Right after graduating from the Royal College of Art, Kingston University contacted us to run a one-week type workshop to third year students. 



The workshop was entitled Alternative Type Specimen. It derived from our experience at the RCA and asked the students to research and work with type in a creative way. They would choose one typeface from a given list, decide what was the most unique characteristic of it and create an engaging way of representing this visually. The result could be in any media, as long as it clearly communicated the main idea behind the type.



The list of typefaces was carefully prepared to give the students a choice between classic and modern. Research played a big role and they needed to understand what makes one type different from the other, and why. The students were pushed to deliver a finished presentation by the end of the week and defend it in front of the class. Presentation was a very important aspect, both visual and spoken, in determining the success of the projects. Besides, everyone could learn from other groups' experiences.

Monday was a long day of research. Wednesday the concepts were clear and ideas on how to represent them were taking shape. By Friday the groups had put together an exhibition with a great variety of solutions: a light installation for Futura Black, a video for Mrs. Eaves, portraits for Filosofia, posters for BeoSans, a set of chairs for Courier. 



As our first teaching experience, the workshop brought great excitement. Soon we were to be called for a second one with the same group from Kingston. Click here to read more.