The Big O is a photographic project by Abbie Trayler-Smith.
It is a storytelling platform on the human experience of living with obesity.

The starting point for the identity is a drawing taken from Abbie’s diary*, where
a series of circles are arranged to represent an overweight body.

The identity features a bespoke typeface, which resembles the curvy shapes
of the human body. The exaggerated counters are a hint to how people affected
by obesity see their bodies as deformed. Moreover, each letterform is placed inside a shape, delimited in an area, resembling how one can feel trapped in a certain body. The logo works as a stencil, allowing to focus attention on the body details.

The form of a typeface is responsible for its impact and how it is perceived. “A matter of form” is an exploration of form, an attempt to grasp its influence on the expression and character of a typeface. The starting point was supposed to be something neutral, ubiquitous, that almost feels like air. As a consequence Helvetica and Times New Roman were chosen and developed in very different directions – some rather traditional, some playful or unconventional. Out of this experiment 6 different typefaces emerged, A–B out of Helvetica, C–F out of Times New Roman. Although the origin of the typefaces is still very obvious, they have rather little in common regarding their character.

Krisan is a modular typographic system, designed by Daan Rietbergen. The characters consist of several lines which can vary in thickness so that the letter grows and moves organically. This dynamic effect is further explored by Sander Sturing with Processing.

NOTE: These submitted images are screenshots (which is something I never did before). I’m not sure if 100% placing is enough quality. So maybe it’s nice to place 4 smaller images? Or I can relook at the resolution. Cheers.

Pandemic poster: Myj ręce 20 sekund (Wash your hands for 20 seconds).

Mockup used in 1080×1080 file: urbanpostermockup

Experimental project on the concept of identity and nation by means of typography. It expresses the necessity of diversity and coexistence, as from this can take origin new forms.
In the form of a book, the motto of all nations are collected shaped in new and different letterings. From their words (and flag’s colours) new ones are randomly generated. I used a generative automatic tool to mix words into new sentences, and designed a method to obtain new letters shapes, generated by the merge and overlap of the letters (and colors) belonging to the original motto. From here new glyphs are originated, always maintaining the legibility of the words.

Werner Gotesk is a variable font interpolating between a textura master called Gotik and the sans-serif master Grotesk. The smooth process of changing forms can be set manually within six hundred intermediate steps. Because of the high variety of different shapes, it is the designers choice if the font is going to be more gothic, more modern or in between.
In the slow morphing of the forms one can see how curves build up or break step by step, how edges and corners emerge, how entire elements come out or disappear. Werner Gotesk gives designers the opportunity to revive largely forgotten typefaces, the broken scripts.

This work consists of a generative system to design a lettering to express, through form, that: the sea which gives pleasure to who is on holiday (Sorrento) it is the same which gives pain to the refugees (Tripoli).
Through a generative process and programming are defined two different and opposite type deformation, starting from a common and neutral one.
The intention is to express the two different ways to experience the sea: the seriousness of the refugee and the care-freeness of the man on holiday.
The generative system implies that form and aesthetic derives from a specific rule/instruction. In that way it is reachable the objective formalization of that given rules.

Darf man das, oder lass ich das?
Einfach machen – hoffen das es wirkt.

‘Anagram 2.2’ is part of a letterpress series that applies a masking technique that I invented, called ‘isotype’ printing, to large, antique movable wood type.

I saw a crumpled piece of paper in my trash can. The wrinkled and deformed text on it served as an inspiration for me. Then i took the individual deformed letters, cut them out and placed them in the room as an three-dimensional object. Depending on the perspective and arrangement, the word is still legible.

I saw a crumpled piece of paper in my trash can. The wrinkled and deformed text on it served as an inspiration for me. Then i took the individual deformed letters, cut them out and placed them in the room as an three-dimensional object. Depending on the perspective and arrangement, the word is still legible.

The ‘Comma Splice’ series is letterpress printed from antique wood and metal types. The abstract imagery is created by masking large woodblock letters using the ‘isotype’ printing technique I invented.

The distortion effect has been produced by moving the sheet of paper while scanning.

Printed in December 2021 during his Exhibiting Artist Residency at IS Projects, David Wolske found inspiration for “Polysynthesis No. 1” ‘in the vibrant and abundant colors, textures, patterns, and personalities at IS Projects and in Fort Lauderdale.’ While the cropped numbers are characteristic of Wolske’s experimental letterpress work, the use of rounder shapes, fluorescent inks and a gradient (aka split-fountain or rainbow roll) are exciting new additions to the artist’s unique visual vocabulary. David did all of the letterpress printing by hand using the studio’s Vandercook SP-20 and wood type from the Selikoff Collection.

Poster designed for Neubad Bistro in Lucerne.
Poolkino is a series of movies projected in an empty pool.
Letters are designed following the pool grid.

Flying objects is a collaborative project realised with Hansel Grotesque and it consists of two fabrics, a rug and a blanket. This project was born with the idea of translating the concept of motion design into static, physical objects.

In the rug trade, it is common to show the back of a carpet to indicate if it is handmade, as the weft threads reveal so. This act of turning the object over, revealing a different side, is a full-edged motion. Hence, the idea of playing with the front and the back of the fabrics, giving equal importance to these while designing.

Burnier expresses his love for type while distorting, breaking, and beating letters. In these subversive experiments, type, readability, and any other design “rules” are pushed to their limits. These “type torture tools” began as exercises while Burnier was learning to program, but soon they became an expression of a frustrated type designer.

My font is based on writing with a flat pen. It is especially important for me to rely on real handwriting, a natural combination of contrasts when creating a font. I tried to make the linecan font modern, technological, but not too rough. It keeps in touch with classic fonts, but at the same time conveys the spirit of the 21st century.

Blur letter with blend background, water corlor effect.