slanting version of a face.
AAVTC: Professional Communications: Typographic Illustration for Communication
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
3














Justified – A block of text that has been spaced so
that the text aligns on both the left and right
margins.
Kerning – The adjustment of horizontal space
between individual characters in a line of text.
Leading – The amount of space between lines of
text. The term originally referred to the thin lead
spacers that printers used to physically increase
space between lines of metal type.
Margin – The space around text blocks and on the
edges of a page.
Pica – A unit of measure that is approximately
1/6th of an inch. A pica is equal to 12 points.
Point – A unit of measure in typography with
approximately 72 points to the inch. A pica is 12
points.
Point Size – The common method of measuring
type. Point size refers to the distance from the top
of the highest ascender to the bottom of the lowest
descender in points.
Raised Cap – The first capital letter of a block of
text is set in a large point size and aligned with the
baseline of the first line of text. A raised cap is
used as a design element at the beginning of a
paragraph to introduce and emphasize the text.
Reverse – White or light-colored text on a dark
background for emphasis typically used for larger
type or headlines.
Roman – The upright version of a face within a font
family, as compared to the italic version.
Typeface – All of the characters that make up a
design of type including letters, numbers, and
symbols. Typefaces are chosen to enhance design
and reinforce a message, giving style to the
substance.
Weight – The relative darkness of the characters of
a type family indicated by terms such as thin, light,
bold, extra-bold, and black.
White Space – The blank areas where text and
illustrations do not appear on the page. Good
composition relies on a balance of positive (printed
text or illustrations) and negative (white) space.
Good use of white space on a printed page gives
an elegant appearance.
WYSIWYG – Acronym for What You See Is What
You Get. What you see on the screen is what you
will get on printed output. Macintosh, Windows,
and some UNIX environments provide a
AAVTC: Professional Communications: Typographic Illustration for Communication
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
4

WYSIWYG screen display.
X-Height – The height of the body of lowercase
letters in a font, not including the ascenders and
descenders.
II. Develop sketches that use letterforms as part of an
illustration.
A. Famous quotations
B. Music lyrics
C. Popular culture
D. Poetry
E. Editorial/political issues
Remind students about
copyright issues and
proper attribution.
Encourage unique
solutions that relate to
students personally.
III. Develop a completed illustration using color and
texture to communicate a message using text as the
overall structure of the design.
A. Graphic design software
B. Hand drawn calligraphic text styles
C. Ransom note collage
IV. Evaluate projects according to specific criteria.
A. Level of participation in classroom discussion.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
Observation and understanding of design uses and
examples.
Understanding of terms associated with the lesson.
Design sketches
Color and design
Communication
Scope
Neatness
Completeness
Distribute and discuss
the Typographic
Illustration for
Communication Project
Rubric so students
have a good
understanding of how
they will be evaluated.
Application
MI
Guided Practice (LSI Quadrant III):
The teacher will discuss the scope of the project and initiate the brainstorming
session. The teacher will post and discuss examples, objectives, and grading rubrics
with the specifics for the final artwork.
AAVTC: Professional Communications: Typographic Illustration for Communication
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
5
MI
Independent Practice (LSI Quadrant III):
Students will conduct research, develop ideas, and create graphic communication
pieces independently.
Summary
MI
Review (LSI Quadrants I and IV):
Q & A Session:
Q: How does the choice of typeface give “voice” to text other than the meaning of
the words themselves?
A: Typefaces are chosen to enhance design and reinforce a message, giving style
to the substance.
Q: Describe the importance of white space in page layout.
A: Good composition relies on a balance of positive (printed text or illustrations) and
negative (white) space. Good use of white space on a printed page gives an
elegant appearance.
Q: What is the purpose of a “raised cap”?
A: A raised cap is used as a design element at the beginning of a paragraph to
introduce and emphasize the text.
Q: What does a type “family” consist of?
A: A type family is a collection of faces that were designed and intended to be used
together including roman and italic styles, as well as regular, semi-bold, and bold
weights.
Q. Explain the difference between “justified” and flush text.
A: Justified text fills an imaginary block using adjustments in kerning so that text
lines up on both the right and left margins. Flush right or left text does not adjust
kerning so that there is a ragged edge on the return.
Q: Give an example of a typeface and point size that would be the best choice for
body copy?
A: A serif face such as Garamond or Times Roman in 10 or 12 point.
Q: How are Reverse faces best used?
A: Large on a page as in headlines or for signage and logos.
Q: What is the term for the portion of an individual letter that falls below the
baseline?
A: Descender
Q: What is the term for the portion of an individual letter that rises above the x
height?
