OUGD502 - Creative Report - Dafi Kuhne - Final Letter and Package

Contact Details located from his studio website, BabyInkTwice

Dafi Kühne,
Bergstrasse 118*
8032 Zürich
Switzerland
+41 79 545 21 02
hello@babyinktwice.ch

Initial Draft:

Dafi Kuhne,

Congratulations for the release of 'True Print'! I have found great pleasure in reading about your practice and creative journey as you explore the possibilities of letterpress in the digital age. 

As a design student, I have always had an attraction to traditional processes and the raw, physical qualities of print media which I try to embed in my practice. I admire how you are exploring an unfinished medium and combining it with digital as another tool to aid the analog printing process which I have found really inspiring, particularly in an occupation that is dominated by the digital age. 

I would be really grateful if you could answer some questions I have about you, your studio and your relationship with analog and digital techniques. I have left my contact details enclosed.

Thanks a lot for your time!

James Green

Keep the note book, I hope you find it useful!

Feedback

Based on my previous initial draft, I asked for feedback in order to see if what I had written was appropriate. The feedback was positive as my letter provides a personal insight at the start in order to grab Kuhne's attention and demonstrates my awareness of his practice. Showing my personal interest in his work and how it relates to my practice will reflect my passion for print media.

As I have found Kuhne's studio address, I intend to send a physical version of the letter because that relates to Kuhne's practice and he will be more likely to open and read something physical, rather than an email.

Hand written

As I began writing the letter up by hand, I realised that my writing may not be legible, particularly for someone who's first language is foreign to English. I am aware that Kuhne can speak fluent English, however I am aiming for increased legibility in order to increase the chances of a reply:

Print out

Using InDesign allowed me to add structure to the typesetting as well as creating increased legibility. I used Times Regular because its traditional and timelessness. In order to add aesthetic value to the composition and demonstrate some of my skills, I simply abstracted Kuhne's initials.

Provided the return address on the back of the letter to allow Kuhne to contact me through postal service, breaking down the barriers in order to get a reply.

Screen Prints

As I have decided to digitally print the letter, I intend to add some analog texture in order to evoke the raw, physical qualities of traditional print. To achieve this, I took some off cuts from a previous screen printing project and printed directly onto them:

Reverse:

More experiments:

In first year, as part of PPP, I created some bespoke notebooks and letter-pressed my contact details inside them:

Final solution to send:

Chose this solution because the shapes obtrude on the type adding a surface texture:

Packaged the two elements together.
Didn't fold the letter because the stock is very flimsy and creases easily. In order to add support whilst being posted, I added greyboard to add structure to the package.

I haven't decided to send the questions because I need to finalise them, however I am relying on an email to confirm Kuhne's interest.