Process Book for Public Type

publictypographybreanne fenclprocess | designer as author

patrick dooley

researchProject Objective

As graphic designers we spend much of our time working with typographic applications for a variety of twodimensional surfaces from books to computer screens. There is, however, a world of rich typographic experience both formal and informal in signs, graf-fiti, flyers and other forms of lettering that inhabit our everyday environment.

Each student should select a discrete sector of this en-vironment and make a photo essay book about it. You will have authorship of the collecting of photo materi-als, the writing of an essay to accompany it as well as the overall design of the book.

book copy text

IntroTypography is all around us, even when it is not in-tentional. Architecture, objects, and materials can also mimic the shape of familiar letterforms. These shapes are appealing to the public but can often go unnoticed. Look around you. The angles and shapes that the structures and objects around you will form shapes and soon letterforms with just a bit of concentration and creativity from you. See that tangled mess of extension cords beside your desk? Is there an ‘e’ or a ‘g’ there? I decided to take this concept out of my room and travel in Lawrence, Kansas, Kansas City, Missouri, and St. Louis, Missouri to find other examples of this hid-den type. My goal was to look at the world differently. Maybe seeing things I have never seen before even though I had passed by them multiple times before; and defiantly seeing the world from a different angle. It is amazing how much more one can appreciate the world when taking time to view the small details.

Lawrence, KSI have been going to school here in Lawrence for 2 full years now. As a graphic design student, you would think I would have noticed some of these letterforms before, especially when learning about the anatomy of type. Nope. The small details expose themselves only to the person who takes the time to notice. At first it was very difficult to look at objects in a different way. I found my-self finding a lot of “O” “L” and “X.” This is normal. It

is easy to spot a circular window, or doorknob, a corner of a door frame, or a cross in the sidewalk. These shapes are not only letterforms but basic structural devices. Right angles make things sturdy and regular, circles are symmetrical and easy to interact with.

I went to Massachusetts Street, the Lawrence equivalent of Main Street, for my first adventure of finding these letterforms. As I was walking down Mass, I walked past one f my favorite ice cream shops, Sylas & Maddy’s. On any other day, I would have walked past this store without a second glance however, that day, I was looking with a detailed eye. I saw a door handle for the employee entrance. There was nothing too spectacular about it, just a door knob. But on closer inspection, this door knob made an ‘S.’ I then was able to continue down Mass and find all the letters of the alphabet.

With a bit more concentration, I was able to find all the letterforms and compile my favorites into a alphabet. I found the majority of these letterforms on Massachusetts Street, a Lawrence equivalent of Main Street. The col-lection of small shops, restaurants, and storefront archi-tecture created a subdued and rural feel to the alphabet.

Kansas City, MOI am not familiar with Kansas City very well. I decided to go to an outdoor mall called Zona Rosa to try to find letterforms. I thought the variety of the store-fronts in combination with the different architecture styles would lend itself to letterforms well. I found it

much easier to find these abstract letterforms prob-ably because I was in a new environment and I did not have any past experiences and connections with these objects or buildings. Every object and building was a new opportunity for a letterform whereas the objects in more familiar areas I had already associated with their natural uses. In this new environment, I was able to detach any preconceived notions and concentrate on finding new letterforms. Instantly, I noticed a lamp that created a ‘C’ shape. What would have been a decora-tive swirl to the naked eye, transformed instantlly for me into a letterform. I then found additional letter-forms within Zona and was able to compile a different alphabet with its own characteristics.

St. Louis, MOI grew up in St. Louis. I was interested to go to St. Louis and see how my experiences in Lawrence and Kansas City would influence how i saw my home town. I decided to go to one of my favorite places growing up, Laumeier Sculpture Park. I used to go to the park often to view the numerous sculptures and spend time with my family. Now I was going to see if the vast variety of sculptures would provide me with some new letterforms. As I arrived I approached a pedestal which had a miniature version of a sculpture. These are used for the visually impaired so they can still experience the sculptures. While closely looking at the brass rendition, I found the letter ‘K’ in the branches. I then found a ‘Y’ in the same location. This was the beginning of a journey through the park experiencing the sculptures

I grew up learning about in a new way. I began seeing countless letterforms in different styles. The natural contrast of many of the sculptures’ hard, metal, and urban look with the natural surroundings lent well to the overall appearance of the letterforms.

