The Journey of a New Type Design.
Type designers that are new and unfamiliar with the industry often get impatient. Many want instant recognition and success. A client’s desire for immediate results and the instant gratification built into social media platforms can contribute to this mindset. Their egos are easily bruised by a client’s comments and instead of trying to educate and explain their reasoning, simply give up and end up doing work that just satisfies the client’s aesthetic point of view.
Developing type that is timeless and creating its heritage takes experience and observation. This comes with time, tenacity and patience.
For example type designer Gabriel Lopez created the font “pley.ground” It was designed as a modern sans serif whose flexible functionality allowed it to be utilized as both a headline and for reading copy.
In contrast to “pley.ground Gabriel also created the type Lekea. Taking the aspects of black letter and transitional serif typefaces to create something more contemporary.
Choosing appropriate type on a project means using your intuition and having faith. Never assume the mechanical tools of type and graphic design will create strong work. Exposure is key to your success as a type designer. Gabriel believes the beauty of social media is that you have the world as your audience and all eyes can be on you. It is his studio’s philosophy that the content they create has to be meaningful and purposeful.
Again, thinking about the intent of the post and not just posting for the sake of posting. They use an authentic voice and try to educate people on what they do and the purpose behind it.
To attract work in a particular field you need to show examples of it, so if you’re not getting the work, you need to create your own, even if it’s exhibition pieces or personal work. Don’t try to be clever and do not compare yourself to other great designers nor replicate their style and approach. It will keep you from finding your voice and really developing your skills. Reproduction is not innovation it lacks imagination and is lifeless.
