#modulartype

typeface Bau

Continuing the work on my typeface — bau, a modular grid-based alphabet inspired by the structural clarity of the Bauhaus. Each letter is constructed within a strict square system — limiting expression to geometry, yet revealing rhythm through form.

This is not a decorative font. It’s a study in structure, in constraint, in balance. Where every shape follows a logic, but keeps its own identity.

Built on the principle: less, but better.

REMEDIATION

In order to achieve the correct balance, I had a look at a Typographic Systems resource I was sent by my lecturer, however, I felt that none of the systems suited my type.

I decided to revisit earlier research and have a look at the work of Matt Willey to spark some inspiration.

Below is further development work focussing on type setting on the back of my poster.

V1 & V2

In both of these versions I have used a two column grid to bring more uniform to my copy.  I do like V1 but I feel like I need to make my modular type more of a focus, there is a little bit too much empty space and everything looks like its floating.  In V2 I attempted to use my modular letters to spell out the name of my font - Punkt, again I have used a 2 column grid but the poster is far too cluttered.

V3 & V4

In V3 I had a go at including my entire alphabet, gradually getting smaller, inspired by Matt Willey’s design.  Although this worked quite well on the page on its own, the layout didn't work when I added the copy.  I decided to go back to a single column in V4 and I really liked how this version turned out so decided to see how it would look side by side with a new version front cover.

I decided to highlight more of my modular alphabet on the front of my poster, I still wanted to include my punk print, however, I decided to lighten the colour to match the back of the poster.

V5 & V6

At this point I think I was finding a flow with my modular type characters and in these versions, I think I have done a good job of showcasing a selection of numbers and letters.  I also managed to set my copy really well alongside my artwork.

V7 with Cover

I tried a rotation of my V6 design, switching the artwork to the bottom with numbers on the left.  I also decided to increase the vibrancy of the print on the front of my poster and I think this works much better.

V8 & V9

At this point I decided to stop and have a look over my work to see if there was a version I’d quite like to develop further as a final version of my poster.  I really liked V5 but wasn't happy with the vibrancy or placement of the print.   I also wasn't sure what side I wanted my design to sit on so decided to mock up a couple of versions without copy to see how they looked.  I really liked V8 with my artwork placed on the left and numbers on the right - next step, add the copy.

V8 including copy and new version poster front.

FINAL POSTER

FRONT:

BACK:

SIDE BY SIDE:

PUNKT is a bold, playful, display font inspired by the punk/grunge subculture of the 1990′s.

Part of my creative process seen me go back to my earlier work of dot/line/shape and this inspired the name PUNKT.  My design is reminiscent of the Swiss graphic design movement of using mostly geometric shapes and the German translation of dot/spot is Punkt.  

In terms of my complimenting font, I already had two in my mind that would work well alongside PUNKT.  It was a choice between Poppins & Quicksand and I settled on Quicksand as I felt its rounded terminals struck the right balance alongside the main dot characters of my font.

I really loved the creative process behind creating my own modular type and my first attempt at poster design.  I am so pleased with how my alphabet turned out and I particularly love my numbers.  I feel like the sponge technique I used managed to capture the essence of the grunge/punk effect I wanted to achieve and the letters look organic without being overly digitised.

I struggled a little more with the back of the poster due to trying to incorporate the description and my alphabet without it looking overly fussy.  I decided to stick to a bilateral system to create a flow between the two sections of the poster.  I included the printed dots to reflect the print on the front of my poster but in reflection I think I could have set them out better on the page.

EXPERIMENT + REFLECT

Poster Design Cont.

At this point I decided to experiment with adding the full name of my alphabet to see how it looked against my background prints.

I wasn't keen with how these turned out and preferred my initial experiments highlighting just the one letter.  

I was keen to see how other letters might work on the front and I am quite pleased with how the G looked, but in the end I decided to stick with developing my poster design highlighting the letter P.

I had another play around with my previous P designs and decided on the version below as my final poster.

EXPERIMENT + REFLECT

Poster Design Cont.

Following my experiments to create a possible background for my poster, I decided to start developing ideas for the front.

I felt that I wanted to focus on the letter P as this was the first letter of the name of my modular alphabet.

