pg 4-5
INTRODUCTION
pg 6-8 TYPEFACE
pg 6-9 THE INTERVIEW
pg 10-11 PREVIOUS WORKS
pg 12 SONG LYRICS
pg13 DIVIDER
pg 14-37 ALBUM COVERS
pg 38-39 ESSAY
pg 40-41 ANIMATION
pg 42-43 CONCLUSION
A single typographic decision can deeply influence our aesthetic discernment and excite us visually. Typography has an extraordinary power in conveying information, but even more so in influencing emotion. In class, we were asked to create 40 album covers under 8 assignment guidelines for one song.
This magazine is the culmination of six weeks I spent learning the fundamentals of typography. The creative process was rigorous and at times limiting, but we learned to work around the restrictions and find new ways to produce unique designs. This project evolved my understanding of typography- My book is both a compilation of my work as well as a visual progression of my design knowledge.
The original handset metal type would eventually become known as Helvetica, a widely used sans-serif typeface seen on various digital platforms. Developed by Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger in the 1950’s with artistic direction from Eduard Hoffmann, the president of the Haas type foundry in Switzerland, Helvetica is a neo-grotesque or realist design, influenced by the famous 19th century typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk and other German and Swiss designs.
Its use is widespread- seen in media practices like books, documentaries, films, and even piblic signage. The font became hallmark of the International Typographic Style that emerged from the work of Swiss designers in the 1950s and 60s, becoming one of the most popular typefaces of the 20th century. Over the years, a wide range of variants have been released in differenteights, widths and sizes, as well as for a range of non-Latin alphabets. Notable features of Helvetica include unusually tight letter spacing, which gives it a dense, compact appearance.
15 Ultra Thin | 25 Thin | 35 Extra Light | 45 Light | 55 Roman | 65 Medium | 75 Bold | 95 Black
Imagine being in a car with your favourite people. You’re seated in the back and you roll down the windows. The night glistens with blurry city lights as you speed down the empty roads. You reach your hand out and feel the warm breeze slip through your fingertips. 50, 60, 70, and now you’re driving “Over 85”.
“Over 85” by Justin Hojean Yi, better known as the moniker Hojean, was his very first single of 2020. Released on March 3rd, the song immediately garnered multiple viewers from all platformsSoundCloud, Spotify, and Apple Music. Labelled as an anomaly in the indie music world, the artist has been actively releasing
music for several years on Youtube; however, most notably, his recent releases such as “You Feel Like”, “weekends”, and “Pick Up Your Phone” have helped him hit multiple checkmarks over social media. Though the Georgian based singer-songwriter considers his music as R&B and Soul, his work also emerges as a hybrid of Pop and Alternative R&B, one that influences the incredibly experimental time of music, media, and entertainment that we live in. Growing up, Hojean practically stayed at home playing video games. It wasn’t until he first moved to the countryside of Georgia, one with a lot of rednecks wearing boots over their jeans and cowboy hats, was he able to discover
more about his creative side. Hojean admits that his upbringing as a Korean-American in Georgia was lonesome, but at the same time he acknowledges the immense growth and self-discovery that came out of it. “As much as I hated being alone at that time, looking back I’m just really glad to have had the time to truly find out more about me.” In looking at his social media, the artist’s feed is filled with close-up selfies, silly edits and memes, and a sizable amount of caps lock, exclamation points, and emojis. 3 words I’d use to describe him would be honest, playful, and wholehearted- he isn’t at all about putting up a front or playing up as a “mysterious artist” archetype. In fact, he is the complete opposite-
transparent, sincere, and outspoken. He says: “the whole thing about me is, I like being comfortable, you know?”. He doesn’t want to be someone he’s not, but rather one who makes music that feels like home. Such qualities shape his audience as well as evident by the numerous fans that jump at any chance to converse with him, flooding platforms to promote his music. In response, Hojean makes it clear that his fans are family to him: “I’ll get on the verge of tears just thinking about it because no one [supports] me like that ever.” Originally from New York the 21-year-old singer, writer, producer and visual artist handles every aspect of his music. From the
production to the promotion, all of it is done from the comfort of his bedroom. Without another writer in the studio, Hojean brings an unparalleled level of authenticity and creative control that few artists are able to replicate.
Describing his music as a journal, Hojean hopes that it can be a space not just for himself, but for his listeners as well- a journal that you have laying in your house somewhere; something that’s just fun and personal. With that in mind, ”Over 85” is the type of song that brings you back to simpler times- a slice of life in the pages of your diary that trigger a pleasant nostalgia when revisited. For instance, it’s those times in highschool
when you’d sneak out late at night to meet up with your friends or crush, those days you’d get off the late shift at your dead-end fast food job, or the memories of coming home from a party busted by the cops. It captures the moment you’re speeding down an open road late at night surrounded by the people you care most about. The freeing feeling of the wind gusting through the rolled down windows and the rush of adrenaline filling up your chest. It’s when you fall in love with the feeling of speeding down an open road. There’s simply no limit. With its glistening guitar chords, catchy lyrics, and soothing vocals, “Over 85” is an effortless joyride that
urges you to speed towards your family, friends, or that special someone. It’s a song that embodies the powerful feeling of longing, sacrifice, and blind impulse when you love something. Simply, it’s a song about driving “Over 85” because you really want to see someone you love.
As I was doing test prints for my magazine, a classmate noticed that I was putting together a book dedicated to Hojean’s music. She immediately offered to dial his friend, Hojean, and we facetimed on the spot. It was a super fun chatting and I showed him some of the pages that I was working on! Hojean was so nice to me and encouraged me a lot too. I’m a big fan!
For our first class, everyone was shocked to hear that we were strictly working with one typeface for the rest of the quarter. It was a demanding task (there are so many different fonts to choose from!), but if there’s a will there’s a way. I found different ways to play with size, placing, and rotation to produce movement and space; I worked to not only make my designs visually pleasing, but also meaningful enough to embody the feelings of the song.
It was a pleasure working with Neue Haas Grotesk and the song “Over 85” by Hojean. I’m looking forward to seeing Hojean’s growth globally as he makes headlines at the 2022 Head in the Clouds Festival. He even completely sold out his 2022 REACH INSIDE TOUR!
W/ HOJEAN
“The whole thing about me is... I don’t want to be mysterious or anything, I don’t want to be someone I’m not.”
