This project is still my favorite project to date. This was my final for Natalie’s Type I class for which we were given specific instructions to create a type specimen book using all of the text from a typography essay of Natalie’s choosing. Not a letter was to be omitted during the layout of this book, which was to be a minimum of 12 pages. This posed a great challenge, as for most of us, myself included, this was the first time we would take on a large-scale project with a great amount of design autonomy.

I spent a great deal of time on this project just laying out the type itself, void of any design elements. I poured over various type specimen books Natalie had given me for reference and tried to identify which elements made the books successful and emphatic. I decided that colors should be kept constant throughout, but that positioning could be the one factor in which I had free reign. This way, with some factors kept constant, I was able to make the book appear visually cohesive.

Overall, I’m very proud of the outcome. This project also helped me understand the importance of process, as countless hours were spent attempting to make my deliverable perfect.