The Word Expression Project involved using type to graphically evoke the meanings of three words. I worked with clown, trio, and noise.

Clown

Definition

1. A buffoon or jester who entertains by jokes, antics, and tricks in a circus, play, or other presentation.
2. A coarse, rude, vulgar person; a boor.
3. A peasant; a rustic.

To create the meaning of the word Clown, I used the letter shapes to form the body of a clown juggling. I used the small o for balls being juggled through the air. The large O is the head. The w, n and c form the collar and body of his suit, while the l shapes the legs of the clown. The L for the legs and feet resemble the over-sized shoes that clowns traditionally wear. All of the letters, strategically arranged, are meant to embody the word.

Noise

Definition

1. Sound or a sound that is loud, unpleasant, unexpected, or undesired.
2. Sound or a sound of any kind: The only noise was the wind in the pines.
3. A loud outcry or commotion: the noise of the mob; a lot of noise over the new law.

To develop a graphical representation of noise, I used the word repetitively in the background to give the image a busy or discordant appearance. I then successively strung together the word noise to create a sound wave pattern across the center of the image. Since the word definition means loud and unpleasant, I tried to impart a jangling effect to the piece. It does not look soothing.

Trio

Definition

1. Music

a. A composition for three voices or three instruments.
b. A group of three singers or three instrumentalists.
c. The middle, contrasting section of a minuet, scherzo, march, or various other forms.

2. A group of three.

I created the image for trio by repeating the word three times and accenting the image with the number 3. I also used shades of black to suggest trio. The repetition in the image is meant to capture the group of three meaning of the word.