revive: type specimen book

goals

To design and fabricate a type specimen book for an Adrian Frutiger typeface, including three chapters: about the designer, the typeface specimen, and type anatomy. I chose the typeface Centennial for its organic yet clean lines, beautiful legibility, and its use in editorial and book publishing. As a callback to Centennial’s typical use in print, I chose a mid-century modern furniture catalog as the theme for the book.

process

The design makes use of flat, simple shapes in playful colors to reference the mid-century modern aesthetic. Most images have the background removed to keep things simple and let viewers focus on the type. Like an actual catalog, each piece of furniture has a label with a number code, and the numbers have significance to the subject of the book. The physical book’s cover also has fabric swatches on the inside front flap in reference to the theme.

results

The final result is a 52-page type specimen book, at a final size of 8×8 inches, that seamlessly represents both Centennial and mid-century modern design. The book also received a gold AAF award in the regional student division.