THE BRIEF
To combine an area of graphic design with a completely irrelevant of interest, discipline, form or issue, and define a design piece based around crossing these two areas.
CONCEPT
I have chosen to use the queen butterflies as a key inspiration, and created the display typeface “Danaus Gilippus”. Danaus Gilippus is the Latin name for the queen butterflies. Naming the typeface with this Latin title is aimed to give the design a unique characteristic; on the other hand, the Latin name is academically used for recording in animal species, thus it can be seen as a title that can represent the type formally.
I have chosen to use the queen butterflies as a key inspiration, and created the display typeface “Danaus Gilippus”. Danaus Gilippus is the Latin name for the queen butterflies. Naming the typeface with this Latin title is aimed to give the design a unique characteristic; on the other hand, the Latin name is academically used for recording in animal species, thus it can be seen as a title that can represent the type formally.
SOLUTION
The final pieces consist two variations of the Danaus Gilippus type specimen – a main specimen poster, a smaller poster with the name of the typeface and a 14x14cm specimen concertina book.
na book.
During the beginning of the design process, I was remotely interested in the transformation (metamorphosis) of the butterflies. The original thought for my type family was to create a complete set of typefaces, with the small caps inspired by the caterpillars, and then the capital letters inspired by the adult butterflies. However, due to the amount of time given, the final decision was made to design a set of all-caps display typeface merging the visual details of both caterpillars and butterflies.
Nevertheless, a suggestion of the butterfly transformation is subtly revealed in the symbols of this type set – with comma designs as the chrysalis and the egg as the full stop.
The final printed poster set is printed with gold foil to communicate the idea of royal – which associate back with the queen butterfly, the same time it represent the majesty and elegancy of the butterfly.
Overview and close sections of the 85x30cm poster showing foiled letters.
THE CONCERTINA BOOKLET
A mini booklet is produced along the two other specimen posters to show the Danaus Gilippus typeface in an alternative way.
The Illustrations of the queen butterflies are added onto this specimen booklet as a decorative element, it is also aimed to give the viewer an idea of how this typical type of butterfly looks like. An collaged “T” alphabet constructed with the queen butterfly and caterpillar to give a hint to how the typeface concept has evolved from butterflies.
The complete set of Danaus Gilippus specimen.