ProportionAnother variable in the differences in letterforms is proportions. Four major variables control letterform proportion. These include, stroke to height ratio, contrast in stroke weight, x-height and proportion, and finally expanded and condensed styles. The last of which being most applicable to finding letterforms in everyday objects. Take for example this ‘O’ which I found on Mass Street in Lawrence. It appears to be a perfect circle. this is one example on how an ‘O’ might be found, it can be condensed like an oval as well. Keep your eye out for all different styles of letters and compare them to one another.

WeightLetterforms come in all shapes and sizes as we have already seen. Some large, some small; some thick, some thin. All of these characteristics contribute to weight. Weight is the relative darkness or lightness of the char-acters which results from the thickness of the strokes. A given font might have many different weights such as light, bold, extra bold, and hairline. When we are look-ing for letterforms in public spaces, it is important to remember that these letterforms will also come in dif-ferent weights as well. Looking on the streets of Zona,

I found a ‘Y’ in this lamp post. This particular example has a very thin weight.

Negative SpaceIt becomes easy to see letters formed from objects with objects. But what about the space around those objects? This space is called negative space and this is also useful for finding hidden letterforms. Isaac Witkin’s piece Haw-thorne Tree is a bronze work made up of sweeping liquid-like forms creating various negative spaces within itself. When looking for letterforms within this piece, it was important for me to address the negative space. I soon found an ‘R’ in the negative space created in this piece. Only by looking at the space around the physical object was I able to find this letterform.

AIn ancient middle eastern cultures, the ox was an ex-tremely valuable animal. Not only did it provide meat, and hides, but it aided in farming. Originally, the letter-form ‘A’ looked like an ox head. You can see remnants of this imagery when we turn the letter upside down.

DThe letter ‘D’ most likely began as the Phoenician letter daleth meaning door. Some people believe that the let-terform represents a flap of animal skin used as a door for a tent and others believe that it resembles a carved panel of a wooden door.

WThe letter ‘W’ is derived from the sixth letter of the proto-Sinaitic alphabet: vav. This letter originated F, U, and V as well. In Hebrew, vav means “nail” or “hook.” In ancient form it looked similar to a modern day Y, which was reminiscent of the bracket that supported a folded ship’s mast.

ConclusionNow look around you. What else in your environment is more than meets the eye? Using this refined and creative mindset, what can you discover? This experi-ence has taught me to appreciate the small things in my environment. Someone has designed everything that is around us. The way it exists, the way it decays, all are beautiful. When appreciated, the world becomes a much more exciting place to live.

class notes9.11Narrowing down subjects. Thinking of type of dance or hidden type.

9.18Decided on hidden type. Went got some photos from lawrence. Some are too hard for individuals to interpret.

9.25Got more pictures from Lawrence. Struggling on com-ing up with chapters. Decided on the history of type for non narritive parts.

9.27Trouble with moodboards. Need to tell a story rather than a compilation of what I want the book to look like.

10.2Took pictures in Kansas City. Perhaps split chapters by location?

10.4Need more establishing shots. One more location.

10.11Took pictures in St Louis last weekend at the sculp-ture park. They are a great contrast with the other ones I have.

10.16Simple type. Photographs need to be the star.

10.18Make cover image an obvious letter, not an establishing shot. Lead the reader into the book.

10.23Pages need refinement. Concept is there. Take the reader on an adventure.

10.25Book mock-up was helpful. Cover needs to show the whole letter. Make it obvious.

10.30Need more color on the cover. Work on credits page. Work in leading in the text.

11.1Finalized book. Minor refinements needed.

11.6Sent off book to blurb with no problems.

photography

designdevelopment

hidden type

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science.”

f o r c r e a t i v e e y e s o n l yTypography is all around us,

even when it is not intentional.

