Project Report (M.Pub.) - Simon Fraser University, 2005. / Project Report (Master of Publishing Program) / Simon Fraser University. Also issued in digital format and available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1993. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

This research proposes that traditional typographic knowledge does not sufficiently address the design aspects specific to screen typography such as 3D space, motion, time, sound and interactivity, and that traditional design principles require adaptation and expansion for screen. This practice-­led study presents a broad critical review of the emergent field of screen typography spanning screen media technologies, traditional typographic knowledge and contemporary practice. Its findings contribute a definition of the field of practice including an overview of the history, origins and properties of screen typography, a classification of practice areas, and key practical principles used in related screen-­native disciplines such as film-­making, animation and human computer interaction design. Due to the rapidly changing technological environment of the screen, obsolescence is a key concern for this research and highlights the need for sustainable typographic design methodologies not aligned to specific technology. In this context, and following a literature review of traditional design principles, the work of Emil Ruder (1914-­‐1970), a Swiss modernist typographer was identified as distinguishable in the field and particularly relevant to screen typography because of his holistic design approach underpinned by conceptual principles and systematic practical methods. This thesis provides a detailed analysis of Ruder’s methods set out in his book Typographie: a manual for design (1967) and uses the findings to develop an experimental practice methodology for screen typography. The developed methodology sets out a matrix of the constituent parts of typographic design practice that include: typographic elements, typographic properties, and design principles, which can be combined to create practical exercises in screen typography. The practice matrix was evaluated through peer review, then tested and applied in practice to the design of a series of experimental practical samples and online repository type4screen, and to an iPad app of T.S. Eliot’s 1922 poem, The Waste Land.

What are ‘educational typefaces’ and why are they needed today? Do Arabic beginners need special typefaces that can simplify learning further? If so, what features should they have? Research findings on the complexity of learning Arabic confirm that the majority of language textbooks and pedagogic materials lead to challenging learning environments due to the poor quality of book design, text-heavy content and the restricted amount of visuals used. The complexity of the data and insufficient design quality of the learning materials reviewed in this practice-based research demand serious thought toward simplification, involving experts in the fields of graphic communication, learning and typeface design. The study offers solutions to some of the problems that arise in the course of designing language-learning books by reviewing selected English learning and information design books and methods of guidance for developing uniform learning material for basic Arabic. Key findings from this study confirm the significant role of Arabic designers and educators in the production of efficient and effective learning materials. Their role involves working closely with Arabic instructors, mastering good language skills and being aware of the knowledge available. Also, selecting legible typefaces with distinct design characteristics to help fulfil various objectives of the learning unit. This study raises awareness of the need for typefaces that can attract people to learn Arabic more easily within a globalized world. The absence of such typefaces led to the exploration of simplified twentieth-century Arabic typefaces that share a similar idea of facilitating reading and writing, and resolving script and language complexity issues. This study traces their historical context and studies their functional, technical and aesthetic features to incorporate their thinking and reassign them as learning tools within the right context. The final outcome is the construction of an experimental bilingual Arabic-English language book series for Arab and non-Arab adult beginners. The learning tools used to create the book series were tested through workshops in Kuwait and London to measure their level of simplification and accessibility. They have confirmed both accessibility and incompatibility within different areas of the learning material of the books and helped improve the final outcome of the practice. The tools have established the significant role of educational typefaces, bilingual and graphic communication within visual Arabic learning.

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1992. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Georgia State University, 2008. / Title from file title page. Susan Richmond, committee chair; Maria Gindhart , Glenn Gunhouse, committee members. Electronic text (102 p. : col. ill.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed July 24, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 100-102).

Thesis (M.F.A.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 2007. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 59-62).

