Emotive Type

Graphic design is about the visual communication using one or more of typography, photography and illustration. That means that emotions can be communicated not just by images but also through words using different fonts and shapes. To get a better understanding we had to communicate eight  different emotions using the letter 'A'. 

Wim Crowel is a famous typographer who expresses emotions just through words. His image gives the impression of a computer screen which is well structured because there are just two big words written in a well readable font.

Neville Brodys design looks compared to Crowel unstructured and dominant. Without reading the words it conveys the impression of loudness and rebelling. 

 

I started with a brainstorming. It was not hard for me to write down ideas how to present different emotions such as “anger” or “joy”. My issue was the time management so it took me a while to actually produce my first letter and therefore I had to rush in the end.

In addition letters of some emotions were difficult to produce because I did not have the material I wanted to use like wood or nails.
Next time I should already think about what material I have and can use while doing the brainstorming.

This is also the reason why I got different outcomes than I was planing on.

I started with the emotion "JEALOUSY". I painted a calligraphic written 'A' in red because it expresses the love which is the positive side of jealousy.
For example somebody can get jealous when he/she is in love with another person who is talking to somebody else.
The red is also a symbol of anger which is furthermore symbolized by the triangle shaped cardboards. That is because of the anger a person feels when they get jealous.
To improve the letter I could have painted the triangles in red as well.

Another emotion is “FEAR”. I thought about a faint coloured and thin letter with shaking lines.

It came out better than I thought because I got a foil to cover the letter so it would be hidden and almost invisible.

The next emotion is “DEPRESSION”. A person who is depressed is feeling weak inside and does not know a way out of it.  I was thinking to communicate this emotion with some bars that turned out to be wire which trapped the letter. I used a black colour which conveys sadness.

  

 

After that emotion I created the emotion “JOY” which should be made out of warm and happy colours. I wanted design a ball on which the letter should be written on.

I changed my idea into a small 'a' which is decorated with pink paper balls and blue Styrofoam so it would look happy. I liked the outcome more than my first idea because that would convey the feeling happy through a ball and not the letter in principle.

 

 

The next letter I designed conveys "CHAOS". I thought about a structureless 'A' in different colours and with different materials. My letter looks like chaos which I really like but at the same time it looks like it was made by a little child.
The aspect that it appears like a child construction underlines the chaotic emotion because little children do not think about a system and arrangement.

After that I created the emotion “ANGER”. I thought about a dominant font and a big letter in red and black. It turned out to be all black made out of cardboard with some sharp wire sticking through it. I also glued it on a white sheet of paper that I coloured with sprinkles so it would look more aggressive. I really like the way it turned out because it looks dominant and angry.

Then I communicated the emotion “SURPRISE”. I thought about warm colours, streamers and confetti and the letter which is half way hidden. I created an 'A' shaped bag from which a lot of colourful material shaped as streamers and fans protrude. My letter conveys happy and fun and also surprise.

 

The last letter I designed is “CONFIDENT”. I was thinking about a three dimensional object made out of black wood. I also planned on producing thick and straight lines.
Because I ran out of time and I did not have the material I ended up with a big 'A' which is made out of white paper. On the paper are straight grey lines out of cardboard. I am not happy with this emotion because it does not to seem confident.
Therefore I thought of redoing my 'A'. This version should be made out of stones to express strength that refers to confidence. I used a lot of brownish and greyish pebble stones that form a big 'A'.