Better Letters Together: Masha Vainblat
Before and after success stories from TypeThursday (4 of 10)
Once a month in cities worldwide, TypeThursday raises the baseline on letterform design and use through friendly, moderated, group discussions of type-centric works in progress. Up to four designers present for advice from their chapter’s “type superfamily,” i.e., the letterform lovers and experts who gather to talk type over drinks. Here’s how TypeThursday helped one presenter’s work ascend.
(PSST! Ready to see your own work jump from the lower to uppercase? We’re growing — find out if TypeThursday has a chapter near you.)
Masha Vainblat is a multidisciplinary designer who recently graduated from SVA and General Assembly with a degree in design and web development. Her degree would seem to indicate a digital focus, but Masha sees great value in starting with foundational drawing techniques — that includes hand drawn letterforms. This is evident by the project she presented at TypeThursday New York City (TypeThursdayNYC), which was born in the analog realm.
Project background
Masha’s blackletter characters were developed as part of a branding project for an apparel/fashion pop-up shop.
What was working?
She felt that she had achieved a good level of consistency in the letters’ forms.
What was challenging?
Masha had taken care to observe rules surrounding the rendering of traditional blackletter forms during the analog drawing process. She was concerned that converting her work to digital format might have a detrimental effect on the hand-drawn nuances, especially in the distance between parallel downstrokes in the ‘m.’
In a presenter’s words: Masha’s TypeThursday experience
After Masha introduced her piece to the crowd, the Dialogue Lead opened the floor to attendees to share their expertise and observations. At TypeThursday, group discussion is always constructive, revolving around form, process, tools and techniques. Of the experience, Masha says:
I was concerned about my presentation skills and making sure I was clearly communicating the areas that I needed help in most. I loved that I never felt any pressure, and how precise some of the commentary was.
The critique helped me learn new details about typography that I was not exposed to before. The audience is full of talented artists who are happy to share their knowledge in an open, non-judgmental environment.
At TypeThursday, Masha was treated to something we don’t always get from a BFF, grandma, or the adjacent cubicle: type-centric feedback from informed and diverse perspectives. Our events attract everyone from professors to typeface designers, to even UI designers and illustrators! Some attend to listen. Others jump into the conversation. And all attendees, from presenters to observers, benefit from the open exchange of knowledge.
From pixels to (needle)points, all are welcome!
Before you say, “I have nothing to show at Type Crit,” consider this: we accept any work, as long as it involves the use or design of letterforms. How about a UI design that needs hierarchical sharpening? Or that needlepoint of your name you started in third grade and always swore you’d finish? Submit your work to a TypeThursday near you.
Get to know Masha:
Follow her Instagram
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