Architecture, objects, and materials

can also mimic the shape of familiar

letterforms. These shapes are

appealing to the public but can

often go unnoticed. Look around

you. The angles and shapes that the

structures and objects around you

will form shapes and soon letterforms

with just a bit of concentration and

creativity from you. See that tangled

mess of extension cords beside your

desk? Is there an ‘e’ or a ‘g’ there? I

decided to take this concept out of

my room and travel in Lawrence, Kansas,

Kansas City, Missouri, and St. Louis,

Missouri to find other examples of this

hidden type. My goal was to look at the

world differently. Maybe seeing things

I have never seen before even though

I had passed by them multiple times

before; and defiantly seeing the world

from a different angle. It is amazing how

much more one can appreciate the world

when taking time to view the small details.

aIn ancient middle eastern cultures, the ox was an extremely valuable animal. Not only did it provide meat, and hides, but it aided in farming. Originally, the letterform ‘A’ looked like an ox head. You can see remnants of this imagery when we turn the letter upside down.

-Albert Einstein

‘A’ taken at Zona Rosa in Kansas City, Missouri.

Among a wall of zig zags, A stylish, geomet-

ric A stands out.

HIDD

ENty

pe

Typography is all around us, even when

it is not intentional. Architecture, objects,

and materials can also mimic the shape

of familiar letterforms. These shapes are

appealing to the public but can often go

unnoticed. Look around you. The angles

and shapes that the structures and objects

around you will form shapes and soon

letterforms with just a bit of concentration

and creativity from you. See that tangled

mess of extension cords beside your desk?

Is there an ‘e’ or a ‘g’ there? I decided to

take this concept out of my room and

travel in Lawrence, Kansas, Kansas City,

Missouri, and St. Louis, Missouri to find

other examples of this hidden type. My

goal was to look at the world differently.

Maybe seeing things I have never seen

for cr

eativ

e eye

s onl

y

A In ancient middle eastern cultures, the ox was an extremely valuable animal. Not only did it provide meat, and hides, but it aided in farming. Originally, the letterform ‘A’ looked like an ox head. You can see remnants of this imagery when we turn the letter upside down.

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”

Wayne W Dyer

‘A’ taken at Zona Rosa in Kansas City, Missouri.Among a wall of zig zags, A stylish, geometric A stands out.

type palettes

A“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” Wayne W Dyer

Typography is all around us, even when it is not

intentional. Architecture, objects, and materials

can also mimic the shape of familiar letterforms.

These shapes are appealing to the public but can

often go unnoticed. Look around you. The

angles and shapes that the structures and objects

around you will form shapes and soon letterforms

with just a bit of concentration and creativity from

you. See that tangled mess of extension cords beside

your desk? Is there an ‘e’ or a ‘g’ there? I decided

to take this concept out of my room and travel in

Lawrence, Kansas, Kansas City, Missouri, and St.

Louis, Missouri to find other examples of this hidden

type. My goal was to look at the world differently.

Maybe seeing things I have never seen before even

though I had passed by them multiple times before;

and defiantly seeing the world from a different

angle. It is amazing how much more

one can appreciate the world when

taking time to view the small details.

for creative eyes only


In ancient middle eastern cultures, the ox was an extremely

valuable animal. Not only did it provide meat, and

hides, but it aided in farming. Originally, the letterform

‘A’ looked like an ox head. You can see remnants of

this imagery when we turn the letter upside down.

Typography is all around us,

even when it is not intentional.

Architecture, objects, and materials

can also mimic the shape of

familiar letterforms. These shapes

are appealing to the public but

can often go unnoticed. Look

around you. The angles and shapes

that the structures and objects

around you will form shapes and

soon letterforms with just a bit

of concentration and creativity

from you. See that tangled mess

of extension cords beside your

desk? Is there an ‘e’ or a ‘g’ there?

I decided to take this concept

out of my room and travel in

for creative eyes onlya

In a

ncie

nt

mid

dle

east

ern

cu

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res,

th

e o

x

was

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em

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al.

