The Last One is about unreproduceability. This project embodies and demonstrates the principles of the scarcity heuristic through the lens of endings. You cannot reproduce something if it is the end of it. There is beauty to endings and the last time you do something. Sometimes you don’t even know when it will be the last time. To address this, I decided to letterpress “last” idiom books. Each book in this series represents “lasts” through different visual and written interpretations —haikus, single words, and illustrations.
I also chose to letterpress these books. In a way, it is ironic to letterpress a book about endings when the letterpress was made to sustain writing and revolutionize the process of printing, but in today’s day and age, with developing technology, letterpress is rare, and it is a part of the scarcity heuristic. This project was my first time using a letterpress machine, but hopefully, it isn’t my last time.
One of the challenges of this project was making sure there were enough letters and different typefaces for all the words I was using. It was a fitting constraint to have with this project, and I learned how to get creative with minimal tools.
The paper I chose was also an important choice. It is corn paper, and you can see the pieces of corn in it. This contributed to the individualism of each book and how none of the books could ever be reproduced exactly. When printing, I also created a gradient with the ink to reinforce this concept.
I began this project by exploring famous last words. As I compiled a small collection of last words, it began to turn into a dialogue that I thought could be fun to explore. The Last Supper ultimately inspired me to look into last idioms like last meal, last minute, last resort, etc.
As I researched, I was also exploring visual ways to convey endings. I drew images of last idioms, like last minute and last penny. This was compelling because it made the reader think and try to figure out what word I was associating with, “Last.”
After finalizing the three books, I wanted to letterpress them. It is a very long and tedious process that almost no one would want to reproduce. This was a fantastic learning experience because it allowed me to learn about the history of typography and graphic design. It also gave me a stronger appreciation for type and the work behind the digital type we have today.
The Last One is about unreproduceability. This project embodies and demonstrates the principles of the scarcity heuristic through the lens of endings. You cannot reproduce something if it is the end of it. There is beauty to endings and the last time you do something. Sometimes you don’t even know when it will be the last time. To address this, I decided to letterpress “last” idiom books. Each book in this series represents “lasts” through different interpretations —haikus, single words, and illustrations.
I also chose to letterpress these books. In a way, it is ironic to letterpress a book about endings when the letterpress was made to sustain writing and revolutionize the process of printing, but in today’s day and age, with developing technology, letterpress is rare, and it is a part of the scarcity heuristic. This project was my first time using a letterpress machine, but hopefully, it isn’t my last time.
One of the challenges of this project was making sure there were enough letters and different typefaces for all the words I was using. It was a fitting constraint to have with this project, and I learned how to get creative with minimal tools.
The paper I chose was also an important choice. It is corn paper, and you can see the pieces of corn in it. This contributed to the individualism of each book and how none of the books could ever be reproduced exactly. When printing, I also created a gradient with the ink to reinforce this concept.
I began this project by exploring famous last words. As I compiled a small collection of last words, it began to turn into a dialogue that I thought could be fun to explore. The Last Supper ultimately inspired me to look into last idioms like last meal, last minute, last resort, etc.
As I researched, I was also exploring visual ways to convey endings. I drew images of last idioms, like last minute and last penny. This was compelling because it made the reader think and try to figure out what word I was associating with, “Last.”
After finalizing the three books, I wanted to letterpress them. It is a very long and tedious process that almost no one would want to reproduce. This was a fantastic learning experience because it allowed me to learn about the history of typography and graphic design. It also gave me a stronger appreciation for type and the work behind the digital type we have today.
