Typeface Design
This course examines the conceptual and technical processes for designing fonts and typefaces within a digital environment.
Summary
Past student reviews · Henrique Nardi
The course was not considered easy, but earning an A was very possible. Students reported that demonstrating hard work was key to succeeding in the class.
What you’ll be able to do
Understand individual letters as visual forms that carry weight, texture, line, and composition.
Recognize typefaces as systems of interrelated forms.
Master digital tools that can be used to build and organize typefaces.
Consider typeface design as a form of professional practice.
Source: UW Guide
Grade history
↗All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
Prerequisites
Course map(ART 102 or 107),ART 346 and 438
“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
HENRIQUE NARDI is recorded teaching in Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2023. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Calendar & sections
Spring 2027Schedule loads here as you scroll.
| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
|---|
Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections.
Meeting source records
No records available.
Student experience
the class
Past student reviews · Henrique Nardi
Henrique Nardi taught the course as an understanding and attentive professor who prioritized student success. He was consistently ready to help and encouraged students to take advantage of his office hours.
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2020: 3.50 GPA, 57.1% A/AB (n=7 letter grades); Spring 2022: 3.00 GPA, 42.9% A/AB (n=7 letter grades); Spring 2023: 3.79 GPA, 85.7% A/AB (n=7 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
Past student reviews · Henrique Nardi
The course was not considered easy, but earning an A was very possible. Students reported that demonstrating hard work was key to succeeding in the class.
Past student reviews · Henrique Nardi
Students found it easy to discuss design concerns or grades with Nardi. He was patient and understanding, and let students know in advance if they had to miss a class.
Topics
- Individual letters as visual forms with weight, texture, line, and composition
- Typefaces as systems of interrelated forms
- Typeface design as professional practice
Skills
- Digital tools for building and organizing typefaces
- Conceptual and technical processes for designing fonts and typefaces
Grades
Latest available · Spring 2023— not enough history to project Spring 2027.
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
Grades over time
Through Spring 2023
More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data
Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.
Sources & history
Catalog & offerings
Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.
Catalog observation history
Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.
Selected offering source records
No offering records for the selected term.
Raw records
[]
Student reviews
Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Read original reviews
Grade history
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
LLM outputs across runs
Full model traces
Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
Model & dataset provenance
{
"model": "Qwen/Qwen3.8-27B",
"model_revision": "1d4bf0f2ff6012fd82039f2fa52739d0dd7c60c0",
"task_version": "17",
"output_id": "ee2b9960c2ce04a9f8c0327ebb6ad8c3c6fdcf3ca03061afe003683289004f0f",
"requirements_status": "valid",
"dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
"observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}