Speculative brand identity (collaboration in progress) for the Chicago Underground Film Festival. I designed a bespoke typeface in Glyphs, merchandise, copywriting, and a suite of tailored assets.

Each year, close to 9,000 people attend this five day festival in Chicago for independent film, and over 182 thousand are exposed to the festival’s program through promotional media. I was inspired by CUFF’s mission as a vehicle for expanding access to avant-garde underground art, which led me to look at hand painted street lettering. The result is a handmade quality to the glyph set while remaining visually cohesive, referencing CUFF’s DIY origins and its format as a collection of independent artists. Glyph alternatives, such as the “V” and “A” set, reference Herb Lubalin’s “Avant Garde” typeface.

The original draft of this project was created in the School of Visual Arts’ Continuing Education program course Branding with Type, co-taught by Matteo Bologna, Charles Nix, Marie Otsuka, and Chris Caldwell.