Purpose
This project was very open-ended and I took advantage of this rare design opportunity for pure self-expression. I ultimately decided to illustrate the word dream because to me it's a word that expresses fantasy, utopia, and creativity. I created my own unique typeface which was inspired by things that I'm drawn to as a designer: simple geometric forms, sans serif lower-case lettering, and one of my favourite motifs - rainbows. The juxtaposition of solid three-dimensional geometric shapes and whimsical two-dimensional lines and stars symbolizes my own personal dream of creating design solutions that are the perfect marriage of logic, structure, and data with imagination, play, and beauty.
Parameters
The project objective was to create either a new or hybrid typeface and use it to illustrate a single word. The word was to be designed using Adobe Illustrator and the typeface had to either by completely new and unique, or a customized version of an existing typeface.
Process
I brainstormed several dozen words that I felt drawn to and simultaneously searched online for images and typefaces that I admired. I focussed on words related to the concept of dreaming, such as fantasy, utopia, and imagination. I then realized that the word dream itself was aesthetically fascinating since its lower-case letters are primarily no taller than the x-height (other than the letter d) so I explored different shapes, curves, and patterns to uniquely convey the word. I then found a simple geometric illustration that resembled a 3-D rainbow and I experimented with creating the five different letterforms with this style. Lastly, I added contrasting dynamic lines and stars around the letterforms to create a feeling of movement, freedom, and spirit.
