alan's alphabet

I've been thinking for a little while that it's time I got around to starting another series. But a series about what? That's taken some pondering. Which got me onto thinking about heroes - because we all have heroes, don't we? But do we ever stop and wonder whether we choose our heroes, or do our heroes choose us?

And what I can tell you is that - unlike most every other graphic designer out here in the blogosphere - Alan Fletcher didn't choose me. And that's maybe because my own (graphic design) heroes are rooted in the Modernist movement. What that tells you, I think, is that it reflects the age in which I grew up and the education that I received during my journey into designerdom. And Fletcher didn't figure in that.

But if there's one thing that I've learnt from blogging it's that we all must, or ought, to carry on learning. And to involve ourselves in things that we might otherwise reject.

So with that in mind, my next series is going to be an alphabet. And an alphabet that is going to be sourced from the street. And who knows where this might take me. But it's the sort of thing that Fletcher used to do, apparently: collect and archive random bits of graphic ephemera that he found in the street. Except that mine, I think, is going to be more photographic in nature. Because I was born without the 'compulsive collector' gene.

Here we are with the letter 'A' - with thanks to Steve who came to my rescue this morning with his trusty tow truck.

And the name of this series? Alan's Alphabet, of course. Think of it as a belated tribute.

Comments

[Chris]

Great idea for a series, looking forward to seeing the rest. Will you place them on a grid like you did for "my pantone past"?

[davidthedesigner]

Chris - yes, I was going to present them in some way on a grid. Not sure yet exactly how - but probably a separate album like the enamel signs http://www.davidthedesigner.com/photos/signs/index.html

I'll keep you posted.