No

t o

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did

it

pro

vid

e m

eat,

an

d h

ides,

bu

t it

aid

ed

in

farm

ing

. O

rig

inally

, th

e lett

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orm

‘A’ lo

oked

like a

n o

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ead

. Y

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nan

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f th

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imag

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wh

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we t

urn

th

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up

sid

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ow

n.

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” Wayne W Dyer


hidden typef o r c r e a t i v e e y e s o n l y

Typography is all around us, even when it is not intentional. Architecture, objects,

and materials can also mimic the shape of familiar letterforms. These shapes are

appealing to the public but can often go unnoticed. Look around you. The

angles and shapes that the structures and objects around you will form shapes and

soon letterforms with just a bit of concentration and

creativity from you. See that tangled mess of extension

cords beside your desk? Is there an ‘e’ or a ‘g’ there? I

decided to take this concept out of my room and travel

in Lawrence, Kansas, Kansas City, Missouri, and St.

Louis, Missouri to find other examples of this hidden type. My goal was to look

at the world differently. Maybe seeing things I have never seen before even though

I had passed by them multiple times before; and defiantly seeing the world from a

different angle. It is amazing how much more one can appreciate

the world when taking time to view the small details. Typography is

all around us, even when it is not intentional. Architecture, objects, and materials can

also mimic the shape of familiar letterforms. These shapes are appealing to the public

but can often go unnoticed. Look around you. The angles and shapes that the

structures and objects around you will form shapes and soon letterforms with just a bit

of concentration and creativity from you. See that tangled mess of extension cords beside

“Change the way you look at things and the things

you look at change.” Wayne W Dyer

‘A’ taken at Zona Rosa in Kansas City, Missouri.

Among a wall of zig zags, A stylish, geomet-

ric A stands out.

aIn ancient middle eastern cultures, the ox was an extremely valuable animal. Not only did it provide meat, and hides, but it aided in farming. Originally, the letterform ‘A’ looked like an ox head. You can see remnants of this imagery when we turn the letter upside down.

hidden type:urban typography


moodboards


n e g a t i v e s p a c eIt becomes easy to see letters formed from

objects with objects. But what about the

space around those objects? This space is

called negative space and this is also useful

for finding hidden letterforms. Isaac Witkin’s

piece Hawthorne Tree is a bronze work

made up of sweeping liquid-like forms

creating various negative spaces within itself.

When looking for letterforms within this

piece, it was important for me to address the

negative space. I soon found an ‘R’ in the

negative space created in this piece. Only

by looking at the space around the physical

object was I able to find this letterform.

n e g a t i v e s p a c e

It becomes easy to see letters formed from

objects with objects. But what about the

space around those objects? This space is

called negative space and this is also useful

for finding hidden letterforms. Isaac Witkin’s

piece Hawthorne Tree is a bronze work

made up of sweeping liquid-like forms

creating various negative spaces within itself.

When looking for letterforms within this

piece, it was important for me to address the

negative space. I soon found an ‘R’ in the

negative space created in this piece. Only

by looking at the space around the physical

object was I able to find this letterform.

stlouis

I was born and raised in St. Louis.

I was interested to go back to St. Louis

and see how my experiences in Lawrence

and Kansas City would influence how i

saw my home town. I decided to go to

one of my favorite places growing up,

Laumeier Sculpture Park. I used to

go to the park often to view the numerous

sculptures and spend time with my family.

Now I was going to see if the vast variety

of sculptures would provide me with some

new letterforms.

As I arrived I approached a pedestal which

had a miniature version of a sculpture.

These are used for the visually impaired

so they can still experience the sculptures

through touch. While closely looking at the

brass rendition, I found the letter ‘K’ in the

metal branches. I then found a ‘Y’ in the

same location. This was the beginning of

a journey through the park experiencing

the sculptures I grew up learning about

in a new way. I began seeing countless letterforms in different styles.

The natural contrast of many of the sculptures’

hard, metal, and urban look with the natural

surroundings lent well to the overall appearance

of the letterforms.

