Project. Visual Identity for the Twenty-Fifth Biennial of Graphic Arts in Ljubljana.

Purpose. To focus on the use of the letter and text as the fundamental visual and communication tools in connection with other pictorial elements.

Assignment. The third-year university students are for the first time familiar with the basic principles of typography, relationships between the form and content, and the relationship within the form itself in the context of written language. They will also be introduced to the basics, methodology, terminology, and other typographic principles which are used in solving typographical assignments. The lectures present the ways of solving conceptual problems with 2D solutions (logotype, advertisement, book, poster, etc.), 3D solutions (packaging, exhibition space – interior and exterior, spatial composition), as well as with multimedia, web sites, screen savers, etc.

In the first semester the assignment was to make a logotype, stationary, invitation, and leaflet for the Twenty-Fifth Biennial of Graphic Arts. In the second semester the assignment was to make a newspaper advertisement, poster, billboard and a 3D object for external marking of the gallery spaces where the exhibition activities of the biennale took place.

Taking into account that the students had little experience and that this was their first encounter with such a complex task, my basic instructions for students was to try to create comprehensive solutions instead of partial ones. This way the solutions highlighted their understanding of the conceptual orientation of typography assignments so the students could employ all the experience and knowledge they have gained with other subjects.

Discussions with curators of the graphic arts biennale were held regularly throughout the semester. The curators provided detailed descriptions of both content and formal trends in contemporary graphic arts, which gave the students a better understanding of modern graphic practice as a reproduction method. The final result of the work in both semesters reflected the maturity of students in understanding modern conceptual typographical solutions. The project presented by the student, Luka Mancini, won the Gold Award at International Graphic Design Student Competition OUTPUT: 6 in Germany.

Format. A3 (29.7 cm X 21 cm) (12 X 9 inches)

Time. Two semesters, 14 weeks per semester, one day per week, three hours per day; for a the total of 84 school hours.