The first Monday of the semester, Visual Communication Design students joined forces in an all-day designathon. Diverse grade teams collaborated to design typefaces that embody the multifaceted elements of nature for a fictional language.

Some teams selected fictional languages from popular entertainment and literature for their projects. These included Na’vi from “Avatar”, Minionese from “Minions”, Parseltongue from “Harry Potter”, Dothraki from “Game of Thrones”, Animalese from “Animal Crossing”, and the five stylized communication methods from “Divergent”. Some teams invented their own languages, taking inspiration from the sounds, shapes, textures, and living habits of various natural elements and creatures.

At the end of the Designathon, our guest alumni judges—Connor Mitchell, Lee Salisbury, Tyler Mitchell, Ethan Newburger, Sarah Martin, and Ashland Damron—participated in an engaging group exhibit. They cast their votes in categories celebrating innovation, craftsmanship, collaboration, and the magic of visual storytelling through typographic glyphs.

The online gallery showcasing these imaginative integrations of language, typography, and nature will be shared with the public soon.