King of Terrors - International Society of Typographic Designers: 2016
Typography, Research Methods & Analysis, Report Document, Poster Design, Zine Design
Work from the 2016 International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD) brief which asked designers to “explore and develop typography as an inherent part of the design process”. The chosen topic ‘The Undiscovered Country...’ asked to “stare death in the face” and research the topic from a unique perspective to create a typographic artefact and accompanying research thesis.
My perspective was studying the 5 stages of grief, the funerary and burial process, how people face the challenges of losing a loved one, and how design can help reduce the negative stigma of death and decay.
From this project my design ethos and perspectives had a profound evolution, beyond the scope of the project. Such is the power of research in design.
My primary research came to reaffirm the idea that death is a universal human challenge; it effects everyone, and everyone reacts differently. But through the grief, people can still show kindness and sincerity to strangers, as the feelings of grief around death transcends culture, gender and age. The research was emotionally difficult, but all the while insightful as it helped me immensely in evolving my design ethos and understanding.
I am presenting the audience with a design on a topic that is confronting. But through through extensive research methodologies, I learnt strategies, techniques and the necessary language required to discuss and disseminate this challenging topic. This informed my design outcome and documentation, which intends to teach, subvert and humanise the themes of life and death. Through fostering discussion, sharing experiences and creating an understanding with one’s self and loved ones alike, one could experience a change in perspective as I have come to know from this process; from dark, to vivid and transformative. And to live for every moment.
All of life needs to be celebrated.
My final artefact for the project was a series of posters advertising a conceptual art-film festival and a playbill zine.
I chose to use a literary piece, in this case the poem ‘Death is nothing at all’ by Henry Scott Holland, as the framework that underpins my design artefacts.
Holland’s poem speaks of death as ‘nothing at all’; a sympathetic and positive story that forgoes the “air of solemnity or sorrow” and instead calls for celebrating life and laughter.
