Shannon
Motion + illustration | Based in LA.I like stories that are a little offbeat, but still hit home.
This specimen booklet explores the structural and historical identity of DIN 1451—a geometric sans-serif rooted in German industrial design. The project highlights how a typeface designed for order and legibility can also convey bold cultural narratives in modern contexts.
To explore the expressive potential of DIN beyond its technical origins, I integrated quotes and imagery from Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman (2018). The film’s themes of race, resistance, and media manipulation provided a striking contrast to DIN’s rigid, neutral geometry. By pairing activist language with typographic clarity, I emphasized the tension between message and medium. Careful use of scale, typographic hierarchy, and structural diagrams helped demonstrate how DIN can shift from utilitarian signage to emotionally charged editorial voice.