Type/Object Designs
Abstract Composition Series
Self-directed academic project
Tools: Tracing paper, Sharpie marker, Adobe Illustrator
October 2017
The assignment was simple but open-ended. I was tasked with picking a letter and a random object, finding what they have in common, and using that as the starting point for a series of abstract compositions. The catch was that the finished designs had to work as puzzles. A viewer should be able to look at them and eventually find both the letter and the object hidden inside, but not immediately.
I chose the letter B and my own pair of scissors. I printed both, laid tracing paper over them, and started identifying shared forms such as curves, angles, negative space, and the way the handles echo the bowls of the B. From there, each concept went in a completely different direction.
Concept 1 is the most complex since it’s busy with patterns, lines, and overlapping forms that make you work to find what's underneath. Concepts 2 and 5 are decorative and overwhelming by design, layering so much visual information that the B and scissors only slowly reveal themselves. Concept 3 leans into circular forms and open composition, giving the eye more room to breathe while still hiding the answer. Concept 4 is the most abstract of the five: an extreme close-up crop that strips away all context, turning familiar shapes into something almost unrecognizable.
Concept 1
Concept 2
Concept 3
Concept 4
Concept 5
Each one is a different answer to the same question: how much can you hide something while still keeping it there?