Our term-long project centered around the development of a book to accompany an exhibition of our curation. My topic, The Familiar and The Forgotten, highlighted the American experience through the lens of photographers from 1970 onwards. The work of these selected photographers showcased the beautiful monotony of day-to-day life in the often ignored parts of our country, and the book aimed to further draw attention to the banal imagery that is ubiquitous.

This concept came to me during a day-long drive from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. I was overwhelmed by the vast, empty spaces of the landscape—the relics of human interaction in the long-forgotten corners of our country. It was beautiful, and I was inspired by artists who have spent their careers documenting it. In my research, I found a mix of twelve photographers, some who have focused on a specific subject matter or location, and others who have documented it more generally.

My overarching strategy for the design of the book was to articulate the contrasting landscape that struck me so deeply during my trip westward. I worked with a very limited color palette and type system in order to allow the size and scale of both type and image to communicate this contrast. I chose red as the main color because it is so evocative of America—past, present, and future—and it fit within the highly-saturated imagery of my chosen artists. Bold sans serifs are juxtaposed with quiet serifs that make up the copy throughout the book, and every detail is highly considered.

The process of creating this book not only taught me of the importance of a system that is both flexible and succinct, but also allowed me to significantly expand my typographic ability.