Brief
Produce a set of ten letterforms that explore and communicate your interpretation of your random word, focusing on the manipulation of existing letterforms.
Starting Point
I began by collecting 20 examples of each letterform. For example:
In our blog groups, we pooled together our collections and tried to organise these into groups based on each letters characteristics.
I learnt about typography characteristics and the anatomy of type in a seminar.
- Uppercase - Lowercase - Serif - Sans Serif - Bold - Italic - Regular - Light - Scale - Font
- Handcrafted - Illustrated - 2D/3D - Contemporary - Traditional - Legibility - Point Size
- Stroke Weight - Counter Filled
I picked the random word 'knit'. I began my research by physically looking at knitted alphabets, but decided this would be too much of an obvious outcome, and so to provoke thought, I used a dictionary to define what knit could actually mean within typography.
KNIT
- To make a garment by interlocking loops of yarn
KEYWORDS
- Bind - Link - Unite - Intimate - Close - Secure - Join - Firm - Grow - Heal
Design Ideas
Based on the dictionary definitions I found, I created some initial design ideas.
I decided I would develop further the first, third, seventh and eighth ideas, as these could all allow for the manipulation of existing letterforms to create typography communicating my interpretation of the word knit. If I had developed further the second, fourth, fifth and sixth ideas, these would probably have to be freehand drawings or photography, rather than the manipulation of existing type. Also, if the rules of typography cannot be applied to a letter, it is a letterform rather than type.
Development of initial ideas
1. Secure (Font: Cooper Black)
2. Physical 'Knit' Drawing
3. Different Fonts 'knitted' together
4. Drawing of Links
5. Parts close together (The first image has a small percentage horizontal scale in comparison to the original 100%)
6. Parts united (Underneath you can see the original letterform, which i have exaggerated so that all the parts are securely united)
My favourite idea is the different fonts knitted together as I feel this is the most unique and exciting. I decided that I could try creating a letterform in this style that also included my other ideas of the parts being intimate with a small percentage horizontal scale and the joins being over emphasized for a secure link.
Prototypes
I experimented with hand drawing the letterforms, as well as using Photo Shop and Illustrator, to see which process suited me best, but decided to hand draw the images and then neaten them using Photo Shop.
Existing Original Fonts
These images show what the original fonts looked like before I edited them.
Final Set of 10 Letterforms
[Print Size 10 x A6]
- To join closely and firmly, unit securely
- To grow or mend together
