Typography & Identity

Lesson 4 of 12 – Unit: Branding Basics in Design

Subject: Visual Arts (Design Focus)
Level: NCEA Level 2 – Year 12
Duration: 55 Minutes
Number of Students: 25

---

🎯 Learning Intentions (What we are learning)

• Understand how typography impacts a brand’s personality and communication style.
• Identify how font styles influence audience perception.
• Experiment with typographic choices aligned to a fictional brand identity.

---

📘 NZ Curriculum Links

Subject: Visual Arts (Design)
Curriculum Area: Arts | Visual Arts – Levels 7–8
Achievement Objectives:

• Develop and refine visual ideas in response to a design brief.
• Analyse art/design works from different contexts and how these influence their own practice.
• Use visual inquiry to clarify, regenerate and synthesise ideas.

✨ This lesson aligns with NCEA Visual Arts standards (e.g., AS91320 or AS91325), supporting students in generating and exploring design concepts.

🧠 Key Competencies

• Thinking: Analysing how visual elements like typography create mood and narrative.
• Using language, symbols, and texts: Interpreting and applying meaning to fonts and design visuals.
• Relating to others: Sharing and articulating ideas during group feedback.
• Managing self: Completing timed individual tasks and reflecting on personal design preferences.

---

🪢 Cross-Curricular Links

• English: Understanding textual elements and persuasive tone.
• Business/Commerce: Brand development and visual identity.

---

🧰 Materials & Resources Needed

• Visual diary or A3 sketchbook
• MacBooks/Chromebooks with design software (Canva, Adobe Illustrator, or similar)
• Printed example sheets of fonts from different families (serif, sans serif, script, decorative)
• Whiteboard/visualiser
• Colour markers and pens

---

⏱️ Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction & 'Do Now': Typography First Impressions (10 mins)

Purpose: Get students thinking about fonts and personality.

• On the board: “Choose a font that best matches your fictional brand’s personality. Why?”
• Each student selects a font from a provided sheet or available font list online.
• In sketchbooks, they note:
  • Name of the font
  • Three descriptive words that link it to their brand identity
  • A short phrase typed/drawn using that font

Teacher circulates room, asking:

• “What feelings does this font give off?”
• “Do you think your target audience would connect to this look?”

✅ Formative Check: Collect 3 responses to spot-check for engagement and comprehension.

---

2. Direct Instruction: What is Typography? (10 mins)

Purpose: Build shared knowledge around typography principles.
Delivery: Visual presentation with real-world examples
Topics covered:

• Anatomy of Type: Ascenders, descenders, x-height, kerning
• Font families (serif, sans serif, script, display, monospaced, etc.)
• Associations & Emotions: Why fonts matter
• Case studies: Air New Zealand, Whittaker’s, Spark – students visually explore how font choices support brand tone.

👀 Wow factor: Quick interactive quiz – “What font is this?” using slides with blurred logos (e.g. Disney, Coca-Cola)

---

3. Group Collaboration: Type & Tone Cards (10 mins)

Purpose: Deepen understanding of emotional associations.

• In small groups (4–5 students), distribute “Type & Tone” cards:
  • One side = font sample
  • Other = emotional word (e.g. “innovative”, “calm”, “aggressive”)
• Students match fonts to tone or vice versa.
• Groups then rotate and "rate" agreement with previous groups’ decisions, justifying alternatives.

🎤 Whole class share-back: Stand and deliver – one group presents a surprise alignment.

---

4. Independent Practice: Brand Font Curation (20 mins)

Purpose: Apply principles to student projects.
Task:

• Using devices or sketchbooks, students test and explore 3 potential fonts for their fictional brand.
• For each font, they must:
  • Insert the brand name (mock logo)
  • Write a brief rationale: Why this font? How does this support your brand’s voice?
  • Rank their preference out of 5 stars

📝 Optional Extension: Play with type pairings (heading + body font), considering hierarchy and readability.

🍎 Teacher Supports:

• 1:1 check-ins with students least confident in typographic design.
• Prompt questions:
  • “Which personality trait of your brand is hardest to show with font?”
  • “Can a serif be bold too?”

---

5. Plenary: Voice Check & Reflection (5 mins)

Circle Time Reflection Strategy:
Ask three key prompts:

1. "Something new I learned…"
2. "A font I will never forget because…"
3. "One challenge I had curating for my brand…"

Students can opt to share verbally or jot their responses as written entries in visual journals.*

---

📊 Assessment For Learning

• Observation: engagement during group task and independent curation
• Visual journal entries (formative)
• Informal feedback given during 1:1 submissions

📌 Note: These contribute to developing draft concepts for later assessment in NCEA Level 2 Visual Arts standards, especially those related to Developing Ideas and Clarifying Purpose in Design.

---

🌱 Culturally Responsive Practice

• Encourage fonts and visual forms inspired by Māori and Pasifika design influences, where appropriate.
• Include examples of typography in te reo Māori where relevant and discuss how language adds cultural authenticity.
• Students are encouraged to consider cultural values when refining their brand personality.

---

🧩 Differentiation & Inclusion

• Provide printed font options as well as digital tools for students with limited device access.
• Offer sentence starters for students needing writing scaffolds.
• Allow colour coding, mind-maps, or oral rationale recordings for neurodiverse learners.

---

🏁 Looking Ahead

Next Lesson (Lesson 5):
Designing a Logo – Bringing Brand and Type Together
Students will begin translating today’s font decisions into a visual logo using layout principles and iconography.

---

👏 Ka rawe! You're building confident design thinkers—one font at a time.