Graphic design faces the contradictions of commercial intent and social relevance. This study explores the contribution of criticism, in two independent, seminal graphic design magazines, towards shifting the dominant preferences of graphic design from a purely commercial pursuit to a human-centred practice. Emigre magazine (c.1984 - 2005) and Dot Dot Dot magazine (c.2000 - 2010) are recognised for their critical intent and within them are emerging critical issues that suggest a potential niche for graphic design beyond consumerism and commerce. In the discipline of graphic design, designers define what it is to be human (and thus equally the realities of dehumanisation) in very particular ways (Rose, 2001:135; Freire, 1993:43). Graphic design has a history of commercial practice. This commercial history continues to define its identity and reinforce a particular body of knowledge. Graphic design criticism, however, is an inventive voice that has the potential to contribute to change. Both Emigre and Dot Dot Dot were representative of a “constructive marginality” (Bennett, 1993:64), drawing from their own set of references and awareness of graphic design’s potential to inform their identities, instead of looking to established definitions of practice to do so. This analysis explores how they anticipated a modern conception of graphic design that has become part of a recently adopted (2015) and more widely embedded discourse. This discourse involves critical design that interrogates multiculturalism, interdisciplinarity, environmental sustainability, social and political agency, and speculative futures. Graphic design engages social institutions and practices that denote social constructions of difference and inequality, and is never neutral. Any work, any representation of ideology, is at once individual and discursive at the level of social, cultural and political formations. The critical issues evident in Emigre and Dot Dot Dot, with the exception of an absence of speculative futures, anticipate a more humanising perspective in graphic design. They invite critique and the potential for change that is relevant to the surrounding world, as a counter to commercial self-interest.

Graphic communications courses are being taught in the province of British Columbia without official recognition from the Ministry of Education. As a result development of graphic communication programs has been sporadic and independent. Although the Ministry of Education does not officially recognize Graphic Communications, they do provide funds for equipment and facilities. Graphic communications or graphic arts is traditionally accepted as a component of industrial education. Without official recognition by the Ministry of Education and the Faculties of Education, there is no teacher training in graphic communications available in this province. Thus educators involved with graphic communication courses have diverse backgrounds and have been trained in either art, industrial education or business education. Curriculum development has reflected this diversity of experience and background. This thesis project was initiated because of the following discrepancies. There are no prescribed courses of study but seventy-five programs exist throughout the province. There are no provincial teacher training programs but teachers are authorized to offer graphic communications courses. There are no provincially prepared resource materials but curriculum guides are available in Canada and the United States. The objective of this thesis is to assemble resource material for graphic communications education and to propose a rationale for the development of a program of studies recognized by the Ministry of Education. Graphic communications is a component of visual communications that integrates concepts from both art education and industrial education. This blend of art and technology can provide a philosophical base for program development. The interface of personal expression with machine manipulation is the basis for preparing graphic materials. The review of graphic communications curriculum materials was initiated to determine the existence and availability of prepared materials. The research was conducted over a twelve month period and consisted of correspondence with every state and provincial education agency in Canada and the United States. The collection represents the present status of curriculum development and provides numerous examples of curriculum strategies. An emphasis on motor skill development was evident in the collected materials. Graphic communications is an inter-disciplinary course of studies and program development should reflect the relationship of imagery and technology. Personal expression and skill development are components needed to prepare and produce graphic material. This philosophical blend of concepts from art and industrial education can provide the impetus to promote the integration of imagery and technology inherent in graphic communications education. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

Sleep paralysis is a condition in which the REM sleep in an individual fails to disengage after they awaken. This leads to full body paralysis, during which vivid and often terrifying hallucinations occur. I myself suffer from sleep paralysis. That being said, I have always been intrigued by the concept of exploring serious topics through the use of comedy. In essence, that is what my project is about. I wanted to make light of sleep paralysis. By doing so, I hoped to deescalate the terror in the mind of the sufferer. Comedy is possibly the most effective method I have in my arsenal, as I have found that it has helped me to overcome my own issues with the condition. I have attempted to create a source of information for my fellow sufferers that is both informative and non-threateningly simple in its delivery of the information. To summarize, this project was to give people like me something that I never had access to when I first developed the condition and was severely unprepared for dealing with it. I aim to be an artist that is both humorous and helpful in everything that I do, and it is my hope that I was able to succeed in this task.