Brooke Garner

This example of type is a cover for Ellen Lupton’s book, Graphic Design Thinking: Beyond Brainstorming. The san serif fonts are bold and seem to be hand-rendered because the edges of letters look imperfect. The letters are all kerned out perfectly though, unlike how handwriting is naturally. But it still works. The book is about how creativity is more than a talent, but a learned skill. Ellen Lupton discusses how to get ideas with a range of techniques from quick, to formal research methods. The cover is perfect for Ellen Lupton because she is known to like hands-on and up-close approaches to design. Many designers can relate to the image behind the title that bleeds across the cover. Brainstorming using methods such as mapping is an important process to help get ideas flowing and eventually help create form. This type example works very well because it is hand-rendered and relatable. Our thoughts as designers are usually a little scattered in the brainstorming process, so a structured map would not work as well for this cover. The book’s audience is directed towards design students or anyone that wants to find a way to apply creative thinking to everyday life. I enjoy hand-lettering and hands on projects, so I just need to practice to get better and use it appropriately in my design work. Also, I am looking into purchasing this book to have as a resource because the design process is difficult for me at times, and I get a little stumped.