Project Statement

The process began with reading Carl Dair’s seven contrasts, which set the foundation for understanding how contrast defines the character of type. Carl Dair’s “Seven Contrasts” are principles of typographic contrast outlined in his influential book, Design with Type (1952), which include size, weight, form, structure, texture, color, and direction. These elements are used to create visual interest and hierarchy in design, much like chords create harmony in music. The next step was taking a photo walk around Walnut Creek, Concord, and San Francisco, looking closely at shop signs, hand-painted boards, and everyday lettering that often goes unnoticed. Capturing these moments was one of the most fun parts of the process, finding letterforms that told stories of the place and the people who made them.

After collecting the photographs, each image was studied for interesting types and quirks. From there, individual letters were isolated, identifying all 26 letters of the Latin alphabet, and then narrowed down to ten personal favorites. These letterforms were batch processed to black and white, then inverted to reveal the raw weight and texture of the type itself.

After pairing letterforms to explore four of Carl Dair’s typographic contrasts: contrast of weight, form, structure, and direction. This stage was where unexpected relationships between different vernacular letters began to emerge, sometimes aligning harmoniously, and at other times clashing.

Moving to InDesign brought a new layer of complexity. The layout process demanded both technical and visual decision-making. Following the guidelines of the project brief, multiple compositions were tested with various font combinations. Bookmania and Proxima Nova, both designed by Mark Simonson, were chosen to create a clear typographic contrast. Bookmania, a revival of the classic Bookman Oldstyle, brings expressive curves, warmth, and ornamental swashes that echo the character of vernacular lettering. In contrast, Proxima Nova bridges the gap between geometric sans-serifs and classic grotesques, offering a clean structure and modern versatility.

Once fonts were chosen, experimentation with colour and composition began, testing different colour combinations, such as blue and pink, and later black and orange.

Deep blue is associated with stability, intelligence, and calm focus. Pink, when paired with dark tones, brings warmth, emotion, and playfulness. When combined, they create a harmonious yet contrasting relationship.

Orange evokes enthusiasm, creativity, and friendliness. Black is a color of sophistication and focus. When combined, it is aimed to embody the idea of contrast itself. The cover artwork intends to serve as a visual nod to Dair’s seven contrasts, transforming theory into form. The booklet also housed a mini-brochure that included photos from where the letterforms were taken, which was printed in black and white on orange paper.

Many versions of the booklet were printed to test how different compositions would look. The final booklets were printed on ivory and white cardstock with the help of a local print shop. The physical copy takes us to the next part of the process, allowing feedback from fellow designers and professors and turning the process into a collaborative exploration of the craft.

Based on the feedback received from fellow designers and the professor, the decision was made to proceed with the orange and black composition. The feedback also helped to make the necessary changes to elevate the reading experience of the booklet. This leads us to the final printing of the booklet. Once the final printed booklet was ready, pictures were taken to include it in the process deck.

First Draft and Feedback

Since the project brief does not allow colour in the booklet design, the first drafts were printed on coloured paper to test how the booklet and its contents

would look at it.

The professor and fellow designers gave feedback on the first draft.

Two different coloured papers were used to experiment with how the text and the booklet’s content would look on Green and Blue Cardstock papers.

First Draft Feedback

Tightening up the leading in the subheaders

Choose letterforms to show the contrast of weight better

Booklet Cover Compositions

Different colours and compositions were tested out for the cover page of the booklet. Based on feedback, the decision to print two

covers for the semifinal presentation was made. A blue and pink combination, a black and orange combination, with a different

composition.

Semifinal Presentation

Feedback

This step of the process included reading out the project statement to the fellow designers while the booklets were passed around for observation and feedback.

Feedback for the semifinal presentation:

Carl Dair’s Name on the cover

Vectorize letterforms for visual clarity

Organise the pages

Widows need to be removed

Increase the spacing between E and the paragraph

The black and orange cover look better

Colour Palatte

Letterform Images

To create more visual interest and engagement, the decision to add the letterform image sources was made. This was printed on orange coloured paper and made into a mini booklet. This mini brochure of images is nestled between the pages corresponding to the letterforms in the image.

Final Booklet Design