vowels tracy zuniga
Not everybody has feelings about letters. I mean writers probably do — as words. And, most graphic designers do — as art. Since I began school, I have found, that for a project to be a success, I need to feel something about it — so why not
letters? If I could have feelings about the weather forecast
then letters make perfect sense. Like so many other things, I have a favorite
letter. I’m guessing most people don’t think about individual letters too much, but I do. And from time to time, I wonder what life would be like as those individual letters. Lets concentrate on the vowels for today.
tracy zuniga
vowels tracy zuniga
Š Copyright 2009 Tracy Zuniga. The book author retains sole copyright to her contributions to this book. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owners.
a
A
a
oh,
is such a
eautifu letter.
a
SOMETIMES WHEN I HAVE A TYPOGRAPHY ASSIGNM MYSELF JUST DRAWING A NICE ROMANTIC LOWERC THERE IS NO REASON BEHIND IT, IT IS SIMPLY PRETT
abc xyz
Just like it starts off the alphabet, sometimes it can start up my creativit it .
a poor
BUT,
she is all
alone
a
She is one thing – always.
a cat,t a ddog, a man,
lone SHE IS LIKE THOSE SAD MODELS THAT SAY THEY ARE TOO BEAUTIFUL TO GET DATES. POOR A, YOU CAN’T HELP BUT TO FEEL SORRY FOR HER.
BUT IS HER SADNESS HER OWN DOING? IF SHE WERE FRIENDLIER, WOULD SHE STILL BE ALONE?
A
aa
oh,
tifu letter is such a eautifu
SOMETIMES WHEN I HAVE A TYPOGRAPHY ASSIGNM MYSELF JUST DRAWING A NICE ROMANTIC LOWERC THERE IS NO REASON BEHIND IT, IT IS SIMPLY PRETT
poor Just llike it starts offff the h alphabe l h t, sometimes it can start up my creativ
BUT,
alone she is all
alone
i
WHAT A STAUNCH INDIVIDUAL THE LETTER I IS. ALWAYS A STIFF UPPER LIP, ALWAYS BY
HIMSELF, BUT CONCEITED ABOUT IT TOO.
I OWN EXPENSIVE THINGS... I AM HERE NOW, WE CAN BEGIN. I, I, I — IT’S MADDENING AND IT’S
SAD ALL AT THE SAME TIME
HE IS LIKE YOUR STRANGE FRIEND THAT TALKS IN THE THIRD PERSON ABOUT
HIMSELF ALL THE TIME
BUT IF WE LOOK DEEPER INTO I– DO YOU THINK HE IS HE CONCEITED OR SCARED AND ALONE? HE SEEMS TO COVER UP HIS DEEP ROOTED SELF-CONSCIOUSNESS WITH BRAVADO. THINK ABOUT IT…
ai
Much like , seems to be wandering around the alphabet searching for a partner. And eventually, when the two meet up, they can form a f ly Do they chose to be alone, or are they waiting for their other half?
m
ai
My grandfather has a saying:
For every pot,
there is a matchin id.
i A IS I’s LID
Its a ove stor rea .
ABOUT HIMSELF ALL L TTH LL THE TIM
HIMSELF, BUT CONCEITED ABOUT BOUT IT TOO BOU
I a ove ve sto eaa SAD ALL AT THE SAME TIME
WE CAN BEGIN. I, I, I – IT’S MADDENING AND IT’S
A IS I’s LID
BUT IF WE LO DEEPER INT DO YOU THINK H E CO NC EITE SCARED AND A HE SEEMS TO C UP HIS DEEP RO SELF-CONSCIOU W ITH BRAV THINK ABO IT…
I OWN EXPENSIVE THINGS... I AM HERE NOW,
WHAT A STAUNCH INDIVIDUAL THE LETTER I IS. ALWAYS A STIFF UPPER LIP, ALWAYS BY
“For every banged up and dented pot, there is a matching lid.”
HE IS LIKE YOUR R ST S STRANGE T AN ANG NG FRIEN THAT TALKS IN THE THIRD HIR R PERSO
Much like A, I seems to be wandering around the alphabet searching for a partner. And eventually, when the two meet up, they can form a family. Do they chose to be alone, or are they waiting for their other half? My grandfather has a saying:
o
The renaissance man of the vowel gang is the letter
O he’s ver y
well rounde
d
…and funny – always cracking jokes. In fact, you couldn’t even tell a joke without
O.
He has a deep, hearty laugh too.
O H
HO O H
(Maybe you remember it from when you were a kid?)
He is the knowledgeable one too – he is well versed in evolution, the constitution, heck even revolutions. He can tell you about almost anything. He can be very logical, but also irrational, so look out for that.
But what most people don’t realize is that O is the sexy vowel too. With his
ABSOLUTE SYMMETRY
ONE STROKE FORM
PERFECT CIRCLE
NEVER ENDING
a O
O is the George Clooney of the group. O is the guy you want to hang out with, but is also the sexiest letter alive.
But that was obvious.
The renaissance man n of the bunch is the letter O. He’s very well rounded. …and funny – always cracking jokes. You couldn’t even tell a joke without O.
a O He has a deep, hearty laugh too. HO HO HO Maybe you remember it from your when you were a kid?
He is the knowledgeable one too – he is well versed in evolution, the constitution, heck even revolutions. He can tell you about almost anything. He can be very logical, but also irrational, so look out for that. But what most people don’t realize is that O is the sexy vowel too. With his
ABSOLUTE SYMMETRY
ONE STROKE FORM
PERFECT CIRCLE
NEVER ENDING
O is the George Clooney of the group. O is the guy you
want to hang out with, but is also the sexiest letter alive.
