In this project I studied ten different fonts and created images for each one that conveys a story about the font it's representing. The image may refer to the fonts history, characteristics, or common associations. Chat GPT was used in the making of this project for the purposes of research and ideation. I prompted Chat GPT with questions about the fonts' creation, when it was made, and where it's commonly used.
The font in the image above is Garamond. The design of Garamond was inspired by roman letterforms when it was created during the renaissance in France, and it was also the font used in the bibles printed by Gutenberg. Those details are what lead me to choose the image of an elaborate french chapel. I chose the Ts to create the feeling of columns found in roman architecture with their triangular arrangement meant to create a strong, structured appearance further reinforcing their architectural likeness.
This font is Baskerville. Baskerville is elegant, sophisticated, and used often in newspapers. I wanted an image that conveys these features of the font. The g placed above the tea is meant to resemble steam rising from the cup.
Bodoni, the font above, was popular in the roaring twenties. Speakeasies are a token of the prohibition that occurred during this time, so I chose the photo to hint to the font's origin. I chose the X to show off the contrast of the font that made it so liked at this time. With that I used the two Xs to represent the number twenty, and it's a nice touch that it's also a reference to Dos Equis.
Rockwell was popular during the industrial era, which is fitting with its blocky mechanical shape. The industrial era gave way to the rise of the railroad, and the tracks seem to have slab serifs just like Rockwell. I chose the M to mock the mountain range in the background, and I used a triangular formation again to emphasize the visual strength and solidity of the font. I arranged the letters in a stacked manner with the two closest letters cropped at the edge of the image to create a sense of depth.
This is Futura, a sleek, futuristic, simple font. I chose this long hall with stunning futuristic, minimal design to echo the use and personality of futura. Futura is commonly used in things related to space and the future. I used the C in this image to create a continuation of the arching supports. The repeated shape creating a tunnel also reminds me of how motion is shown in sci-fi movies like Tron and The Matrix.
Fette Fraktur is a blackletter type face created in Germany. I have come to associate this font with bars and pubs. I used B for beer and placed it in the center to refer to its commercial use.
Snell Roundhand is an elegant font and it's commonly used in fashion magazines. I used an image of an elegant model and placed the letters in the gaps of the composition reinforcing her position and strengthening her presence. I chose the V and the W to repeat the triangular shape of her gait.
This is Syntax. Syntax was popular in the eighties and used at the time for the Oberon operating system. I feel like computers are often thought of as being a part of the office at the time, and because of how bland syntax feels I decided ABC was an equally bland letter combination and a good representation of the font.
Platelet featured above was created in California in the nineties and based on the letter forms found on license plates. Platelet has rounded corners and a futuristic feel, so I went for a car from the same period with similar connotations. I decided to place the letter forms in the shadows to play with the idea of blending them into the environment.
Sevenet is a pixel font and today it is often used in indie games and retro video games that are looking to create a sense of nostalgia. the image above features a tiny dinosaur and an old game console. The miniature sizes and the rounded edges creates a deeper sense of nostalgia just like the font. I arranged the letters on the frame to create movement and to frame the image while continuing to play with blending the letter forms into their environment.
