This project is a poster diptych for Israeli typographer Oded Ezer’s talk at RISD in October 2013, which was part of the Graphic Design Lecture Series 2013—14. The more illustrative poster hung only at the venue on the evening of the lecture, while the primary informational one was distributed all over campus and via email to students.

The Design Department needed a poster that would stand out among the many, many others on campus—in the graphic design building in particular—and help drive traffic to Ezer's lecture (which kicked off the series). Beyond formal interest, the primary objective was to be memorable (with so many competing events it can be a struggle to get good attendance at any one).

This poster became the foundation for a system of lecture posters with large, decorative letterforms as their centerpieces. As with the others, I wanted my design to not only advertise Ezer's presence on campus, but nod (pay respects) to his work. I challenged myself to 'skin' the basic structure of the poster with elements and a color palette indicative of his work, while staying true to my own aesthetic and methodology. Creating a poster that is 'stealable' is an unspoken aspect of any brief for a RISD event, so I also strove to meet that standard.

I began by immersing myself in Ezer's work. As a result my first conception of the final product was a model of the 'monster O', which I designed, built in paper and foam, and photographed before scrapping it in favor of the digital structure that features on the final poster. Said structure, however, was very much born out of what successes the model did have—most noticeably its texture and ability to cast shadows. I wanted to reward close-up viewers with a real sense of tactility that isn't apparent from a distance. The final posters are a substantial 24x36".

These posters' impact on campus was that they gave interesting form to an event that introduced students to (or more deeply familiarized them with) a distinct, international voice in the larger world of typography and design. It helped connect a confident maker to hundreds of striving ones.