The letter ‘W’ is derived from the sixth

letter of the proto-Sinaitic alphabet: vav.

This letter originated F, U, and V as well.

In Hebrew, vav means “nail” or “hook.” In

ancient form it looked similar to a modern

day Y, which was reminiscent of the bracket

that supported a folded ship’s mast.

I was born and raised in St. Louis.

I was interested to go back to St. Louis

and see how my experiences in Lawrence

and Kansas City would influence how i

saw my home town. I decided to go to

one of my favorite places growing up,

Laumeier Sculpture Park. I used to

go to the park often to view the numerous

sculptures and spend time with my family.

Now I was going to see if the vast variety

of sculptures would provide me with some

new letterforms.

As I arrived I approached a pedestal which





brass rendition, I found the letter ‘K’ in the

metal branches. I then found a ‘Y’ in the

same location. This was the beginning of

a journey through the park experiencing

the sculptures I grew up learning about

in a new way. I began seeing countless

letterforms in different styles. The natural

contrast of many of the sculptures’ hard,

metal, and urban look with the natural

surroundings lent well to the overall

appearance of the letterforms.








vertical spreads horizontal spreads


It becomes easy to see letters formed

from objects with objects. But what

about the space around those objects?

This space is called negative space

and this is also useful for finding

hidden letterforms. Isaac Witkin’s

piece Hawthorne Tree is a bronze

work made up of sweeping liquid-like

forms creating various negative

spaces within itself. When looking

for letterforms within this piece, it

was important for me to address the

negative space. I soon found an ‘R’

in the negative space created in this

piece. Only by looking at the space

around the physical object was I able

to find this letterform.

R I G H T :

An ‘R’ found using the nega-

tive space in Isaac Witlin’s

Hawthorne Tree

I was born and raised in St. Louis. I

was interested to go back to St. Louis and

see how my experiences in Lawrence and

Kansas City would influence how i saw

my home town. I decided to go to one of

my favorite places growing up, Laumeier

Sculpture Park. I used to go to the park

often to view the numerous sculptures and

spend time with my family. Now I was going

to see if the vast variety of sculptures would

provide me with some new letterforms.

As I arrived, I approached a pedestal which





brass rendition, I found the letter ‘K’

in the metal branches. I then found

a ‘Y’ in the same location. This was the

beginning of a journey through the park

experiencing the sculptures I grew up learning

about in a new way. I began seeing countless letterforms in different

styles. The natural contrast of many of the

sculptures’ hard, metal, and urban look with

the natural surroundings lent well to the

overall appearance of the letterforms.

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” w a y n e w d y e r R I G H T :

A ‘K’ found in the

branches of a miniture

model of a piece at

Laummeier Sculpture Park in

St. Louis, MO.

L E F T T O R I G H T :

L,M,N,O found at Laumeier

Sculpture park.








hiddentypeu r b a n t y p o g r a p h y

b r e a n n e f e n c l



hiddentypep u b l i c t y p o g r a p h y


hidden

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gr

ap

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covers

hiddentypep u b l i c t y p o g r a p h y


hidden

typep

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lic

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conceptstatementBeyond the world of intentional printed type, is a world that often goes unnoticed. The world of hidden type is one that is only exposed to those who are looking for it. With a trained eye, one can uncover a new world full of new letterforms. In my book, I narrate my experi-ences in three cities on a mission to find these hid-den letterforms. I was able to compile three complete alphabets and obtain a new outlook on the world.

p r o p o r t i o n

to be a perfect circle. this is one example

on how an ‘O’ might be found, it can be

condensed like an oval as well. Keep your

eye out for all different styles of letters

and compare them to one another.

