
Walk around the city with a keen eye for old world signage. It’s everywhere if you keep your eyes open and look!

Original Inspiration: Canter’s Deli signage


Revived Deliscript by Michael Doret
Find local signages that you absolutely love. Photograph beautiful, old storefront signage specimens. Think old world, something unique with flavor and history.
Print out your specimens and select one signage specimen that you love the most.
Extract the letterforms from your signage specimen, using the tools of your choice (either by hand, or digitally). Using your extracted letterforms, construct your own list of items that store may feature. This list is your type specimen.
When you construct your list of items, there may be missing letters from your original signage specimen. The challenge is to create the letters you need from the letters that are found in your specimen. That’s the fun part!!!
Print out your original signage specimen on 8.5″x11″ in full color. Print out your recreated list on 8.5″x11″ in full color. Trim both printouts. Mount both printouts side by side on black illustration board with 1″ in between both printouts and 1″ border all the way around. Bring the hard copy to class. Bring a PDF of other signage specimen inspirations, your signage specimen, your final revival, process work, and any other images that you wish to share with the class.
Be prepared to present and discuss your work.
Put your signage specimen, final revival (and any other images you want to share) in a PDF and name your pdf: YourName_SignageRevivial.pdf
Bring your PDF on a drive and load your PDF onto the desktop as soon as you arrive to class.
Objective: Observe letterforms in your environment. Appreciate the flavor of old signage versus the sterility of the brand new. Create new letterforms based off existing found letters.
Deliverables:
Print outs of reference and final revival, printed in full color, trimmed and mounted exactly as specified.
A PDF presentation (YourName_SignageRevivial.pdf)
Be prepared to present and explain your work, your process, and the places you found your inspiration
Grading:
100 points maximum based on the revival, execution of signage typography and presentation (meeting the deadline, meeting the project objective, craftsmanship of mounted work, quality of solution, quality of specimens, visual presentation craftsmanship, oral presentation rehearsal and overall delivery.)
Round 1: sketches, color printout of revival and original inspiration
Due: Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 12pm
Final
Revise your Round 1 based on the feedback from the guest lecturer and the class. Perfect your specimen until it’s flawless.
Print and mount your specimen and original inspiration exactly as specified above.
Bring your final deliverables, printed, mounted exactly as specified + your PDF presentation
Due: Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 12pm
Must Reads for Research:
Ed Fella, Letters on America
Center for Vernacular Typography
http://aigalosangeles.org/features/2010/09/art-imitating-life-imitating-a.php
Additional Resources:
Bodega Portraits by Melissa Gorman