Introduction to Designing with Letters

Introduction to Designing with Letters

This project was created as part of the “Introduction to Designing with Letters” course and focuses on developing a custom lettering design for a Caribbean Spiced Rum bottle. The process began with a series of hand-drawn thumbnail sketches exploring different styles and typographic moods. From there, one concept was refined digitally, evolving into a polished composition. The final stage involved adding color and detail to bring out the warmth, energy, and character that reflect the spirit of the Caribbean.

Here’s a focused list of supplies used for the Caribbean Spiced Rum lettering project:

• Paper and Pencil
Used for the initial thumbnail sketching phase. These traditional tools allowed for rapid exploration of lettering styles, composition, and form before moving to digital refinement.

• Scale (Ruler)
Used during the sketching process to maintain proportion, alignment, and spacing consistency in the hand-drawn letterforms, ensuring structural accuracy even at the early stage.

• Pinterest
A primary reference resource for gathering visual inspiration. It helped define the aesthetic direction, tone, and thematic cues related to Caribbean culture, rum branding, and hand lettering styles.

• Computer
Used for the digital refinement and final execution of the selected sketch. Enabled precise vectorization, editing, and color application to bring the hand-drawn concept to a professional, print-ready finish.

The lettering project for the Caribbean Spiced Rum bottle followed a structured and creative workflow that blended traditional sketching with digital refinement. Here's a breakdown of the process:

1. Thumbnail Sketching
The project began with a brainstorming session on paper, where multiple thumbnail sketches were created to explore different lettering styles, moods, and compositions. This phase was focused on experimentation—trying out varying stroke weights, letterforms, and flourishes to find a direction that matched the energy and personality of Caribbean spiced rum. The use of a pencil and scale ensured consistency and structure even in these small-scale explorations.

After reviewing the initial thumbnails, one concept was chosen based on its visual impact, style, and how well it communicated the character of the product. This sketch stood out for its balance, rhythm, and potential for refinement.

The selected sketch was then scanned or recreated digitally on the computer. Using design software, the lettering was redrawn with cleaner lines and more precise curves. Adjustments were made to spacing, alignment, and proportions to ensure legibility and visual harmony, while still preserving the personality of the original sketch.

In the final stage, color was introduced to enhance the character of the design. The palette was chosen to reflect the warmth, richness, and vibrance of Caribbean culture. Additional details and finishing touches were added to polish the composition and prepare it for application to the rum bottle.