36 Days of Type — Exploring Abstract, Geometric & Organic Letterforms

A 36-Day Typographic Exploration of Form, Colour & Visual Systems

Quick Info

Role: Visual Designer & Typographer
Project Type: Personal Typography & Visual Design Project
Tools: Adobe Illustrator, Procreate, Adobe Photoshop
Timeline: April–May 2021
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Deliverables: 36 typographic compositions covering A–Z and 0–9

Overview / Context

36 Days of Type is a personal creative challenge focused on designing the 26 letters of the alphabet and 10 numbers of the Latin alphabet.

From April to May 2021, I created and published one typographic composition each day, completing a full 36-day series.

The project grew out of my earlier 100 Days of UI Design challenge, but shifted the focus from interface design to typography, visual experimentation, and creative consistency.

Rather than developing one fixed visual style, I used the challenge to explore how letterforms could be transformed through abstraction, geometry, colour, texture, and digital experimentation.

Project Goals

The project was designed to:

  • Explore the relationship between typography and abstract visual form
  • Experiment with geometric, organic, and highly stylized letterforms
  • Develop a cohesive series while allowing the visual language to evolve
  • Strengthen skills in composition, colour, form, and visual hierarchy
  • Build a personal archive of typographic experiments for future inspiration

The Challenge

Creating one new piece every day introduced a different kind of design challenge.

The main challenges included:

  • Maintaining creative momentum across 36 consecutive days
  • Balancing legibility with increasingly abstract forms
  • Exploring multiple visual styles while maintaining a sense of cohesion
  • Developing ideas quickly within a daily creative workflow
  • Making each composition feel distinct without losing connection to the overall series

The project required balancing experimentation with consistency. Each piece needed to work independently while also contributing to the larger visual journey of the collection.

Design Approach

Exploring Multiple Visual Languages

Rather than committing to one style, the series evolved through several distinct visual directions.

These included:

Organic & Expressive Letterforms

Fluid shapes, cursive-inspired forms, and softer compositions explored the expressive and gestural qualities of typography.

Geometric & Brutalist Forms

Rigid structures, sharp angles, and bold shapes treated letters as constructed visual objects.

Cyberpunk-Inspired Experiments

Cooler colour palettes, circular forms, and futuristic visual elements explored a more technological aesthetic.

Minimal Forms & Dot-Based Systems

Simplified compositions and restrained visual elements explored how much information could be communicated through minimal typographic structures.

Synth-Wave & Organic Abstraction

Neon gradients and flowing forms combined digital aesthetics with more organic, expressive shapes.

Iteration & Creative Exploration

Each day’s design informed the next.

Some experiments began with a recognizable letterform and gradually moved toward abstraction, while others began with shapes, textures, or compositions that were later developed into typographic forms.

This iterative process allowed the visual language of the project to evolve organically throughout the 36 days.

The series became less about producing 36 isolated designs and more about documenting an ongoing process of experimentation.

Working Within a Daily Creative Practice

The daily format created a structured creative constraint.

Each piece required:

  1. Developing a visual concept
  2. Exploring the relationship between form and letterform
  3. Refining the composition for balance and legibility
  4. Applying colour and visual treatments
  5. Completing and publishing the work within the daily cycle

Working within this framework strengthened my ability to generate, evaluate, and refine ideas quickly.

It also created a public record of the creative process, allowing the series to be viewed as both a collection of finished work and a progression of experimentation.

Featured Typography Series

36 Pieces. 6 Visual Directions. 1 Ongoing Exploration.

The completed series includes all 26 letters of the Latin alphabet and the numbers 0–9.

The collection explores a range of approaches to typography, including:

  • Organic and expressive forms
  • Geometric and constructed letterforms
  • Brutalist visual structures
  • Cyberpunk-inspired compositions
  • Minimal typographic systems
  • Synth-wave and abstract digital aesthetics

[Place the 36 Days of Type visual collection here]

Brutal geometric shapes – emphasizing sharp angles and bold forms
Synth-wave meets organic curves – combining neon gradients and wild shapes
Yellow cursive / organic letters – fluid, expressive forms
Geometric / brutalist shapes – rigid and structured
Cyberpunk-inspired – blues, circles, futuristic feel
Purples & dots – minimal sans-serif inspired forms

Execution & Deliverables

The project resulted in:

  • 36 completed typographic compositions
  • 26 letterforms covering A–Z
  • 10 numerical compositions covering 0–9
  • Six evolving visual and colour directions
  • A structured personal archive of typography experiments

The work was created digitally using Adobe Illustrator, Procreate, and Adobe Photoshop.

Outcome & Impact

The project:

  • Strengthened my approach to typographic experimentation
  • Expanded my understanding of colour, form, composition, and visual hierarchy
  • Developed my ability to maintain creative consistency across a sustained project
  • Created a personal archive of experimental visual work
  • Demonstrated the ability to work within creative constraints while continuing to generate new visual directions

The series also became a practical exercise in developing visual systems—creating variation within a broader set of rules and themes.

Reflection

36 Days of Type reinforced the value of consistent creative practice.

The challenge demonstrated that creative exploration does not always require a single defined outcome. By working within a daily structure, I was able to explore a wide range of visual ideas while documenting how the work evolved over time.

The project strengthened my ability to experiment with typography, make rapid creative decisions, and develop visual cohesion across varied styles.

More broadly, it reinforced an approach I continue to bring to design work: using constraints as a framework for exploration rather than a limitation on creativity.

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