Abstract
My final thesis for my BFA is an exploration of type design by intersecting conceptual visuals that are influenced by the style and play of basketball. Through this intersection, I seek to create a unique typeface that is unlike any of its kind. Since the history of type design and the history of basketball have about 900 years between them (with type design being the older practice) it makes it impossible for there to be any existing typefaces that are influenced by basketball, because a good amount of current existing typefaces reference historical typefaces. I ultimately wish to see this implemented into the graphic design community to be used in other peoples graphic work and to possibly bridge a cultural gap between basketball and design.
The process of the project has been executed in a very traditional type design way. First beginning with research to familiarize myself with various letterforms, the process then transitions into calligraphy where pen is experimented upon paper, pushing letterforms in uncharacteristic ways with the organic tool of the pen. After digitizing the drawings in the computer, a lot of time is spent making adjustments and corrections, as it's imperative that the entire group of letters communicate harmoniously together.
I have never delved into type design before, and although me being a graphic designer has given me an advantage when it comes to working with type, creating one from scratch is a new journey that even in of itself is a constantly evolving practice, and it ultimately relies upon how much you want to push the typeface. I have built one family with five different weights and a more abstract font that exists as a single style, so comparably to existing typefaces it is a very small sample size of what type design can become.
Artist Statement
Riley Rohrbacher is a graphic designer from Portland, OR by way of the Bay Area, California. His work focuses on type design and publication and finds influence from a multitude of areas including sports, the internet, and food. For him, his practice has focused on telling a story within designs, to connect visuals to deeper, more rich meanings to convey an array of emotions.
