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 Treffen der „Talking Types“ ©Goethe-Institut Myanmar

Treffen der „Talking Types“

Wir freuen uns, den Start von „Talking Types“ ankündigen zu können. Einem monatlichen Treffen, bei dem Schriftdesigner*innen und –enthusiast*innen zusammenkommen, um sich mit allen Aspekten des Schriftdesigns und der Typografie zu befassen. An den Treffen nehmen burmesische Schriftdesigner*innen teil, die für die Gestaltung bekannter burmesischer Schriften bekannt sind und ihr Fachwissen über Schriftdesign und Typografie regelmäßig über die sozialen Medien teilen. Diese Treffen finden jeden zweiten Samstag im Monat statt.

Die Idee zu „Talking Types“ entstand bei einem zufälligen Treffen mit burmesischen und einem deutschen Schriftdesigner, die ein gemeinsames Interesse an Diskussionen über Schriftdesign und Typografie hatten. Ziel von „Talking Types“ ist es, eine unterstützende und dynamische Gemeinschaft zu schaffen, die das Lernen, die Zusammenarbeit, die Innovation und das berufliche Wachstum auf dem Gebiet der Typografie und des Schriftdesigns fördert. Schriftdesign ist die Kunst und der Prozess der Erstellung von Schriftarten, d. h. von Zeichensätzen mit einem einheitlichen Erscheinungsbild und Stil. Schriftdesigner*innen sind erfahrene Fachleute, die sich auf die Gestaltung funktioneller und ästhetisch ansprechender Schriften spezialisiert haben.

Das Goethe-Institut Myanmar ist stolz darauf, Gastgeber des ersten „Talking Types“-Treffens zu sein und stellt den Veranstaltungsort, den Runden Tisch und die Räumlichkeiten zur Verfügung. Wir möchten auch die „Round Table Discussion“ einführen, bei der die Teilnehmer*innen an einem runden Tisch sitzen und ein bestimmtes Thema diskutieren können. Anders als bei einer formellen Präsentation oder Debatte hat hier jeder die gleiche Chance zu sprechen und seine Gedanken mitzuteilen. Es ist eine Möglichkeit für die Teilnehmer*innen, sich zu unterhalten, Ideen auszutauschen und gemeinsam Lösungen zu finden oder Entscheidungen zu treffen.

Erstes „Talking Types“ Meetup Details
- Datum: 6. April 2024
- Zeit: 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
- Ort: Goethe-Institut Myanmar
 
Wenn Sie ein(e) Schriftdesigner*in oder ein(e) Enthusiast*in sind, der/die sich für „Talking Types“ interessiert, kontaktieren Sie uns bitte unter yannaing.oo@goethe.de für weitere Informationen und Aktualisierungen.

Talking Types © Talking Types

Overview of the Myanmar font making course

The basics to make Burmese font: concept, techniques, software skills and typography knowledge are tailored to give interested individuals in Myanmar font making Course, organized by Goethe-Institut Myanmar and Talking Types designers. The course was led by experienced local type designers Ko Zin Bo and Ko Htun Naung, and supported by Ko Htet Aung Khine.

Course Overview

The course spanned two months, running every Saturday, and covered both theoretical and practical aspects of type design.It was designed for beginners, offering them a step-by-step approach to understanding the intricacies of font creation, from fundamentals to concept, standards and digital rendering. Eight participants completed this intensive course.

The curriculum included:

Designer Ko Zin Bo's Lessons:
- What is Typography
- Type Classification
- Legibility and Readability
- Stroke and Contrast
- Typeface vs Font
- Body Text vs Display

Designer Ko Htun Naung's Lessons:
- Interface and Tools
- Setting your Metrics
- Starting the First Letter Frame
- Create Myanmar Alphabet
- Ligatures and Alternatives
- Spacing and Kerning
- Font Info and Exporting
- Error & Problem Solving

Participants' Journey and Motivation

The course attracted a diverse group of individuals, ranging from graphic designers to type enthusiasts. The well selected 8 participants also demonstrated significant improvement, gaining confidence in their technical skills and creativity.

Trainer’s Notes and Reflections

Designer Htun Naung
“In the course, we provide practical training on font design software, explaining structure and proportions in detail. We also assign homework and offer feedback and critiques on letter designs. The trainees are proficient in using software tools and demonstrate creativity in their letterform designs.

In future sessions, we should place more emphasis on teaching kerning and metrics so that students can gain a deeper understanding of these concepts.”

Designer Zin Bo
“This course was created to bring more systematic approaches to typography, which is much needed in the field of Myanmar graphic design, and to nurture type designers who can develop better Myanmar typefaces. I am very pleased to see the participants’ enthusiasm and dedication to learning.
We, as trainers, have also learned a lot from their needs, curiosities, and the challenges they face.”