Below are some images of my creative process:

Here I enlarged the size of my P and decided to have a play around cutting the shape to see what effect that might create - I wasn't really keen on how these turned out.

Here I cut one of my prints to create a repeat of the circle pattern to the mimic the dot of my P.

I decide to try adding one of my prints to the background of my poster, repeating the letter P in different rotations.  I quite liked this draft but it looked a little busy.

A few versions using just a single P, the first option I did consider as a final option for the front of my poster by decided against it in the end.

EXPERIMENT + REFLECT

Playing with Poster Design

The first step I took in starting to design my poster, was to go back to my initial research and refine it a little more.  I was quite influenced by the early 90′s punk/grunge subculture as I worked through this process and I was keen to reflect this in some way within my poster design. 

I decided to create another mood board:

I knew at this point I wanted to create some sort of print that would act as a background, picking out some of the key colours of this era whilst also making a feature of the dots within my type.

To begin with I tried to look a different ways to create dots - here I used a large sponge, some of the smaller sponge shapes and the back of a pencil to create a dot pattern. 

I decided to make a dot template to place over my pattern so that you would only see some of the pattern peeking through.  My idea was to use the white space for my modular type.  I wasn't keen on how this turned out so decided to park this idea.

Paint drops ready for pressing.

I took the dots into Snapseed to add vibrancy to the colour, although i think this is pretty, it didn't have the grunge feel I was hoping to achieve.

Another print modified in Snapseed.  I was definitely getting somewhere with colour at this point.

I merged some of the prints together to see what effect I could create.

EXPERIMENT + REFLECT

Final Modular Alphabet

I am so pleased with how this turned out, I particularly love how the sponge created a distressed effect on the circular modules of my alphabet.  I feel like its simplistic yet refined.

When creating my type, I really wanted to take shapes from the real world. I thought about the shapes I found most satisfying in typography. I was really drawn to modular type that features curves and circles, and so I wanted to find something I could create to reflect this. 

I decided to create a font that would be a love letter to my trip to India. I focused on examining the shapes, particularly of the Hawa Mahal. I remember seeing the landmark for the first time when I was 18, and it was one of the most beautiful pieces of architecture I had ever seen.

I decided to work with these shapes to create a modular font. I particularly wanted the font to be bold and elegant, but also playful. I think the mixtures between curves and straight lines provides this. Once I had worked with the shapes a few times, I built up my font, and named it Jaipur.

When utilising this into my type poster, I really wanted to have playful movement and diversity of the type. I really enjoyed looking at the work of Hey Studio and loved how bold and beautiful the designs were.

I also wanted to incorporate the bright colours and bold styles of the Hawa Mahal, and I felt the style of Hey Studio matched what I wanted to achieve. I tried a few different layouts on illustrator but felt I wasn’t able to get the effect I wanted. 

I decided to go back to cut-outs to play with analogue ways to play with type. I really liked the idea of using the modular shapes for the backgrounds as well as the empty space left behind.

Once I was happy with the layout, I tried a few different backgrounds with the cut-out font. I liked the idea of it having a stone background, however when I tried it, it felt to dark and rough for the feel of the font. I also tried different colours but my favourite was the white on white. Finally, I cut the shapes out and lay them on top to give a very slightly 3d effect.

For the back, I wanted to follow a similar theme, and so I followed the same idea with cutouts, only this time I cut out painted shapes. The large dome shapes split in half left me with a page that was well divided. I like the way it halved the page. I also loved the idea of using the curves as a path for the type to follow, and really accentuate the shapes of the font.

Finally, for my typographic system, I again wanted to relate back to the curves. I decided to try a dilatational style. I felt for the amount of content I wanted to share, and for the style and feel of the poster that I wanted to convey this worked really well. 

Reflection

I was really happy with my final font and poster, as it reflected well my initial intentions for the project. I do wish I had given myself a bit more time to experiment with lots of different typographic systems, as I think there could have been some interesting ways of incorporating grid and axial systems as well, and I would have liked the front and the back of the posters to flow a little better, perhaps reflecting the dilational shapes on the back.

I also think in general I would have liked to have tidied up the design, but it was fiddly work with those cut-outs! Perhaps with a bit of free time, I will update the poster with some bolder choices.