Yusuke Ito

‍

A. Key learning from typeparis22
1. “Just Do. Don’t think”. – JFP.
I think there are some magic to the process of drawing. The more we draw, it unconsciously takes our mind to new ideas. Before coming to TypeParis22, I usually plan my design process from start to finish. This approach works. However, the “chaotic” approach in TypeParis, due to schedule and the amount of materials to learn, also works. It is opposite spectrum way of working. It taught me that not everything needs to be solved in sequence. Working on multiple problems simultaneously leads to unpredicted ideas.

‍

2. Make a Decision and Move On!
Working with various TypeParis instructors and guest critics, I’ve received various feedback that were consistent, but also contradicting. It was not about my design being right or wrong. Well, there were some that were fundamentally wrong. However, it was about having stance on your design’s point of view. Talking to various instructors, they have their own way of designing. And I think that applies to all of us. Believe in what I’m designing.

‍

B. Typeface Salishcare
Typeface SalishCare is inspired to connect patients and their hospital experience at Native American healthcare organizations located in the Pacific Northwest region (United States). The objective is to provide sense of professional care and connect with the Native American cultures.

‍

Step 1: Research . Salish Culture
People of Salish are indigenous to the American and Canadian Pacific Northwest, identified by their use of the Salish languages which diversified out of Proto-Salish between 3,000 and 6,000 years ago. The Salish (Salishan) people are in 4 major groups: Bella Coola (Nuxalk), Coast Salish, Interior Salish, and Tsamosa who each speak of the Salishan languages.

With time I would investigate and research the Salish writing to base a typeface design to reflect their culture.

However, for TypeParis22 project, the typeface is inspired by paintings and sculptures of the Salish. The artwork possesses characteristics of geometric shapes with organic shapes, broad strokes, and touch of fine terminating points.

Form and shape studies: Capture qualities of welcoming and care
During the visit to Typofonderie office, Jean François Porchez provided 2 typeface examples: Clearface and Poster De Vinne. Discussing with Jean François and Mathieu Réguer, I’ve learned the following qualities will bring qualities of welcoming and care.

Open Counters:
Big open counters provide sense of openness and air to the texture of the text.
Low Contrasts:
Low contrasting lines tends to provide sense of stability.

‍

Step 2: Studies
Based on the above research, my goal was to combine the above research findings and reflect them into letter forms.

I’ve studied the forms found in Salish artwork and explored various stroke styles. Studies included drawing vertical and horizontal strokes, connection points, and stroke terminals. These studies started to inform key features of letter strokes, which included broad-should-like-widths, square yet rounded corners, and carving-like cuts.

The next study included tracing the counter spaces of the Clearface and Poster De Vinne typefaces to qualities of the open counters. This was key to capturing the sense of welcoming and care that healthcare experience provides.

‍

Step 3: Design
With the help of the infamous French tracing papers, the task was to capture and combine the 2 characteristics of Salish artwork and typefaces Clearface and Poster De Vinne. After various iterations of the infamous letters, “n”, “p”, “e”, and “f” then “t”, “o”, “r”, “s”, “y”, and “g”, I started to capture the 2 characteristics.

After the key features were captured, it was time to apply the learning from the Humanistic letter exercise.

1. Structure: Letter structure is the key to success of a typeface, and it is the feature that provides the personality. Not the serifs.
2. Modular System (Stroke): Modular strokes are key to creating a sense of system in letter form. By sharing strokes from “p” and visually applying to letters of “c”, “e”, “d”, “b”, “q”, “o” and my favorite “g”, they start to make visual relationships. The second modules are the stroke ending of “c” are applied to “f”, “r”, “j”, “s”, and “y”.
3. Modular System (Counter space): Modular counter space are also key discipline to make a beautiful group of letters. The round counter space of “e”, “c”, “o”, “a”, “b”, “p”, “d”, and “q” needs to relate. The counter space of “n”, “m”, “h”, and “u” as well as diagonal letters of “v”, “y” “w”, “x”, and “z”
4. The lower case “t” must have the counterspace to the right of the stem to be true to the history of letter forms.

‍

Step 4: Critiques and Redlines
After the base of the design was established, completing the typeface was learning the details and techniques from our instructors Jean François, Mathieu Réguer, Malou Verlomme, David B?ezina, Marc Rouault, Gina Serret, Julie Soudanne, and various visiting designers.

‍