20 Words of Design — pocket glossary, 12 × 12 cm
ROLE
Concept · Research · Editorial Design · Art Direction
Concept · Research · Editorial Design · Art Direction
FORMAT
12 × 12 cm pocket glossary · Graduation project
12 × 12 cm pocket glossary · Graduation project
THE IDEA
What is design?
Rather than answering with another definition, I approached the question through language.
20 Words of Design is a pocket glossary created for design students, distilling some of the discipline's broadest ideas into 20 words, 20 visual interpretations and a series of quotations from designers, artists, philosophers and thinkers.
THE CONCEPT
Each word became an opportunity to look at design from a different angle — from Beauty, Creativity and Form to Material, Nature, Technique and Variety.
The aim was not to provide definitive answers, but to create an interpretive tool that could encourage students to question, connect and think critically about the language they use to describe design.
Spreads from the 20 Words of Design glossary
For Beauty, for example, I paired the Fiat 500 — an object widely recognised for its balance of aesthetics and function — with Baudelaire's reflection on beauty as something simultaneously eternal and transitory.
“B” for Beauty — a spread exploring the relationship between aesthetics, function and perception
THE VISUAL LANGUAGE
The visual system followed the same principle of simplicity. Rather than illustrating each concept literally, I selected recognisable design objects that could become visual counterparts to the words themselves.
The result is intentionally minimalist: the object, the word and the quotation are given space to speak for themselves.
Visual references and objects that informed the graphic language
The visual references were informed by the enduring appeal of mid-century and modernist graphic design, giving the publication a slightly nostalgic quality while keeping the overall system contemporary.
Visual references — iconic objects and graphic styles that informed the publication's visual language
THE RESULT
The final outcome was both a publication and a visual research project: a small, tactile reference book designed to make the often abstract language of design more accessible — and, hopefully, more open to interpretation.
Graduation presentation panel — 20 concepts brought together into one visual system
