The Design Loop

As a maker of things in between the design and fine art worlds, I have long admired handicraft of all kinds, physical or virtual.  Current trends in contemporary design reveal the imperfections and implications of “the hand,” in ironic contrast to the mechanical process of designing.  This is especially true for type.

I recently purchased the book Hand Job, which catalogs hand-drawn type by 55 designers and typographers, cataloged by Michael Perry.  It is an incredible collection of artists who strive to use their hand in most of the work they produce.  They are getting away with it beautifully, creating a larger want (market?) for this kind of manual design, while carving themselves a niche career.  Here are a few of the designers featured:

Daniel Black

Adrian Johnson

Andy Rementer

And in my own collecting of cool handmade lettering, I came across other artists pushing the boundaries of type design.  One of my favorites is Jessica Hische.  She collaborated with Sagmeister on a project for Urban Play for which they tediously arranged euro-cents to spell out a phrase that appropriately speaks to both of their practices:  “Obsessions make my life worse, and my work better.”  We all know about Sagmeister’s play with experimental type, but Hische’s heed notice, too, from a more traditional font-nerding perspective.  Below is an example of her original lettering solutions.  Check out more on her site:  http://jessicahische.com/

Another fave: FLAG is a couple of dudes from Zurich incorporating hand-drawn techniques in their design work and book-publishing.  And if their site isn’t evidence enough, here is an example:

I also find it pleasing to discover that Emigre Font designer John Downer is also a sign-painter by trade (specializing in gold leaf lettering!).  While his type designs are fairly conservative, I can certainly see the influence (or nostalgia) of the hand-painted.  So I’ll ask you…What is the attraction to hand-qualities in design?  To me, it gives voice to a very personal expression, lending a human element to a design industry that is often driven by corporate negotiations .  It shows skill that isn’t always championed in our fast-paced product-centered economy.  It creates character.  And most importantly, it continues to ride the boundaries of what makes art, craft, and design.