3D Type: Alphapolis

As part of my experimental typography class, I developed an alphabet through physical experimentation with paper and light. 

I was to develop 3D letters that would have a constant and a variable that I would change. After much confusion in the process, I developed an alphabet inspired by the urban layout of typical city cores of European and eastern American cities. 

To achieve the effect of a city, I cut paper into strips which I folded to make little "buildings" of varying heights. I arranged them to create letters, or rather, the negative space of letters. Then, I shined a light to cast shadows and from there on it was just a matter of achieving the right effect. Some angles would completely flatten the image, others would make the letter illegible, but in the end, the best angle was the one that demonstrated "dusk" over my "city."