SLOType: Empowering Users’ Autonomous Learning Within a Hybrid Methodology for Formal Type Design Education

The purpose of this research is to assess the effects of employing an agile pedagogical methodology can have on the creative and educational processes of typeface design. The time available for students in public higher education institutions to learn is increasingly scarce due to all the academic solicitations and current courses’ structure. It is especially challenging to apply their recently acquired knowledge into practice. We have developed the SLOType workshop methodology supported by Gerrit Noordzij’s “The Stroke” theory to be used in a learning environment. And a companion digital online application to support the activities by providing increasingly complex type design prompts synchronized with the theoretical approach. This methodology aims to kickstart the acquisition of theoretical knowledge, practical skills and, at the same time, to promote autonomous learning by challenging the students by gamifying the user experience. The preliminary analysis of three editions of an experimental study of the workshop in two different master courses in public higher education institutions with 127 participants seems to indicate that practice helps to promote creativity; the SLOType methodology and digital application have a slightly positive effect on the visual quality and originality of results generated, and the tool seems to trigger the necessary curiosity and drive users to further research type design history and references. The workshop method has been adapted to an online mode during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has also promoted the use of tools and the definition of features that have improved and will improve future editions.