Artist Statement

Peter Baston/ Studies in Interactive Typography

As a graphic designer who has become addicted to typography recently, I am particularly interested in how type design can operate interactively. My work mixes visual language and interaction with a playful and entertaining attitude that looks to engage the viewer. The typography is inspired by nostalgic games and objects, which have unique forms that influence the design of the type. The specific game that I choose for inspiration is crucial to my design process and guidelines. It allows me to think critically about how I can approach the type design and create engaging objects that imitate the form of the inspiration.
The inspiration for the Maze Typeface came from the plastic ball-and-maze games. The Maze Typeface explores the use of individual interactive maze games as inspiration to design the forms of the letters, while the actual game is redesigned, letting the individual letter be the maze. This creates a connection between the maze game as an individual interactive object and the games together as a collective way to create type.
The Wooly Willy magnetic drawing game was the inspiration that fueled the form and interaction of the Wooly Type, where the user can draw mustaches, hair, etc with a magnet and lead shavings on Wooly Willy’s head. The letters of Wooly Type are made up of simple symmetric and geometric shapes. This allows the viewers the ability to treat the type with their own individual approach. For the Wooly Typeface I am creating a large-scale replica of the game surface and including magnetic shapes of the letters so that the user can stamp individual letters to create words. Once the individual has created the word then can then use the Wooly Willy magnetic pen to create their personal type treatments.
My infatuation with typography and new found interest in product design has created a hybrid influence of two-dimensional print and three-dimensional spatial design that is defined by a set of rules, which affect my design decisions. In Type Addicted, a book by Victionary the preface describes the effect that “ Typographic designs are like pillars of a stage where story tellers give their best stories.” I look to let the viewer engage with the work, allowing them to express their typographic story.

Final Vinyl

Wolly Willy Typeface

Wolly Willy Typeface : The first round for the wolly willy typeface idea. This typeface uses symmetrical forms and simplicity so that it is easily treated with the magnetic lead. The typeface will go through a redesign for some of the letters and shapes but keep its simplicity in form. Each letter will be cut out via a vinyl cutter in magnet material so that it can be stamped on a wolly willy esk. board and used with a magnetic pen to create interactive type through type treatment.

Wooly WIlly is BACK

Wolly Willy is back and I'm going to make a typeface. I want to incorporate the form of the magnetized iron in my next typeface design that can be made into an interactive piece.

Herman Miller Collection - Reading Response

Herman Miller Colletion

We are lucky at the U of O Portland campus to have pieces from the Herman Miller collection in our building. It is an amazing collection of great furniture designs put into production with a high quality and standard in mind. I find it very innovative and an inspiring business approach to furniture design because Herman Miller did not look at market structure and how the public would take to the furniture, rather the designers and manufactures at Herman Miller knew that if great furniture design was produced no matter the cost that it would be accepted well by the public who needed and continues to need good design. I think it is very interesting also that most of the very famous furniture designers are actually architects who have used their knowledge of good architectural design to create good furniture design. The designs of Eero Sarenin , Alvar Aalto, and the Eames brothers have inspired me to look into furniture design and maybe even save my pennies to buy one of their amazing designs.