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Graphic Designer Helps Relief Efforts Through Typography

05.27.20 | By
Graphic Designer Helps Relief Efforts Through Typography

In the thick of the global pandemic, designers are finding creative ways to utilize their skills to offer aid across industries. We here at Design Milk launched The Brave New World of Design, our own IGTV series to offer various professionals the platform to speak about how design, architecture, creativity, and business are adapting to the pandemic situation. Boulder, Colorado-based environmental graphic designer Derek Friday wanted to lend a hand in his own way, specifically to aid the numerous struggling restaurants he observed both locally and nationally affected by the ravaging economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Friday found inspiration in 36 Days of Type, a global typographic project inviting designers, illustrators, and graphic artists to express themselves through the forms of the Latin alphabet. Using the program as the framework for his efforts, Friday began designing a series of limited edition prints focusing upon the alphanumeric as muse and medium to raise funds for the James Beard Foundation Food & Beverage Industry Relief Fund.

“I’ve always been inspired by the variety of design challenges offered across social media platforms,” explains Friday, “But because the 36 Days of Type challenge coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, I felt an extra level of commitment to exploring results in service of a greater good and contributing to the wider community.”

“My personal tendencies are toward minimalist Swiss style,” says Friday, “But for this purpose I decided to break those inherent boundaries a bit, creating a more varied offering of styles through my alpha and numeric forms.”

“By creating prints from the 36 Days of Type challenge, I have been able to begin selling them as limited editions, contributing 40% of all proceeds to the James Beard Foundation Food & Beverage industry Relief Fund. Thanks for reviewing the selections and please follow me on Instagram, and DM me if you’re interested in any of the prints.”

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.