A Sci-Fi Adventure: Type Specimen Book Process

Getting to the end product in my work is always rewarding, but by far, the most enjoyable part of creating is sharing my work with others. While my portfolio pages show the final product, I want to take you behind the scenes to see the process, start to finish, for one of my graphic design projects, my type specimen series featuring the typeface Roboto Condensed. The prompt for the project was open ended. I was assigned a typeface and was charged with demonstrating the main features and capabilities of the typeface within a catalog as well as in a website carousel in a conceptually interesting and visually engaging way.

The Research

I began by researching the history and creation of my typeface to gain inspiration for a concept for my work. I learned that a Google designer created Roboto Condensed for use in Android wearable devices. The clear, readable typeface is perfect for screens that can vary in size from device to device. Hearing the word android immediately made me think of vintage sci-fi films and books, and furthermore, the fact that Android devices in a sense turn humans into androids with our devices strapped to our bodies made the android concept even more relevant. I re-read one of my favorite sci-fi books, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick and found inspiration images from vintage sci-fi educational books.

First Creations

With my inspiration gathered, I decided that the concept of my type specimen book would indeed be androids and the way in which technology merges with humans. Even the typeface, while once created by hand via letterpress methods now exists solely on the computer. I wanted to create imagery that illustrated these concepts of technology merging with man and computer-made merging with handmade. I obtained some actual computer circuit boards, scanned them, and combined them with other imagery and typography to produce interesting visuals for the specimen book.

More Handmade Assets

In addition to the imagery I created using the circuit boards, I decided to create some handmade illustrated assets. I thought that the combination of computerized artwork plus handmade artwork would capture the concept of humans merging with technology. I created some linoleum prints to further illustrate the sci-fi theme, including a planet and a vintage television. I ultimately decided that the television did not fit with the theme, but I incorporated the planet into the final type specimen book and website.

Bringing it All Together

After creating all the illustrated assets and combining in them in various ways, I began applying them to the layout of the type specimen book. I selected a bright color palette, including orange and green, which was inspired by many of the vintage sci-fi posters and book spreads I found. I illustrated the complexity of machines, computers, and data by layering imagery and obscuring the subject in many of the images. I also enhanced the narrative by including quotes from the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep throughout the work. The end product is worthy of any android.