loops & curves
a full account of my final semester at kcai
and the degree project that ended up being...
loops & curves
by morgan lynn stockton
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behind the scenes
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Each entry of this book was written by hand. To acheive this effect without having to erase lines and possibly mess up the cursive writing, I used a light box and a ‘guide’ sheet with quarter inch lines. That way, the lines of type are straight and orderly without the residue of drawn pencil lines. The Tools 1. Blank Paper 2. Line Guide Template 3. Ruler 4. Black Pen 5. Pencil 6. Eraser 7. Masking Tape 8. Lightbox
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could move into psych and education theory work w/ someone else who knows that stuff^^^ it would be hard to start from nothing so find someone who knows start w assumption people want to learn? maybe more work to be done in promoting it into the first place propaganda campaign for cursive enough emotional connection for you to practically show how it’s done design a new cursive language right for the digital age take aspects of cursive and modernize it make it contemporary and necessary ^you’re mature enough to tackle that ask why is it dying off why does T have boat on it? why is it relevant now? should we let cursive die tho? feels like youre trying to preserve typographic language in danger approach it looking forward, not a piece of history cursive has many nuances. what is “proper”? inventing faster/easier way of reading alyx’s gma used to write against a ruler bring calligraphy into it hand lettering trendy right now
12/12 critique notes
how can it be relevant outside of diy/pinterest sans serif v. serif // cursive v print
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Last First Day of School for the Senior Class of 2015. Missing Miss Tessa Canon.
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Cons of Cursive
Added brain development in thinking, language, and memory. Helps brain function over typing Father and more efficient Coordinates left/right brain function Activates part of the brain for language fluency Helps the flow of thoughts Students are more literate if they can read and write in cursive— can communicate with elders Connects us with our history Handwriting is an expression of our personality Makes it easier to write words Can’t write letters backwards Handwriting produces more thoughts and ideas 2 writing modes activate separate brain networks and engage more cognitive reasoning “Easier script simplifies thoughts.” Improves hand-eye cooridination. Trains self-control
think of both sides
vs.
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Time consuming and often frustrating to learn Skill can be lost without practice Penmanship not as important or valued skill in present day Appears less legible than print Obsolete in a digital age “Good handwriting is not necessarily beautiful cursive.” “To drop cursive is to drop beauty” but we don’t even teach that kind of cursive anymore Fast writing happens regardless of using cursive Fast writing happens regardless of using cursive Decision to teach cursive: “Based mainly on tradition and wide usage, not on research findings” (1960) problem lies in teaching two different systems
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Breaking down the semester into the weeks (there’s only 16) and then putting goals to be reached for each of the days that I’m in Degree Project. And then (far right) Nick and I are building things in Spatial.
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Sketchbook notes working out how each of my artifacts for my degree project will fit together.
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KU Stacks, looking through books. 34
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Far Left: Went out to the bars with these four goons (Blaine, Terrence, Brett, and Rhyan) on Valentine’s Day. Center Two: I made some delicious heart shaped cookies for the class Far Right: Jodi and I worked together on a Valentine for the class, using a phrase that Jodi frequently says.
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Images from the Addys Award Show. Top Left: The whole group at the “red carpet.� Large Center: Me holding the project I worked on while at Ocean & Sea, being very excited about my face being in a silver award winner. Top Right: Me, Nick and Savanna at the Addys After Party, hosted at Liquid 9 Studio. Directly to the Right: The ticket stub and the play bill.
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On a positive note, on Monday, I received an email (above) that I was accepted to Otis College of Art and Design. I was also offered a scholarship (yay!). Adam took me out to sushi at Friends to celebrate. 42
Less positive note, to the right is the message that my computer gives me when it gets stuck in its eternal loop of shutting down and restarting. This grey screen of death is the bane of my existence.
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Without a computer I’ve been finding ways to get work done. I started working on collecting some different handwriting samples from my classmates. It was really fun to see how everyone’s different personalaities show through.
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March 4 my computer came in. I spent the second class booting the new shiny facebook machine and installing all my glorious files on it.
How the magic happens. One paper with lines and millions of pages with my thoughts in cursive writing.
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#nightoutselfie
hey , some design comps coming up
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Some of the spreads that I’ve been working on for the DIY Journal. I really want it to be fun and quirky.
Working on spreads for the informational book aspect of my degree project. These spreads focus on different cursive-related project, such as historical, in the education system, scientific and people’s personalitys in cursive.
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Left: Today’s coffee date to Thou Mayest. Right: Wesley, when we first got him, may he rest in piece. He was a good frog. 56
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whoa , i did some more work
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Continuing on work on my ‘educational book’ on the different points that have to do with cursive. The spreads focus on subjects like effemera that have cursive, cursive education, and one of the leaders in cursive research and brain activity.
Some spreads discussing the different types of cursive that’s been taught throughout history.
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tell me more about the web presence. do you feel that cursive has a place on the web itself? or just to showcase what people are doing? what percentage toward completion do you feel this book is? its about 15%, its so empty. I want this to be a great book. tilting and jaunty/ no no. make all the pictures yours. first picture is irrelevant. I want this type to be beautiful. be as much in love with typesetting as you are with cursive. hand draw on the maps. you’re talking about the hand and the marks it makes. every element is done by hand, beautiful page because it’s all by hand. add a touch of cursive as a rule to the type. i love this stuff not cause its old, but because of the detail. once you get it there its going to be fantastic. you’re not showing the love. the idea of the recipe as case study, terrific. don’t like the overlapping. bring the food images down and the recipe up. you’ve got the best topic ever and you’ve got the material, not look like a government report on cursive. your love letter to cursive.
3/27 critique notes
personality of the other book, work as companions. more intensity and design (small book) each one have a separate different kind of border.
Sneaky peak at my work space.
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Top: The rough of the menu I brought into my meeting with Tony. Direct Right: //shudders// the whole menu, all typed out in the allotted space on the wall. Far Right: The current printed menus. 78
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Quote marks big, may be try changing them...and add credit to quotes Maybe asterisks for quotes? Typeface kind of looks like calligraphy? kind of belies the type you are comparing it in the science section...personality of the book Can the states become larger and come over the gutter? Make the declaration BIG! Typos yummy! Text straight on ronald reagan spread Text overlaying the image on reagan spread, draws eye to that spot Seems like book is jumping around, may have to move things around... Connect education with the country? this is proven by science that this is helpful and then here are the personalities. Could you possibly pull out some of those lines from the recipes and add that texture to the spread. Zoom in on the recipies, put the emphasis on the words... and the paper texture...ITS YUMMY. The spread with everyone’s handwriting just put the pull quote into the body copy? If anything you need to insert more personality into the book, and that the handwriting work book is solidddd. Maybe mix the sans serif and script typeface combo in the work book....looked nice in the main book
4/6 critique notes
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final books sent out
Both of the books got sent out to Blurb for printing. 20 copies of the small practice book (left) were ordered and 2 copies of the larger informational book (right) are coming. I’m very excited to see them in real life and be able to hold them and page through them.
Image meant to go on Instagram. Just a prompt for getting people to practice cursive, with this one it’s a prompt to have people write the name of an alcoholic drink.
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It’s been a really crazy week. Just trying to keep up with it all.
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final project images
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sweet freedom