Deyton Koch #10

How amazing is this photography project by Peter Defty? Even the title is awesome; "Alphatecture". The letters formed by the buildings are bold and wonky modern serif lookin' letters. I am really impressed by the photographers result because they all go so well together, with a few exceptions. This reminds me of a project we had to do for Type I, where we designed our own alphabet through unconventional means. I slowed the shutter and exposure of my camera and first tried to use sparklers, but ended up using a candle to draw letters in the air with a flame. It was fun and some of the letters turned out really beautifully, while some did not. But they all went well together because of distinctness of the flame, like these all go together because of the distinctness of the architecture, even though they vary in characteristics like line-width. I think projects like these could be used as inspiration for some cool new typefaces. 

Brooke Garner

This is a poster design by Rachel Han, a visual communicator based in Singapore. The poster is intended for those interested in post-modernist and radically contemporary styles. San serifs are used for the numbers and the word ‘odyssey,’ and serifs are used for the other words in the poster. Han uses surrealism, distorted type and geometric shapes to offer different perceptions for her viewers. Some of the text is legible, such as the numbers, but the movement of letterforms repeated closely after another create more of a shape or form that is visually interesting. The recurring movement of letterforms creates a sense of space and time. I like the amount of white space surrounding the letterforms, numbers and geometric shapes, because it gives the eye a break from the dramatic movement of the words. I plan on experimenting more with letterforms to make my designs more interesting and creative.

Cantara Ali: Week 8

This is the cover of a chapbook by a contemporary poet that I really admire, Fabian Romero. The title is Mountains of a Different Kind (the picture is cut off at the top). The type is ink stamped and is mostly sans-serif. If you look closer the "a" and the "i" have serifs. This breaks up the mechanical quality of the other letterforms. Romero is a social justice activist and advocate, especially for LGBTQIA rights and racial equality. The poems in this chapbook speak of alienation from American society because of Romero's identities of Indigenous, queer, transgender, and first generation immigrant. The highlighted theme of the book is the differences in experience between Romero's opportunities and their parent's opportunities in Mexico. The type treatment is appropriate because of the subtle addition of the serif letterforms, symbolizing the simultaneous alienation and invisibility of people like Romero. This subtlety  is what inspires me and what I would like to achieve in future projects.

Jessica Prohl

These are from the SHCH Graphics Group online and I think they're really beautiful. I'd think these are busy, but they're so precisely executed and considerate that I don't feel overwhelmed. I can clearly read them, and I think they're successful.

Bria Crain: Week #8

This example of type is from the 2015 Communication Arts Typography Annual. It is a series of murals created by the Leo Burnett team at local courts to advertise coverage of the U.S. Open on The Sports Network to tennis fans. They created square sans-serif type with tennis balls inserted into the fencing. The type is bold and dramatic; it really captures the intensity of a sport match/tournament and works well with the messages displayed. I really like how creative this is and am impressed with the execution. As graphic designers, we tend to rely on the computer to create type. I'd like to try and challenge myself to create type with other, more inventive off-screen methods to incorporate into future projects.

Austin Stone - Amber Rowland

This design ones to us from Austin Stone Church's worship page. The designer chose to depict a friendly only feel by using a script typeface. The handwritten looks expresses creativity and uniqueness. When paired with a smaller San serif, the feeling of the design gains more professionalism. 

Kara Albe

This is Nulo, a brand of dog food that I saw and whose design I appreciated. The name itself is a variation of Helvetica and I think "medal series" is Gotham. It's successful because it looks cool but it doesn't give me much to go on as to what the company is. Good hierarchy is established on the logo as well as the rest of the package. I'd like to experiment more in my own work with manipulating familiar letterforms.