2 2 2 2

An important variable in the differences

in letterforms is proportions. Four

major variables control letterform

proportion. These include, stroke to

height ratio, contrast in stroke weight,

x-height and proportion, and expanded

and condensed styles. The last of

which being most applicable to finding

letterforms in everyday objects. Take for

example this ‘O’ which I found on Mass Street in Lawrence. It appears

finalprojecthiddentype

p u b l i c t y p o g r a p h y


introTypography is all around us, even when

it is not intentional. Architecture, objects, and

materials can also mimic the shape of familiar

letterforms. These shapes are appealing to

the public but can often go unnoticed. Look

around you. The angles and shapes that

the structures and objects around you will

form shapes and soon letterforms with just a bit of

concentration and creativity from you. See

that tangled mess of extension cords beside

your desk? Is there an ‘e’ or a ‘g’ there? What

about your coffee table? Is there a letterform

there? I decided to take this concept out of

my room and travel in Lawrence, KS, Kansas

City, MO, and St. Louis, MO to find other

examples of this hidden type. My goal

was to look at the world differently.

Seeing things I have never seen before in

environments that are familiar; and definitely

seeing the world from a different angle. It is

amazing how much more one can appreciate

the world when taking time to view the

small details.

L E F T :

‘I’ found at Zona Rosa

outdoor mall in Kansas

City, MO.

2 222

2 2

I have been goIng to school here In

Lawrence for 2 full years now. As a graphic

design student, you would think I would have

noticed some of these letterforms before,

especially when learning about the anatomy

of type. Nope. The small details expose

themselves only to the person who

takes the time to notice. At first it was

very difficult to look at objects in a different

way. I found myself finding a lot of “O” “L” and

“X.” This is normal. It is easy to spot a

circular window, or doorknob, a corner of a

door frame, or a cross in the sidewalk. These

shapes are not only letterforms but basic

structural devices. Right angles make things

sturdy and regular, circles are symmetrical

and easy to interact with.

“True originality consists not in a new manner but in a new vision.”

E d i t h W h a r t o n

The letter ‘A’ found on

Massachusetts Street in

Lawrence, KS.

2 2

2 2

I went to Massachusetts Street, the Lawrence

equivalent of Main Street, for my first

adventure of finding these letterforms.

As I was walking down Mass, I walked past

one of my favorite ice cream shops, Sylas &

Maddy’s. On any other day, I would have

walked past this store without a second

glance. However, that day, I was looking with

a detailed eye. I saw a door handle for the

employee entrance. There was nothing too

spectacular about it, just a door knob. But on

closer inspection, this door knob made an ‘S.’

I then was able to continue down Mass and

find all the letters of the alphabet.


‘T’ ‘U’ ‘V’ all found in

Lawrence, KS.

22

In ancient middle eastern cultures, the ox was an

extremely valuable animal. Not only did it provide

meat, and hides, but it aided in farming. Originally,

the letterform ‘A’ looked like an ox head. You can

see remnants of this imagery when we turn the

letter upside down.

2222

With a bit more concentration, I was able to find all the

letterforms and compile my favorites into an alphabet. I found

all of these letterforms on Massachusetts Street, the Lawrence

equivalent of Main Street.

23

kansascityI am not famIlIar wIth Kansas cIty very

well. I decided to go to an outdoor mall

called Zona Rosa to try to find letterforms.

I thought the variety of the storefronts in

combination with the different architecture

styles would lend itself to letterforms well. I

found it much easier to find these abstract

letterforms probably because I was in a

new environment and I did not have any

past experiences and connections with

these objects or buildings. Every object

2323

and building was a new opportunity

for a letterform, whereas the objects in

more familiar areas I had already associated

with their natural uses. In this new

environment, I was able to detach any

preconceived notions and concentrate on

The letter ‘M’ found at Zona

Rosa in Kansas City.

Instantly, I noticed a lamp that created a ‘C’

shape. What would have been a decorative

swirl to the naked eye, transformed

instantlly for me into a letterform. I

then found additional letterforms within

Zona and was able to compile a different

alphabet with its own characteristics.


‘D’ ‘E’ ‘F’ all found in

Kansas City, MO.

2323

w e i g h t

When we are looking for letterforms

in public spaces, it is important to

remember that these letterforms will

also come in different weights as well.

