Learn how to manipulate words for clarity and impactful communication. Discover and refine your own confident typographic voice.

Next start months
July 2025
September 2025
October 2025

Tutor(s)
Charlie Abbott
Jake Hopwood
Alexander Hough
Nigel French

Price
From £660.00

Course description

Course overview

Discover how the visual manipulation of words can bring great insight into text functions, enhance clarity and produce successful visual communication.

This course offers an opportunity to learn the fundamental typographic elements and principles and how to use them effectively and creatively. You will explore ideas visually through projects embracing typography as both information and art. Your learning will be supported by project critiques, when you get ideas from your colleagues and advice from your tutor.

You will also get to use Central Saint Martins' letterpress facilities for one of the sessions.

Who this course is for

This course is suitable for anyone, aged 18 and other, interested in developing typographic skills, regardless of prior experience. Beginners are welcome, as are those looking to expand existing knowledge.

Key information

Topics covered

Choosing typefaces and how to get the best from them
Identifying the assorted typographic voices which surround us everyday
Strategies for working with different kinds of texts
Content analysis
How to give your work authority through use of structure
Details that can transform ordinary work into something special

Learning outcomes

Find confidence in your typographic voice
Digital badge and certificate of attendance

Materials

Notebook
A3 layout pad
Ruler
Pencils
Rubber
Masking tape
Any old magazines for cutting up
Laptop

Tutor

Charlie Abbott

Director and Designer at work-form design studio. Charlie specialises in typography and editorial design, and brings this attention to detail to many of the projects that the studio undertakes. Charlie is also a lecturer in Graphic Design at Camberwell College of Arts and taught across many different art and design institutions internationally.

Charlie holds a Fellowship to the HEA, PGCERT, MA, BA from UAL.

Jake Hopwood

Director and Designer at work-form design studio, Jake’s technical knowledge extends to exhibition design that involves bespoke manufacture and installation, type design and print management. Jake is a lecturer in Graphic Design at the University of the Arts London and has taught across BA and led specialist pathways on Foundation. Jake holds a Fellowship to the HEA, PGCERT, MA, BA from UAL.

Alexander Hough

Director and Designer at work-form design studio, Alex brings his experience of motion design and art direction to many of the studios projects. Alex is a lecturer in Graphic Design at Camberwell College of Arts and University of Greenwich. Alex is also treasurer of Typocircle. Jake holds a Fellowship to the HEA, PGCERT, MA, BA from UAL.

Nigel French

Nigel French is a graphic designer, photographer, and trainer based in Lewes, East Sussex. He is a regular contributor to InDesign Magazine, and author of InDesign Type: Professional Typography with Adobe InDesign, (4th edition, Adobe Press, 2018), as well as more than fifty titles for Lynda.com/LinkedIn Learning. His website is nigelfrench.com.

Typography Short Course