A: Ascender
AAVTC: Professional Communications: Typographic Illustration for Communication
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
6
Q: What does “point size” refer to?
A: The common method of measuring type. Point size refers to the distance from
the top of the highest ascender to the bottom of the lowest descender in points.
There are approximately 72 points to an inch. However, point size varies from
typeface to typeface.
Q: What is leading?
A: The amount of space between lines of text. The term originally referred to the
thin lead spacers that printers used to physically increase space between lines of
metal type.
Q: When would you use a raised cap?
A: To give emphasis in introducing the beginning of a paragraph, story, or phrase.
Q: How is white space used in design?
A: Good composition relies on a balance of positive (printed text or illustrations) and
negative (white) space. Good use of white space on a printed page gives an
elegant appearance.
Q: How is the term “weight” used when describing text?
A: The relative darkness of the characters of a type family indicated by terms such
as thin, light, bold, extra-bold, and black.
Evaluation
MI
Informal Assessment (LSI Quadrant III):
Teacher will circulate during Independent Practice checking for understanding of
concepts and techniques. Teacher will observe student progress and make
suggestions/provide guidance as necessary.
MI
Formal Assessment (LSI Quadrant III, IV):
Students will complete the Typographic Illustration for Communication Quiz for a
grade.
Students will participate in a formal class critique using the criteria outlined on the
Typographic Illustration for Communication Project Rubric. Students should be
required to share their ideas and inspirations with the class. Projects will be
evaluated by the instructor using the rubric.
Extension
MI
Extension/Enrichment (LSI Quadrant IV):


Prepare an exhibit of student work to encourage dialog outside the group.
Create works to communicate messages related to a specific campus-wide
event.
AAVTC: Professional Communications: Typographic Illustration for Communication
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
7
Typographic Illustration for Communication
Vocabulary Handout
Ascender – The part of lowercase letters (such as b, and d) that rise above, or ascend the xheight of the other lowercase letters.
Baseline – The line on which most of the characters in a typeface rest.
Body Text – The bulk of the text in a document. The body text should be set in an easy-to-read
face, usually at 10- or 12-point size.
Boldface – A darker typeface with thicker strokes so that it will stand out on the page typically
used for headlines.
Condensed – A narrower version of a font used to maximize number of characters in a given
space.
Copyfitting – The means of adjusting the size and spacing of type to make it fit within a defined
area of the page.
Descender – The part of lowercase letters (such as g and p) that fall below, or descend, the
baseline of the other lowercase letters.
Dingbats – Decorative typefaces that consist of symbol characters such as arrows,
ampersands, and bullets.
Display Font – A font that has been designed to look good at large point sizes, often for use in
headlines.
Face – Describes the style of a face. For example, the italic style of the Times Roman family is
a face.
Family – A collection of faces that were designed and intended to be used together including
roman and italic styles, as well as regular, semi-bold, and bold weights. Each of the style and
weight combinations is called a face.
Flush Left – Text that is aligned on the left margin.
Flush Right – Text which is aligned on the right margin.
Font – The particular style of a typeface including one weight and width.
Headline – Abbreviated, emphasized text that introduces information in the body text.
Italic – A slanting version of a face.
Justified – A block of text that has been spaced so that the text aligns on both the left and right
margins.
AAVTC: Professional Communications: Typographic Illustration for Communication
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
8
Kerning – The adjustment of horizontal space between individual characters in a line of text.
Leading – The amount of space between lines of text. The term originally referred to the thin
lead spacers that printers used to physically increase space between lines of metal type.
Margin – The space around text blocks and on the edges of a page.
Pica – A unit of measure that is approximately 1/6th of an inch. A pica is equal to 12 points.
Point – A unit of measure in typography with approximately 72 points to the inch. A pica is 12
points.
Point Size – The common method of measuring type. Point size refers to the distance from the
top of the highest ascender to the bottom of the lowest descender in points.
Raised Cap – The first capital letter of a block of text is set in a large point size and aligned with
the baseline of the first line of text. A raised cap is used as a design element at the beginning of
a paragraph to introduce and emphasize the text.
Reverse – White or light-colored text on a dark background for emphasis typically used for
larger type or headlines.
Roman – The upright version of a face within a font family, as compared to the italic version.
Typeface – All of the characters that make up a design of type including letters, numbers, and
symbols. Typefaces are chosen to enhance design and reinforce a message, giving style to the
substance.
Weight – The relative darkness of the characters of a type family indicated by terms such as
thin, light, bold, extra-bold, and black.
White Space –The blank areas where text and illustrations do not appear on the page. Good
composition relies on a balance of positive (printed text or illustrations) and negative (white)
space. Good use of white space on a printed page gives an elegant appearance.
