Creative Guide: Hand draw letters that advocate for change with Studio Nari

Caterina’s brief asks you to draw letterforms that express what change means to you, and eventually turn that into a poster. But before we go anywhere near Procreate, you need to first figure out what that word signifies to you. Grab yourself a pen and paper or work into the Notes app to get some initial thoughts down, following the process Caterina outlines below.

If you’re working on an iPad with an Apple Pencil, you can draw perfectly straight lines between words and ideas just by holding down your pencil for a little longer after drawing your line, you can do this for other shapes too. And, if you like your notes to look a little neater, use the leftmost drawing tool labelled with a capital “A” – this will convert whatever you write to typed text.

Caterina Bianchini: I always begin a brief with three simple questions: What is the brief asking? What is the aim of the brief? And finally, what do you want the outcome of the brief to be? These questions allow for a solid foundation for any project and ensure you have understood the brief.

For this brief, in particular, we are working with the theme of “change” and what it means to you, so naturally, I also asked myself: What does change mean to me? I answered this through a mindmap, as there are many different meanings of the word “change”. This mindmap acts as a springboard to further develop ideas and incite research.

I focused on the word change itself – sometimes the most simple starting point allows for the most interesting research threads. I examined the meaning of this word in a literal manner and began to think of change and its many facets. Change has the potential to be something in nature, something psychological, something physical etc. But I decided to focus on one insight that I thought encapsulated “change”, this was “metamorphosis”.

When you’ve solidified what change means to you, it’s time to dig into some in-depth research. If you’ve chosen something related to a social cause, it could be a good idea to look into some key figureheads of that movement. Or if you’re interested in the changing of the seasons, get to know some of the science behind this. These are really just ideas, though, and it’s up to you to go as niche or as broad as you like here. Just remember that this research is the foundation of the rest of your project from here on out, so it’s important you find enough to inspire you.

If you’re using an Apple Pencil, you can continue to use this whilst researching. You can handwrite anything into the search bar of Safari and it will automatically convert it to text. This is possible with most text entry boxes on apps and websites.

CB: Research is incredibly important; it is at the core of every project I work on, whether it’s a brand identity, campaign, shoot, typography or poster work. I will often come across some insight through research I had never considered for the project that might make me start thinking about it from a different perspective. Research should be something that feels natural to the brief, so this is where I would look back on my mindmap and pull out interesting keywords that I want to explore further.

It’s now your chance to start visualising your ideas through a moodboard. Caterina creates three different moodboards targeting different parts of this project, but you can stick to one if you like. Using Keynote, Pages or even Notes if you prefer, you can easily create something that communicates your ideas, dragging and dropping images from Safari and beyond.

CB: I find moodboards really helpful for developing the previous research into a visual starting point. They usually take three formats. Firstly, the moodscape, which is very abstract and general. It is based on how I envisage the project feeling. The second moodboard is a research board, this doesn’t necessarily have to be one board, it can be a few. It’s more focused on the brief and how I am planning on answering the brief visually; what I will take reference from in order to create. For this brief, I decided upon the protest poster as it is often used as a catalyst for change. The third board is another research board that references the brief but is more refined and usually targets the outcome of the brief – in this case, typography.

Generally, moodboards should always be more about a feeling you are trying to portray through the work rather than just referencing other interesting designs. If you focus on this feeling you are more likely to create something unique and if it does end up overlapping with a design trend, it will be unintentional.

Now that you’re somewhat of an expert in your chosen theme, you can create what Caterina calls a “concept tree”. It’s a unique part of the Nari process, that the studio developed, and which features as part of its workflow on every project. Here, Caterina tells us more about what a concept tree is, and how you can go about making your own.

CB: The final step of research and development is the creation of the concept tree. This becomes the base layer for every project; it acts as a root for the creative approach and encapsulates everything you’ve explored up until this point in a very simple structure that can be referenced as you begin to create.

CB:It is composed of three levels. The top is the overarching concept. The second is the “behaviourals” – if this thing you are creating was a human how would it behave? What would its personality be? The third is the graphic application – how do the “behaviourals” interpret into a graphic system? The concept tree acts as a vital reference point from the beginning to the end of a project, helping with creative block, project development and the final output.

