In typeface space, no one can hear your screams.
Axolotl ("ak" + "suh" + "lot" + "uhl") is a Synthetic, segmented typeface used to communicate with us humans after we receive and uncover an urgent message from life beyond the stars. Named after the salamander-esque creatures found in the lost cenotes of central Mexico, It is made up of harsh negative sloping thick descenders contrasted by thin flagellum-like arms and stemware. Born out of the anomaly of vertices, you sit and listen to the galactic symphony of the mysterious.
This leaves us with one question: who will type set the peace treaty sent to the aliens?
Technical Drafts
Scans of early manual drafts were made by extraterrestrial typesetters to decipher what each letterform was communicating.
Breaking the Fourth Wall
I crafted the typeface by tracing my credit card's contours and creating a 33-degree downward stroke. Using objects like coins for "orbitals," I constrained myself to thin-weight circles, thick downward slabs, and thin lines. Designed for the "Back Slash" alumni event, it symbolizes alumni returning to see innovative student work. Our renovated workspace reintroduces alumni to a new environment, evoking archaeologists rediscovering ancient hieroglyphics. This typeface embodies the concept of an ancient alien language translated into modern English, drawing inspiration from sacred geometry and Art Deco's blend of thick slabs and slender curves.