WYSIWYG – Acronym for What You See Is What You Get. What you see on the screen is what
you will get on printed output. Macintosh, Windows, and some UNIX environments provide a
WYSIWYG screen display.
X-Height – The height of the body of lowercase letters in a font, not including the ascenders and
descenders.
AAVTC: Professional Communications: Typographic Illustration for Communication
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
9
Student Name:
Typographic Illustration for Communication Quiz
1. Explain the difference between “justified” and flush text.
2. Give an example of a typeface and point size that would be the best choice for body
copy?
3. How are Reverse faces best used?
4. What is the term for the portion of an individual letter that falls below the baseline?
Give an example.
5. What is the term for the portion of an individual letter that rises above the x-height?
Give an example.
6. What does “point size” refer to?
7. What is leading?
8. When would you use a raised cap?
9. How is white space used in design?
10. How is the term “weight” used when describing text?
AAVTC: Professional Communications: Typographic Illustration for Communication
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
10
Typographic Illustration for Communication Quiz Key
1. Explain the difference between “justified” and flush text.
Justified text fills an imaginary block using adjustments in kerning so that text lines
up on both the right and left margins. Flush right or left text does not adjust kerning
so that there is a ragged edge on the return.
2. Give an example of a typeface and point size that would be the best choice for body
copy?
A serif face such as Garamond or Times Roman in 10 or 12 point.
3. How are Reverse faces best used?
Large on a page as in headlines or for signage and logos.
4. What is the term for the portion of an individual letter that falls below the baseline?
Descender
Give an example. Lower case p, q, y, g, j
5. What is the term for the portion of an individual letter that rises above the x-height?
Ascender
Give an example. Lower case b, d, f, h, k, l, t
6. What does “point size” refer to?
The common method of measuring type. Point size refers to the distance from the
top of the highest ascender to the bottom of the lowest descender in points. There
are approximately 72 points to an inch. However, point size varies from typeface to
typeface.
7. What is leading?
The amount of space between lines of text. The term originally referred to the thin
lead spacers that printers used to physically increase space between lines of metal
type.
8. When would you use a raised cap?
To give emphasis in introducing the beginning of a paragraph, story, or phrase.
9. How is white space used in design?
Good composition relies on a balance of positive (printed text or illustrations) and
negative (white) space. Good use of white space on a printed page gives an elegant
appearance.
10. How is the term “weight” used when describing text?
The relative darkness of the characters of a type family indicated by terms such as
thin, light, bold, extra-bold, and black.
AAVTC: Professional Communications: Typographic Illustration for Communication
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
11
Student Name:
Typographic Illustration for Communication Project Rubric
Evaluation Criteria
Excellent
(5 pts.)
Good
(3 pts.)
Poor
(1 pt.)
Level of participation in
classroom discussion.
Observation and
understanding of design
uses and examples.
Contributes to the
discussion, adds new
points of
consideration.
Some participation in
discussion.
Not engaged in
discussion.
Understanding of terms
associated with the
lesson.
Understands and
expertly uses terms
commonly associated
with type.
Demonstrates very
basic understanding
of terms associated
with type.
Limited or incorrect
usage of terms.
Design sketches
Produces multiple
sketches that
demonstrate unique
concepts and build on
ideas and practice.
Good color usage
that enhances the
design concept.
Good use of
negative/positive
space.
Sketches are not fully
formed or do not
demonstrate the
principles or
objectives of the
assignment.
Limited color
exploration, or color
theme detracts from
the overall design.
Little attention given
to composition.
Design
communicates a
message.
Does not
communicate a
message.
Scope
Elaborates on the
objectives to create an
interesting, welldesigned project.
Creates an
interesting project
that needs further
refinement to be
completely
successful.
Oversimplified
concepts in
completing the
project.
Neatness
Excellent execution.
Clean with consistent
color and technique.
No stray marks, folds,
smudges, or tears in
final product.
Consistent color and
technique; no more
than two stray marks
or smudges on the
final product.
Messy; three or more
smudges, folds, tears
or stray marks; colors
not consistent in final
product.
Completion
All steps of the project
are completed on time
and correctly.
All steps of the
project are completed
with corrections
made in timely
manner.
Fails to observe the
steps and deadlines.
Color and design
Communication
Interesting use of color
and texture that
enhances the overall
design concept and
has a pleasing
compositional balance.
Unique design that is
thoughtful in its
approach to
communicating a
message.
Produces one or two
fully formed sketches
with good concepts.
Total Score
Max = 40
Converted Score
(Total Score multiplied by 2.5 for 100 pt scale)
AAVTC: Professional Communications: Typographic Illustration for Communication
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2012. All rights reserved.
12
Score