Type Professional: Reflection

Brief

For this group project we were tasked with creating a typeface that was a representation of Desmond Laubscher who is not only a renowned Interior Designer, but also holds significant importance in design in Africa. We were inspired by his love for art and travelling. Through meticulous research and creative exploration, we've crafted a font that encapsulates the vibrancy, and innovation of Des's creative spirit.

About the Typeface

Reflection is a typeface crafted with careful attention to detail, this experimental font
is a tribute to Desmond Laubscher. Inspired by his extensive travels and his admiration
for the architectural wonders of the United Arab Emirates, particularly the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi. "Reflection" encompasses his profound engagement with light and shadow, evident in his photography and interior design ventures. Distinguished by its interplay of slender strokes, crisp angles, and geometric forms, Reflection exudes a distinctive aesthetic appeal. This typeface family comprises of three distinct weights:
wide, light, and italic, each offering versatility and elegance in typographic expression.

The Grid

Our grid reflects the geometric intricacies of the Louvre's design, featuring triangles and octagons in a symbolic homage to the region's cultural richness. The video below displays our original grid from which we then derived three unique variations of our grid that were used to construct our font family.

Model exploration and process

Physical Model

Beyond digital creation, we translated "Reflection" into a physical installation, laser-cutting the typeface to create a geometric dome which we later suspended whilst illuminating it with a light source from below. After our interview with Des, it became apparent that he is highly people-oriented. He emphasized that "design" is fundamentally for people, a sentiment that resonated throughout our conversation. We integrated this philosophy into our design approach by creating an interactive final model. Users are required to activate their phone's torch, allowing them to adjust the light in various directions to produce reflections from the CDs. This implementation not only adds a professional touch to our design but also emphasizes its user-centric nature.

Final Model

By incorporating CDs to scatter light, we embraced Des's spirit of innovation, creating a mesmerizing interplay of colors and reflections. "Reflection" embodies Des's ethos of pushing boundaries and exploring new horizons, showcasing the transformative power of art, typography, and design.

DOCUMENTARY

Type Specimens

These type specimens showcase the three font weights that make up our typeface and elaborate on what "Reflection" is all about. The variations of our grids are evident in each sheet, explaining how the different font weights were created. We incorporated metallic type into the design to encapsulate the look and feel of the final model in which we display our typeface.