Faculty — Faculty Department

We were a few weeks into the branding process for Justin Chung’s personal identity when he subsequently shifted our attention to a much larger endeavour he had in mind. Enter Faculty Department. Justin began sharing with us the stories of his studio visits and moments with artists, furniture makers and simply people he admired. His photos and recollections of his experience led us to feel as though we were present and knew these individuals personally.

1–2
Together with Justin, our initial stage was to define the primary goals and value of the publication. From there, we established keywords, moodboards and design treatments.

3
One of the most important and fundamental components in our process was to research and select the most fitting typeface for the publication. Tiempos was chosen for both the publication text and wordmark.

4
With hundreds of photos, one of the tasks was to select, organize and arrange an order for the story to be told effectively.

6
We felt that Munken Lynx was the perfect paper choice for this publication at first sight. The uncoated smooth surface and natural white shade gave the images a warmth and natural aesthetic.

7–8
After the design file was sent to the print shop, Justin and our team took a short trip to Iceland for the press check.

Discovery
Our studio began to explore the personality and tone of voice for the publication through a series of moodboards and keywords. There was an unmistakable academic aspect to the book. Having previously been in medical studies before becoming a photographer, Justin continuing referred to each individual as part of his “faculty”—the teachers and mentors he learned from.

9
A number of sizes were tested for the project. We wanted a book dimension that was comfortable to hold and easy to flip through. The final size was 7.5″ x 9.5″ with 265 pages.

10
A 2 column layout was used for this publication. To provide optimum readability, each line was about 12 words.

11
In the introduction of the book, we included the design process.
left: The type treatment and grid system is showcased.
right: Photo of our photography moodboard wall.

Design
In selecting the right typeface for Faculty Department, we wanted to find one that looked sincere yet academic in appearance. It was important to us that the look of the typeface would seamlessly reflect the same tone of voice of the writing. We decided to go forward with Tiempos, a contemporary serif designed by Kris Sowersby (Klim Type Foundry). Having references to Times New Romans, this provided a sense of familiarity to the text. As we approached the design of the book layout, we aimed to create a layout that felt natural and honest in its presentation.

Afterwards
The journey in making this project was perhaps as enjoyable as seeing the final product. Our team was able to see and experience every step of the process from developing the brand, to seeing the print production first hand in Iceland, to even the fulfillment process.

To see the website, visit:
www.facultydept.com

Sector

Identity

Location
New York, USA

Credit

Justin Chung, photography

1–2 Together with Justin, our initial stage was to define the primary goals and value of the publication. From there, we established keywords, moodboards and design treatments.

3 One of the most important and fundamental components in our process was to research and select the most fitting typeface for the publication. Tiempos was chosen for both the publication text and wordmark.

1–2
Together with Justin, our initial stage was to define the primary goals and value of the publication. From there, we established keywords, moodboards and design treatments.

3
One of the most important and fundamental components in our process was to research and select the most fitting typeface for the publication. Tiempos was chosen for both the publication text and wordmark.