The first meeting of the Moripass Club, the second term of 2017, was held in May. What kind of encounters and learnings did they have? Here is a report on a day in the life of the club members!
This season, members with diverse personalities from 18 departments at 9 schools have gathered
This term, 28 people gathered in the Moripass Club. Their personalities and goals are truly diverse, ranging from students who are fascinated by fonts, saying things like, "I find it interesting to see the letters on signs around town," and "I like fountain pens and I'm fascinated by the shapes of letters," to members who say, "Because this is a club activity that works with companies, I think I'll be able to hone my expressive skills that will be useful in society," and "I want to interact with students from other schools."
After the explanation of upcoming activities and everyone's self-introductions, it was time for lunch with friends I'd just met.
The club members include students from the design department as well as the literature department. With such different backgrounds, we're sure they'll be able to inspire each other! We're excited for the year ahead.
To become familiar with fonts, first input some knowledge!
In the afternoon, the advisor will hold a font seminar. The topics will start with the basics of typesetting, and cover topics such as "Font design elements include the letter frame, center of gravity, space, and elements," and "How do famous designers view fonts?"
The club members commented, "It was practical because it gave specific numbers and examples," and "It connected the vague knowledge I had!"
According to the advisor, "Fonts are just like people. The more you become familiar with them, the more attractive they become, and the more you want to know."
In addition, in the "Osomatsu-san Special" in the April 2016 issue of Monthly MdN, a topic was featured, in which the personality of each of the sextuplets was expressed through a font. All the members agreed, saying, "That's the font (lol)." It seems they were able to experience the expressive power of fonts.
The first assignment was to create a piece of art about "Tokyo" using typefaces.
The Moripass Club's goal is to output the font knowledge they have acquired. At the end of the first meeting, they were given an assignment: "Express the image of Tokyo using Morisawa fonts." Next week, they will make an interim presentation.
By the way, the photo shows the club members holding a poster using fonts by graphic designer Katsui Mitsuo. It's a gift from the advisor, filled with encouragement for the year ahead, and it's sure to give them some hints for their assignments!
So, what will the club members use to create their "Tokyo x Font" piece? Kanji characters, buildings, landscapes, people... Will they express it through photographs? Will they turn it into a product...? Stay tuned next week to see what kind of work will emerge.
Bonus: You can try it too!
We would like to introduce the workshop held at today's committee meeting. Gothic typeface is now a very popular typeface, but it was born towards the end of the Meiji period. As letterpress printing became widespread and the amount of media and information such as newspapers increased, a new typeface was required.
There are various Gothic fonts."Shin Go"is a popular font used in many places because it makes an impact when large and is easy to read even when small.
The key to distinguishing it from other typefaces is the "na" character. Look around you, such as the labels on the back of products, or the warnings on receipts and cards. You're sure to find "Shin Go" lurking right next to you!
Writer: Umezawa