But that was obvious.
u
THE ANGRY LONER OF THE VOWELS IS
U
U
What is most frustrating to U is that everything he does is
NDONE
He also has to be the workhorse vowel.
EVERYONE uses HIM.
CRAMMED into words,
NEVER ALLOWED TO SAY HIS NAME, JUST THERE TO HELP OUT THE OTHER VOWELS,
it s def e
at
ng
i
Shaped like a catch basin for all things, a deep hole was dug out to form the letter U. Perhaps that’s why he is so depressed, he’s in a rut. He tries to understand his feelings, he longs to be touched, but in the end U is inevitably reminded that he is most famous for being an umbrella, shielding himself from the world around him.
U UNAPPRECIATED NAPPRECIATED f e s
UNIMPRESSED UNSOCIABLE
HE WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND HIS PLACE IN THE world
at least that’s what his therapist tells him
U
THE ANGRY LONER OF THE VOWELS IS
What is most frustrating to U is that everything he does is
NDONE
CRAMMED He also has to be the workhorse vowel.
EVERYONE uses HIM.
into words,
Shaped like a catch basin for all things, a deep hole was dug out to form the letter U. Perhaps that’s why he is so depressed, he’s in a rut. He tries to understand his feelings, he longs to be touched, but in the end U is inevitably reminded that he is most famous for being an umbrella, shielding himself from the world around him. U feels
it s def e
at
U i
ng
HE WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND HIS PLACE IN THE world
NEVE EVER ALLOWED TO SAY HIS NAME, JUST THERE RE TO T HELP OUT THE OTHER VOWELS,
least ’s what therapist p lls him, anyway.
y
ts to e k c I ti nd , we a s e d n e. Y nder sba g u d h ju nce u my t ’ d n e o die fer hen f u D o w a ” , . s e oys how e rent n th i s B a p s e y t e My In th erse nly on t da . J t s i “ r fi d eo a ly see his oye h j u t t n n n e e o ve wer t we lli goes o wil e u his b , h a s 5 V e w 6 an kie uss e n c m a s o i r F d w m the , he ess na h e t i f i w in is w h bus y. She w be e sho Vall w e e i n k and n a r m i …F at h s k s: loo say
Valley?
with a “y”?
You’re Italian, you need a vowel at the end of your name, like SinatrA, or PizzA.
besides
Y
is a bullshit letter.
IS IT A FUCKING
vowel or
consonant? IT DOESN’T KNOW WHAT IT WANTS TO BE!
that’s pretty funny
But for me, y is the sweetening of any word. My daughter’s name is Lillianna. It’s a lot for a 7 year old, so she’s Lilly. My boys…Nicholas becomes Nicky and Theodore, Teddy.
It sweetens the pot, makes anything feel younger.
Its a cutie I ti owel or
consona
but its not my favorite.
e
OTHER VOWELS ARE NICE, BUT MY FAVORITE IS THE LETTER E IT IS THE ULTIMATE LETTER AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED.
me we them
without E, there is no
without E, there is onl you & I,
never
I would have to stay away, I could never join
get well If a person is not feeling good, they could never
or even a
little better
the would have to stay sick.
Never would the word
YES YES be spoken. Only NO No no
()
BL AC K(
Think of your first crayon box. All of the colors have the letter E, except V
V
&
) ( ( WN
BRO
sad would that b w o e? H
Of the 5 senses: seeing, smelling, hearing, tasting, and feeling, they all contain E. Because life would be worse without any one of them.
e
e
ee
e
e
e ee e e a
r
i
a
i
a
e
i
r
i
a
n
i
n
i
n
a
n
r
a
r
a
r
r
a
n
i n
i n
r
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r
r
n r
r
a
r
r
a
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i r
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And forget crystal clear blue skies, only clouds or rain with no E.
Everyone gets a little something extra out of E. Life simply becomes easier when you have it. Good is fine, but with the darling E everything could be better or even the best. It is the
extrraor raaorr iinar narr cherry on on top po of life. E lets you be
effective, exceptional onal an and most of all...
Other vowels are nice, but my favorite is the letter E. It is the ultimate letter as far as I’m concerned. Without E, there is no me. Without E, there is only you and I, never we. I would have to stay away. I could never join them. If you are sick, you could never get well, or even a little better. You must stay sick. Never would the word Yes be spoken—only NO, No, no. Think of your first crayon box. All of the colors have the letter E, except black and brown. How sad that would be? And forget crystal clear blue skies, only clouds or rain with no E. Of the 5 senses: seeing, smelling, hearing, taste, and feeling, they all contain E. Because life would be worse without any one of them.
extraor inar Everyone gets a little something extra out of E. Life simply becomes easier when you have it. Good is fine, but with the darling E everything could be better or even the best. It is the cherry on top of life. With E can you be everything you dreamed of: effective, exceptional and most of all…extraordinary.
The story for the book “Vowels” came to me during a very intense immersion into typography at Savannah College of Art and Design. It is a silly little story about how these letters would behave if only they were human.
a O “Vowels” is the story of two foolish lovers, an angry outcast and a few more questionable characters. This design took me out of my usual design style and pressed me to really look at each word from a new perspective. The design that unfolds throughout the book is my take on expressive typography.
~ tracy zuniga