New Aesthetic 3. A Collection of Experimental and Independent Type Design

Design and art are constantly evolving. In both professions, we either risk that our work is transforming into artifacts from a previous period or we can embrace change, encourage experiments and produce more meaningful results. New Aesthetic is looking at experimental and independent type design as an intersection of art and design. Typography has established itself in our graphic work culture as an essential component — whether in print or on screen — serving to strengthen visual messages. The traditional form of type was built around the way we read and write. However, we live in a time of transformation and adaption: Our world is experiencing great changes and our habits shift to accommodate new technologies as they appear. As designers, our creative process mirrors how we use our imagination to shape modern visual communication, it brings in a dash of visual surprise, and breaks the conventions we are used to. What if we saw typography in a more playful context, and not necessarily as a final outcome but rather an experimental process? There is potential in blurring and obfuscating the lines of legibility and practicality, pushing the boundaries of emotional expressiveness and allowing for unusual approaches in modern design. Typographic systems can be read in different ways, and every designer is using different styles and is forming new shapes and meanings for users and readers to interpret. The way typefaces interact with individual words can be considered an art form in itself. New Aesthetic is interested in creating an environment where the expressive side of typography design comes together and strives for original solutions instead of seeking traditional perfection.