Typography 32
- Designing an annual for The Type Directors Club, the foremost compilation of its kind in the world, is a type designer’s dream come true. With that said, we couldn't resist the opportunity to play around a bit, and essentially experiment with the zeitgeist-defining power that such an influential institution wields.What would happen, we wondered, if we took what’s considered a “lower” form of typography, like the while-you-wait calligraphy tourists buy for their mortified lovers in Central Park, and put it on the cover? Would playing with our audience's perceptions actually elevate kitsch to high art—or at least make it good type? We still don't know, but that's for the reader to judge.For more Mucca, visit us at www.mucca.com
- Cover DesignThe world of type is defined by colliding styles, tastes, and brows both high and low, so it was important our cover reflect that diversity. We commissioned an authentic piece of street calligraphy from our friend Chen, who we met in Central Park, and used matte lamination together with coated paper and a 4-color process to reproduce his work. The Victorian-era ornamental type is spot-glossed so as to only be visible when reflecting light — it has a reputation to uphold, after all.
- Interior Design
We extended this typographic diversity throughout the annual, marrying typefaces that would normally be at odds with each other and producing surprisingly harmonious results. And to reincorporate our love for street art, we commissioned charcoal caricatures for every judge of the year's competition. 
- Custom TypographyIn the spirit of our diabolical experiment, the Mucca team designed two bespoke typefaces for use throughout the annual. The first, Mucca Athenian, was inspired by a typeface used on the cover of a midcentury brochure unearthed from the TDC Archives. The second typeface, Mucca Zanna, reinterprets a sample of eccentric Victorian calligraphy that a contemporary street letterer in Central Park would surely appreciate.
- To see more of our work, visit our Behance profile or www.mucca.com.
Discuss This Project: ( Comments)