Professor Mariano’s 30 Typeface Project
May 3, 2019 2019-04-30 9:01Professor Mariano’s 30 Typeface Project
Milbert Mariano, professor of graphic design at PUC, undertook an ambitious project last summer: designing 30 fonts* in 30 days, which he dubbed “the 30 Typeface Project.”
Below, Professor Mariano shares a little bit about his project. You can also check out his Instagram account @Design_Professor to see the typefaces he created, or look at the hashtag #30daysoftype to see more of his work, along with fonts from other design-inspired artists from around the world.
What inspires you as an artist?
As a designer, for the past 20+ years, I’ve found inspiration in my students. They’ve always inspired me to be the best designer I could be for them, and have also found that they inspire me by some of their work and inspiration.
What made you decide to take up this ambitious project?
I was teaching Typography III and demonstrating how to create typefaces, since that was what their last assignment was. Something just clicked inside of me to make me think I could do this. So I decided that as a design professor, who loves type, it would be neat to create one typeface a day for 30 days. In June 2018, I had a little extra time since half of the month school was out and I liked to keep myself busy, so this also helped with that.
What was the process for creating a font like?
Working mainly in Adobe Illustrator, I would start with “OH.” Literally. There are two letters that I would start off with which could easily be repeated throughout the alphabet. If I were to begin an O and H, that would be the DNA for at least half of the other letters with repeated elements thought out the alphabet. O would help give me Q, D, C, G, U. H would give me I, T, F, E, L.
Before this project, what was your favorite font?
I’ll have to say Avenir. I overuse it.
What is your favorite Milbert-created font?
Probably my font from day 25, Serendipity. It used a typeface I created along with some perspective and gradients, which I think is kind of fun and unique.
Where can people view all of the fonts you created?
They can be viewed on my Instagram account @Design_Professor.
Interested in learning more about what visual arts faculty and students are up to at PUC? Follow the department’s Instagram account @pucart for a behind-the-scenes look at projects, field trips, and special events.
*Note: In this post, we use the term “fonts,” as it is a more common and known term. However, for the design aficionados out there, we recognize the proper term is typeface.