When you’ve completed your concept tree, it’s time to decide what message your poster is going to share. Pick a word or a phrase from your research or even directly from your concept tree that embodies your theme and tells people what change means to you. Make a note of it as you’ll be using it from Step 05 onwards.

CB: On one of my initial notes I wrote the thought “Change is Growth” so I’m using the word “change” and will try to show different ways in which it feels like there is a connection back to growth. Reference your research and development [to choose your message]. What does change mean to you? It could be a full saying or a singular word. .

Now that you have a set of basic letterforms, you can begin to really inject personality into them in order to express a feeling. For Caterina, this means imbuing the idea of metamorphosis into every letter but the possibilities are endless and how you choose to portray your concept is entirely up to you.

CB: Now I will begin working into the base. I usually design a graphic shape that I then apply across the letters in different ways to cut into or add onto the characters. This shape can be anything, so take a little time to play and see what feels best – it’s a very simple way to add character whilst maintaining flow and balance across the full character set.

CB: Once I have pushed the concept to a place that feels right, I will work on my final draft ensuring the alignment and flow of the entire font are working. Knowing when something is finished is subjective, but for me, it is about striking a balance between form and play. I usually like to push whatever I am creating so it has strange moments throughout. It has parts that feel a little off or contrasting, as this creates that moment of interest or a graphic pause, which gets people thinking. I also ensure not to push something too far that it loses its consideration and becomes gimmicky though.

The final stage is artworking. I will usually go through each character and ruler everything up, making sure all crossbars are aligned (if they are supposed to be), as well as ensuring that there are no inconsistencies in thickness or the application of the shape. I’ll look for any odd pen points that need to be straightened out, and begin to look at the kerning between each of the characters.

Once I have artworked the font I will begin to play with it, test it out, and see how it can be used with colour and texture in a way that explores the concept further. This is where I get a true understanding of the personality of the font and how it works in compositions; almost like mini posters for the letters.

Finally, it’s time to use the letters you’ve created to produce a poster. As you’ve mostly been working in monochrome up until now, you should begin by creating a colour board. Similar to the moodboards you created in Step 04, this helps to set the tone of your poster and it should reference your concept and research – you could directly take colours from your research in fact. Keep questioning every creative decision you make. If the answer is because it relates back to or supports your concept then great. If it’s just that it feels “right”, then that works too.

CB: A colour board is something that allows you to explore colour combinations before you begin to apply them to the final piece you are creating. It allows you to explore the feeling you are trying to portray through the use of colour: Is it uplifting? Do you want to use complementary contrasts? Are the colours sourced from art or nature?

Once you’ve got your colour board solidified, it’s finally time to compose your word or phrase and devise your poster. Iteration and instinct are the keys here so don’t get hung up on creating the perfect composition straight away – keep sketching and you’ll get there.

CB: When creating a poster I treat each composition like a page in my sketchbook, pushing and playing with the font. How far can I push this before it becomes completely illegible or unrecognisable and if I do that, does it work? I really love this part because it is just about having fun, expressing yourself through the font. Think about the purpose of the composition and how you can show the original concept through it. At this stage, it feels as though the font and I are getting to know each other and are seeing how we work together. You begin to understand how to use it, why you are using it in and its limits. Don’t be afraid to push and explore unknown territories – even if it doesn’t get used, you have to at least explore the idea.

Looking ahead, Caterina is keen to see what you have produced and has shared some thoughts on what she hopes you might take away from this Guide.

CB: I hope people can understand that not all lettering has to be complex, sometimes a very simple idea can create something unique and beautiful. I want people to understand the importance of research and development in a project and all the ways it can be used throughout the entirety of a project to create work that has meaning and depth, as well as being visually pleasing. Lastly, to have fun. Don’t be afraid of things that don’t look that good or “right” – play, explore and through this you will begin to artistically develop.

Whether you landed on one perfect poster or have a whole series to add to your portfolio, we’d love to see what you’ve made during this Creative Guide. We’ll be collating some of our favourite responses to the brief in an article towards the end of New World, so make sure you share your work on social media. Use #CreativeNewWorld and #TodayAtApple, and also tag @studionari, for a chance to be featured on It’s Nice That.