In this project, I was assigned to use a proportional manuscript grid in order to adhere a commencement speak to it. I chose to put the speech in a serif font to make the print easy to read and because a serif font reflects tradition and refinement.

In order to showcase the character of this typeface I designed, I created type specimen posters. These posters act as an exemplar to guide potential users of this typeface, displaying that this font’s elegance lies in subtlety and strategic yet generous uses of space—design fundamentals native to Japan.

This typeface is inspired from a quote dealing with a traditional sense of love, which I associate with marriage. The crane, in Japanese culture, along with other east Asian cultures, is a common motif used in wedding ceremonies and a symbol of longevity and good fortune. In order to capture the delicate elegance associated with wedding ceremonies and the essence of a crane, I used form inspired by origami to create this typeface and named it Tsuru, crane in Japanese.

In order to better understand the anatomy of type, I was assigned to build a monogram of my initials from a specified group of shapes, which produced design limitations and greater potential for cohesion and creativity.