All of this discussion regarding shape and color initiated by Molly Bang’s Picture This: How Pictures Work has brought up an old memory. Growing up, my little ol’ town of Kuna, Idaho – small, yes, but not quite as small as Boiling Springs – had a celebration every August called Kuna Days. It was always blazing hot, the line for the snow cone shack inching its away around the many vendors and their booths. One of these featured intricate wood carvings, and there’s no better way to explain them than to say this: they were a word formed into the shape of that word’s symbol. For example, the letters “B-E-A-R” were shaped like a bear. I always found them fascinating!
After a little research, I discovered Dan Fleming, a graphic designer who specializes in logos and brand identity. By using letters and typography as his shapes, he created something I find quite brilliant. Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to Dan Fleming’s “Word Animals.”
One thing I really appreciated is Dan Fleming’s use of color in his designs. If each example was made in black type on a white background, it would lose some of the magic. Instead, he uses the shape of the type and the color of that particular animal to his advantage, creating something that is quite appealing to the eye!
I strongly encourage you to check out more “Word Animals” and Dan Fleming’s portfolio here.
Bang, Molly. Picture This: How Pictures Work. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2000.