Swiss Typography
+ the art of the letterform
+ the art of the letterform
I created this book as part of a 2nd year college project. The brief was to design stands and a catalogue for a hypothetical exhibition, based on an essay we had written. The text is from an essay I wrote on Swiss Typography.
Constructing the underlying grid for the catalogue was the most strenuous part of the project. Every increment corresponds to the the typography on the page. I included a visible baseline grid on every page, and the whole grid on selected pages.
Also in the box are a set of screen printed postcards, showcasing original work created during the project, a poster referencing Josef Muller Brockmann's work for the Zurich Opera House, and a transparent sheet with the grid from the catalogue printed on it, for use with certain pages within the catalogue.
Also in the box are a set of screen printed postcards, showcasing original work created during the project, a poster referencing Josef Muller Brockmann's work for the Zurich Opera House, and a transparent sheet with the grid from the catalogue printed on it, for use with certain pages within the catalogue.
—Screen printed board box, built to house the catalogue, as well as some bonus printed material.
—Detail of two-colour screen print on box cover.
Refinement, an assortment of cream stocks for the chapter on Iteration+OrganisationPerfection.
—The grid is visible on this page, every measurement is informed by the height and width of the letterforms.
—I tried to visualise each chapter title, using cues from the essay and the design of the catalogue.
For the chapter on Refinement, I measured each letter of the word 'refinement' out on paper and hand drew the letters.
—For the chapter on Iteration+Organisation, I combined several of the most prolific typefaces during the Swiss Typographic movement.
(For the chapter on Perfection, I placed the word in the 'perfect' place on the page, using the Fibonacci sequence to divide the page.)
—Spread on the shift from serif to sans-serif typography.
—Quote from Erik Spiekermann in the film Helvetica.
—Spread on the canonical designer Max Huber. I recreated his famous poster for Pirelli, and filled in the background as I imagined it was originally drawn, as the theme throughout the chapter was seeing beyond the finished piece, appreciating the grid.
Thank you for browsing through my portfolio. I am actively seeking critique or advice, and would greatly appreciate any constructive criticism, either below in the comments, or in a message.
Photo & video credits: Craig Andrew.
