WEEK SIX Finally Caught Up 🤠

My final project statement is as follows:

[Z] is a semi-variable font and accompanying microsite that conveys the experience and personality of Generation Z to facilitate multi-generational discourse with those who struggle to understand the perspective of young people.

Format:

Font (26 characters (upper and lowercase, 52 total), 10 numbers, 7 punctuation symbols, + alternate letterforms for certain vowels) *Opportunity to expand post-graduation

Microsite (Conveys intent of the font, shows in-use applications, encourages .otf/.ttf downloads, only one scrollable page) *Opportunity to expand post-graduation

Content:

Audit of the core values of Gen Z and the societal/cultural events that shaped these mindsets

Interviews with members from each major generation on how Gen Z is perceived compared to their reality

Outcome:

Build empathy and understanding for younger generations.

Define Generation Z and translate this definition into a usable visual system.

Create a font that conveys [X] tone of voice that can be used by creatives.

I decided to continue with this direction since it was initially what I felt most passionate about and interested in exploring. After all the rabbit holes of research, I was confident in my topic space; but it took a while for me to realize how strongly I felt about a font becoming the deliverable. A font is sort of unexpected, yet also a great way to convey a visual language that isn’t inherently a brand or website.

Even though there are plenty of fonts that exist today, I still feel like the explorative and discursive nature of this project makes it well worth exploring.

I’ll share this quote about the importance of creating new fonts:

“Type design is a carrier of our culture and is subject to developments and trends, even moreso in this world of constant movement and change. Type matters more than ever, with increasing self-expression and communication channels, different media, and mobile devices that rely heavily on typography for information and coherent visual identity.” TypeTogether

Based on this alone, font development seems like the perfect way to define Gen Z, as they/we grew up alongside this boom of constant change and are known for their unapologetic self-expression and rejection of stereotypes.

In the end, I also decided to narrow in on conveying the perspective of Gen Z as opposed to creating some sort of deliverable that helps Gen Z understand older generations because young people are 1. more accessible to me and 2. as a member of Gen Z myself, I am already familiar with the cultural and societal experiences that have shaped us. In the future, I might expand this type of discursive project to other generations, but for the sake of narrowing my deliverable and topic space, this is where I am comfortable for now. Since I am branching out with my deliverable, I need to stay in a topic space that I am already generally knowledgeable on.

In terms of research, I’ve pulled a lot from reputable brands such as Pew Research, Stylus, and Forbes. I think developing a survey and getting some anecdotal research will also really benefit me. Getting the perspective of young, middle, and elder Gen Z, while simultaneously gathering the thoughts and opinions of Millenials, Gen X, and Boomers will help me define where the generational disconnect/misunderstanding is happening and how I can utilize type to convey what might be missing from the narrative.

Logistically, I plan to set up a meeting with Renee to go over the fundamentals of creating a font. I could really use her guidance since this medium is new to me.

(Thank you DJ for your patience and help while I spent two weeks exploring just to end up coming full circle 🤠)