Looking on the streets of Zona, I found

a ‘Y’ in this lamp post. This particular

23 23

Letterforms come in all shapes and

sizes as we have already seen. Some

large, some small; some thick, some

thin. All of these characteristics

contribute to weight. Weight is the

relative darkness or lightness of the

characters which results from the

thickness of the strokes. A given font

might have many different weights such

as light, bold, extra bold, and hairline.

23

The letter ‘D’ most likely began as the Phoenician

letter daleth meaning door. Some people believe

that the letterform represents a flap of animal skin

used as a door for a tent and others believe that it

resembles a carved panel of a wooden door.

“The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and

a l b e r t e i n s t e i n

23

After a good amount of walking and searching around Zona, I

was able to form a complete alphabet. Although different from

the Lawrence equavalent, the Zona alphabet has very similar

characteristics, and tone.

It becomes easy to see letters formed

from objects with objects. But what

about the space around those objects?

This space is called negative space

and this is also useful for finding

hidden letterforms. Isaac Witkin’s

piece Hawthorne Tree is a bronze

work made up of sweeping liquid-like

forms creating various negative

spaces within itself. When looking

for letterforms within this piece, it

was important for me to address the

negative space. I soon found an ‘R’

in the negative space created in this

piece. Only by looking at the space

around the physical object was I able

to find this letterform.


R I G H T :

An ‘R’ found using the nega-

tive space in Isaac Witlin’s

Hawthorne Tree

24 24

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”

w a y n e w d y e r

stlouis2424

I was born and raIsed In st. LouIs. I

was interested to go back to St. Louis and

see how my experiences in Lawrence and

Kansas City would influence how I saw

my home town. I decided to go to one of

my favorite places growing up, Laumeier

Sculpture Park. I used to go to the park

often to view the numerous sculptures and

spend time with my family. Now I was going

to see if the vast variety of sculptures would

provide me with some new letterforms.

As I arrived, I approached a pedestal which





brass rendition, I found the letter ‘K’ in

the metal branches. I then found a ‘Y’ in

the same location. This was the beginning of

a journey through the park experiencing the

sculptures I grew up learning about in a new

way. I began seeing countless letterforms in different

styles. The natural contrast of many of

the sculptures’ hard, metal, and urban look

with the natural surroundings lent well to the

overall appearance of the letterforms.


L,M,N,O found at Laumeier

Sculpture park.

R I G H T :

A ‘K’ found in the

branches of a miniture

model of a piece at

Laummeier Sculpture Park in

St. Louis, MO.

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My day spent in Laumeier was an enjoyable and productive

one. I was able to collect examples of all the letters of the

alphabet and was able to compile them into a collection that is

rich in creativity and originality.

24

conclusion

now looK around you. what else In your

environment is more than meets the eye?

Using this refined and creative mindset,

what can you discover? This experience

has taught me to appreciate the small

things in my environment. Someone

has designed everything that is around us.

The way it exists, the way it decays, all are

beautiful. When appreciated, the world

becomes a much more exciting place to live.

2424

breanne fenclPublic Type | VISC 402: Designer as Author

Patrick Dooley | University of Kansas | Fall 2012

camera used:

Cannon eos rebel T3

typefaces:

Meta Plus, Baskerville

references:

ox, house, stIcK: the hIstory of our alphabet by Don Robb

mysterIes of the alphabet by Marc-Alain Ouaknin

typographIc desIgn: form and communIcatIon: fourth edItIon by Rob Carter, Ben Day, and Philip Meggs

25

reflectionI think overall I enjoyed this project. I had a pretty easy time choosing my topic but a hard time conveying what I saw to other people. I also found it hard to find things to research and put in my book. The text was the hard-est part for me. I wrote the narrative fine but needed more content. That is when I added the facts about the individual letterforms. Photographing was an interest-ing journey as well. I traveled to three different cities to get my content and it payed off. I particularly enjoyed the pictures I got from St Louis. Playing the roles of author, designer, and photographer gave me an ap-preciation for all the difficulties and perks each job has. In the future, if I am working with another individual with these jobs I will be able to better understand what they are going through and their goals. It also helped make the book all that more mine.

Documents

Process Book for Public Type