Finding Home

Within Letterforms

Book Design, Photography, Design Research

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The scientific definition of displacement implies that an object has moved, changed positions, or has been displaced. Displacement not only happens in the scientific world but to people all over the world.  According to the United Nations, every minute, twenty human beings are forcibly displaced and become migrants somewhere in the world. The UN’s Refugee Council estimates that over one-billion people will become refugees in the next ten years.  While the migration of people is a phenomenon that has been part of the human experience since the beginning of time, increasingly, the movement of people across national boundaries is associated with global crises such as climate change, inequality, the collapse of states, gang violence, and unending wars. [1]

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Pockets of culture can be found through typography and architecture, color palettes, and language. Graphic design within the built environment communicates the subtleties of time and place and tells cultural and visual stories, clarifying a building’s purpose and echoing its architectural message. [2] 

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When displaced, we find an association with place through typography and design that reminds us of home. This book is a collection of letters found in the greater Houston area. Located in front of cozy mom & pop’s or residential street signage, these letters represent the unique quirks of Houston and the people that make this place a cultural melting pot.

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1. Re-imagining Migration, Stories of Displacement, https://reimaginingmigration.org/stories-of-displacement/

2. Poulin, Richard, Graphic Design Architecture, a 20th Century History: a Guide to Type, Image, Symbol, and Visual Storytelling in the Modern World.