The Human Font: My First Book

[Digital book located at the end.]

One of the primary reasons I enjoy studying typography stems from my interest in the handwritten letter. Since I was a child I always paid attention to how others constructed their letters and tried to mimic different styles. Over the years I've assimilated enough letter variants and handwriting styles to throw a writing analyst into a spasmodic fit. From curled serifs to straight capitals, flat bottoms to swooping curves, I delight in practicing and learning new ways of writing the alphabet. Last semester one of my final projects was to design a book about typography. I decided to do it on handwriting.

Once I had the idea/book laid out my mind I hit the streets with Heather Quercio, a good friend and photographer. The book's introduction summarizes the journey:

I set out on the streets of New York City with a simple mission: to interact with strangers, find out their story, and take a look at their handwriting. 

The majority of people I approached were not only willing to hear what I had to say, but also eager to tell me about their lives. It was refreshing to discover how quickly a stone-faced stranger could transition into a smiling, talkative temporary acquaintance.  

Each person has a unique and interesting story that gives life and personality to their handwriting. Often, we see a stranger’s signature or short note and never get to discover the thinking, breathing being that created the lines. I put this book together as a porthole into the soul of script.  I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did making it.

During our travels we met an excitable waitress, a silly man in a dog suit, a guy who called himself Phil Drill, a traveling sand artist, a southern bell model/doctor, a NYC street artist, a magazine store clerk, and a Mr. Softee man. All these interesting characters combine to form the story - and handwriting - behind the book.

The book's title, The Human Font, wasn't entirely my idea. I was toying with names like "Human Typography" and "Human Typeface," but, in retrospect, they sounded stiff, technical, and impersonal. My friend Chris (whom I am working with on Drummers for Haiti) listened to my ideas. Since he doesn't study or work in the field of design he didn't really know what "typography" and "typeface" mean. I explained and he said, "Oh, you mean font? Why don't you just call it The Human Font?" And thus the name was born.

You can check out the The Human Font below. It's the first time I put a book together, so if I could go back and do it over I would have designed it a little differently. Still, the final version is a lot better than the first draft. Laura (my experimental typography teacher; read about her in my first Post Process post) definitely taught me some invaluable principles in terms of layout and design. The digital version of the book negates a lot of the issues I am not satisfied with, but working late into the night with Kenia Del Rosario, my design friend and neighbor, proved frustrating due to my inexperience with how digital design transfers to ink and paper.

Thank you for reading. Keep on writing.