Justmytype: An exploration of documentary filmmaking for New Zealand typographic education

Abstract

RESEARCH QUESTION How can an online multi-part documentary series on perspectives and approaches to typography be used as an educational resource to enhance the teaching and learning of the subject?

ABSTRACT The purpose of this practice-led research is to examine conventional approaches to typographic education commonly employed in the New Zealand graphic design classroom and to investigate how the integration of multi-part documentary films into the teaching of typography can help to widen the discourses and perspectives related to New Zealand typographic design. Through this project, I draw upon my personal experiences as an undergraduate student of graphic design, and at present, an educator of the same field, to explore the democratisation potential of digital filmmaking and online distribution, specifically a dedicated online documentary series archive, and how it can enhance the graphic design student’s learning experiences in typographic studies. The expert subjects included in this research were deliberately selected to help illustrate as well as challenge the typographic canon commonly favoured in the delivery of a conventional New Zealand undergraduate visual communication curriculum, which stands as the motivation for this research project.