Graphic Design
Department of Art
CAL STATE LA

Typophony: Text as Temporal Structure 



This project explores how typography can operate as both image and information. Students designed a black-and-white poster for a musical event of their choice, using type as the primary graphic element to express the event’s atmosphere and narrative. Working with no more than two typefaces, students applied principles of scale, proportion, balance, proximity, and weight to build a clear visual hierarchy and expressive rhythm on the page.

The composition is guided by structural frameworks from Typographic Systems by Kimberly Elam, which informed the underlying grid, spatial organization, and overall typographic logic. Through this project, students developed a dynamic, type-driven layout that communicates the mood of the event while maintaining clarity, structure, and visual impact.


Project completed for Typography I, Spring 25.
Instructor: Anika Sarin.
Jialin Zheng
Mar Garcia
Solar Nguyen
Zelyna Espinosa
Vanessa Tinoco
Tom Nguyen
Roman Boyajyan
Irena Azaryan
Nayely Castillo
Nha Ky Luong
Michelle Jacinto
Franklin Bautista
Japheth Sanchez
Jonah Hernandez
Natalie Cao
  Daniela Ramos
Brandon Cayetano
Anahid Karapetian
Patricia Rejina Santiago
Tom Nguyen