One Hundred Letters
So far this semester we have been focused on the "rules" of typography. The truth is, there are no rules in design. There are many guidelines and commonly accepted practices, but absolutely no hard and fast rules. Typography is about clarity and precision, but it is also about spontaneity and fortuity. Type is clean and type is dirty. Type can be made by the computer, the hand, the earth ... type can be born from anywhere and anything. Type is alive. Type is malleable.
Assignment
Choose a single letter. It can be your favorite letter, or the first letter of your name. Make a decision quickly.
Craft your letter one hundred times using experimental materials and methods. You may generate your letter using any materials or methods you choose, as long as the letter is not solely generated by InDesign or Illustrator. The idea is to get out of the container of the computer.
Experiment with many materials. Use the inherent properties of the materials to affect the letters organically. Work quickly and intuitively without over-thinking. Let your hands take over and watch the letterforms emerge from your process. You may find that they start to design themselves. Be open to unexpected possibilities.
Make at least one hundred different versions of your letter. Each one should be unique. Do not get stuck using a single technique or material. This is an opportunity to try many ways of working, two-dimensional and three-dimensional.
This project is not about perfection. Don't worry about the results. There is not a right way or wrong way to do this. Let go!
Student Work
Click on the thumbnails below to view each designer's Flickr gallery.
Group exhibition