VietType
My second Capstone project aimed to provide a better understanding of typography and type design in Vietnam, for both myself and those interested. Presented as a magazine, the project was a journey into the type design industry in Vietnam, featuring leading Vietnamese type designers.
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I went into this capstone project having a certain newfound interest in typography and type design. I have spent the last summer researching and practicing typography, particularly in Vietnam. My initial proposal of creating a guidebook about typography in Vietnamese is met with suspicion, as it does not create much value other than translating an English book into Vietnamese, which not only a designer can do. I was suggested to take on a bigger challenge, something that is newer and more localised.
Still, I wanted to create something that is editorial, and the thought of making a magazine cross my mind. But not just any magazine; a magazine about typography, especially typography in Vietnam. I feel like this really is something new and localised, something that would provide real value for the designer community here. In addition to that, this will also be a chance for me to know more about the industry in Vietnam, and also its people.
The project requires me to connect with type researchers and designers in Vietnam. I am very happy and glad to say that all it took was an email inviting each of them for a one-hour talk. I was very interested and surprised to hear about each of their individual stories, as well as the hardships and challenges that they have encountered along the way. These talks were recorded and then transcribed, as well as translated into Vietnamese, in a Google Document.
As the content of the project is now ready, the next thing to do is to design the magazine. Here I experiment with different grammages, different styles of paper, and different layouts. Experimenting alongside researching was the most fun that I had during the project, and this was reflected by a series of 26 lowercase letters that were made by me to understand more about the craft of type design.
For the final draft, the magazine consists of 6 interviews from Vietnamese type researchers and type designers, divided into 2 sections. In addition to that, my experimental typeface also made a feature at the end. The magazine was featured at the RMIT Capstone Exhibition and a hard copy of the magazine is donated to the RMIT Hanoi Library.
