Day 0.2

This is what started it all:

A hand-done exercise from Typography class.

To better-follow the assignment's criteria, it transitioned into this guy:

:

In Publication Design the following semester I created an annual report for McCormick in which all of the imagery was comprised of spices I picked up from the grocery store. Think back to the days of yore when we used to cover everything in glitter using Elmers glue:

This later fueled the idea for the one-word-a-day typographic journal I created for my thesis. Here is the final product, a hard-bound book, 8" x 8" x 1":

I chose one word a day for 30 days and I had to hand-illustrate each word. I swore to abide by these two rules over the course of the experience:

1.) Limited to no computer use in creating each word.

2.) I would not allow myself to use the same illustration style twice.

I've always been a fan of including hand-done elements in my work, but in creating this project I realized that the possibilities we have in hand-illustrating type really are infinite. Since then, I've become intensely interested in finding other ways to create a more tactile experience for myself as I design.

Day 0

My name is Erica Sperrazzo.

I have a confession to make.

I'm a complete design nerd.

I graduated in December 2009 with a BFA in Applied Media Arts, concentrating in Graphic Design, minoring in Metalsmithing and now I'm trying to figure out what's next.

One of the last projects I created as an undergrad was a typographic journal, a hard-bound book in which each journal entry consisted of one word that was reflective of my day. Each word was in turn hand illustrated to enhance its meaning. Yep, that's right, NO computers, JUST paint, feathers, burnt paper, garbage, needle and thread, nature, food, light bulbs, lamp shades...

There may have been one exception that I can think of.

The whole project was based around the idea of severing the ties between a designer and the computer, or severely weakening them at least, and this allowed for a lot of creative experimentation. I really loved working on it, so now I've created this blog to continue experimenting, playing, dive-bombing, and maybe even succeeding in taking off every now and again.

So read on, readers.

(was that a little too Lavar Burton for you? Because I thought that was just right...)