Lunarising
About the Project
This project started with an open brief, giving me the freedom to explore any concept through the design of a typeface. I wanted to draw inspiration from Vietnam, using typography as a way to explore, connect with and better understand my own cultural heritage.
The typeface was developed with a strong focus on structure and the foundations of typography, particularly legibility, spatial structure, contrast and weight. I considered how these elements could work together to create a cohesive and functional typeface. Through this process, I wanted to show appreciation for my culture while still creating a typeface that was considered through a strong
typographic system.
The Design Process
The typeface was inspired by the architecture of Vietnamese temples, with the structure of the roofs and pillars becoming the main influences on the letterforms. I looked at how these architectural elements could be translated into shapes, proportions and decorative details within the typeface.
Rather than directly imitating the architecture, I wanted to take the ideas and forms I found within Vietnamese temple design and transform them into something new through typography. This allowed me to create a typeface that felt connected to my cultural heritage while still having its own visual identity.
Lunarising was designed for use across Vietnamese festive events, where its unique qualities could help create a sense of occasion and cultural connection.
Research
Design Intent
The typeface that will be designed was inspired by the architecture of temples in Vietnam. The purpose of this design is to create a decorative/display typeface that represents the structure and essence of Vietnamese temple architecture. There are several aspects to the purpose of the temples; however, to design a typeface based off of temples, it will have to show respect and appreciation. The typeface should be used as display signage for English translations or in Vietnamese communities on posters for cultural events. Legibility for this typeface is important to exhibit the structural integrity that the temple architecture displays. It will have distinguishable features that will be inspired by the flicks and tips of the roofing; there will be thick vertical strokes to demonstrate the doorways and pillars. Due to the edges of the roofing and intent,
the typeface is most suitable to be a slab serif to ensure the details can be defined to their fullest potential without making fault to the architecture.
Process
