Cult of the Ugly
Based on an essay Steven Heller
2018/ Editorial Design/ 8” x 10”/ Laser Print/ Sterling Gloss Paper







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This project organises the Steven Heller’s essay ‘Cult of the Ugly’ in the format of a magazine. My response to arranging this essay was purely typographical.
While reading the essay the first time I was distracted
and baffled by the vocabulary and bored by the length of it. But, to my surprise on reading it the second time I found it very interesting. I had then scribbled many notes and highlighted various names and quotes.
I thought to myself that if I were a reading a design magazine and if I came across this long heavily opinionated essay, would I be interested in reading it? Using this as my starting point I organised the text in a more interactive playful manner, manipulating details of each character, repeating and rearranging words.
This made the type expressive, making the essay less intimidating and a smoother expressive read.
© Naomi Shah 2021