Designer Htet Aung Khine
“Thanks to the efforts of Ko Zin Bo and Ko Htun Naung, as well as the dedication of the trainees, I had the opportunity to gain teaching experience. Additionally, I learned about the challenges posed by the differences in type design software across Windows OS systems.”

Lessons Learned and Future Aspirations

In designing typefaces, we must balance practicality with visual appeal. When creating a font, the width, weight, and detailed adjustments of optical elements are extremely important. A font’s main responsibility is to ensure a smooth reading experience and to deliver content efficiently, so every detail is carefully considered.

Therefore, fonts should be created with their specific purpose and requirements in mind. Beyond artistic appeal, fonts must be practically versatile and able to maintain beauty across various shapes and transformations. We also ensure that fonts are functional and successful on all platforms.

When we began creating Myanmar typefaces, we noticed a lack of precision and standards related to Myanmar typography. Although the Burmese script emerged around the 11th century AD and moveable type were used after the 17th century, it’s difficult to trace the exact forms and structures of the characters that were used. In the 1980s, Burmese ASCII fonts were introduced, and by 2015, Unicode fonts were available. However, it took us a long time to solve issues with keyboard layouts, scripts, and standards. As a result, the typographic system has remained underdeveloped.

Many of the typefaces still in use today are based on designs originally intended for signage and printing. Because of this, we need to put more effort into studying and developing a more systematic approach to Myanmar typography and type design. Recently, we’ve started to define essential type anatomy standards for Myanmar typography. Moving forward, we will continue to study the historical aspects of type design, work on typeface classification, and establish more practical and fundamental standards for typeface usage.

Talking Types © Talking Types

Myanmar Font Making Course

Myanmar Font Making Course by designers Ko Zin Bo and Ko Htun Naung is ongoing every Saturday at Goethe-Institut Myanmar. It is a 2-month course and will complete on September 21.

Throughout the course, participants will learn:

  • The fundamentals of typography, including concepts such as legibility, readability, stroke, and contrast.
  • The differences between typeface and font, as well as body text and display type.
  • Hands-on experience with font design software, setting up metrics, and starting their first letter frame.
  • Techniques for creating the Myanmar alphabet, ligatures, and alternatives.
  • Practical skills in spacing and kerning, exporting fonts, and troubleshooting common issues.
By the end of the course, participants will have the skills and knowledge to create their own font and continue their studies in type design. Goethe-Institut Myanmar and Talking Type Designers are collaborating to empower the Myanmar type design industry and designers.

Talking Types ©Goethe-Institut Myanmar

Talking Types | May

Talking Types, where designers meet monthly, was held for the first time on April 6 at the Goethe-Institut Myanmar. The designers present were Zin Bo Oo (Zin Bo Graphic Design), Tun Naung (Phoenix Digital Art), Ko Htak Aung Khine (KoH type and design), Flo, and Khun Kyi.

At Talking Types, Burmese designers and a designer from Germany shared and discussed type design and typography. We discussed archiving and collecting type specimen books on the first day, research methods to support Burmese type classification, and our software. Furthermore, we thoroughly explored the concept of Type DNA.

Talking Types will continue to be held every second Saturday of the month at the Goethe-Institut Myanmar. The upcoming meeting on May 11 will focus on pairing and designing Burmese and English fonts.

Next Talking Types meet up
Date: May 11, 2024
Duration: 2 hours
Location: Goethe-Institut Myanmar

If you are a type designer or an enthusiast interested in Talking Types, please contact us at yannaing.oo@goethe.de for more details and updates.

Talking Types ©Goethe-Institut Myanmar

“Talking Types“ meet up

We are thrilled to announce the launch of "Talking Types", a monthly gathering where type designers and enthusiasts come together to delve into all aspects of type design and typography. Burmese type designers, renowned for creating prominent Burmese fonts and regularly sharing their expertise in type design and typography via social media, will attend the meetup. These meetings will take place every second Saturday of the month.

The idea for Talking Types originated from a casual meeting with Burmese type designers and a German type designer, who shared a common interest in discussing type design and typography. Talking Types aims to create a supportive and dynamic community that fosters learning, collaboration, innovation, and professional growth within the field of typography and type design. Type design is the art and process of creating typefaces, which are sets of characters with a consistent appearance and style. Type designers are skilled professionals who specialize in crafting functional and aesthetically pleasing fonts.

Goethe-Institut Myanmar proudly hosts the first "Talking Types" meetup by providing the venue, Round Table, and facilities. We would also like to introduce "Round Table Discussion," which is open for people to sit in the literal setup of a Round Table to discuss a specific topic. Unlike a formal presentation or debate, everyone has an equal chance to speak and share their thoughts. It's a way for people to have a conversation, exchange ideas, and work together to find solutions or make decisions.

First "Talking Types" Meetup Details
Date:April 6, 2024
Time:2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Place:Goethe-Institut Myanmar

If you are a type designer or an enthusiast interested in Talking Types, please contact us at yannaing.oo@goethe.de for more details and updates.

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