Many people view hand lettering and graphic design as two separate entities. To be fair, they are two different media. However, I’ve found that they overlap and inform on each other in significant ways.
When I first began my hand lettering journey in 2017 in a Lauren Hom workshop, a new world opened up to me. I had already been a designer for several years and had spent countless hours doodling letters without realizing that it was its own niche industry. An interest in and knowledge of typography is fundamental in graphic design; however lettering takes that to a much deeper level.
Once you begin practicing hand lettering, you realize that it involves an understanding of the shape of each letter. Furthermore, it explores how you can modify and customize them into a composition. You get an understanding of how each letter relates to each other. You start to think about the meaning of the word you’re spelling out and how that meaning can shine through the type.
These modifications and customizations then impact and inform your design. I know that personally my logo design game has significantly improved since I started hand lettering. I have a better grasp on compositions and am much more creative in how I conceptualize a logo-mark.
Last but not least, I have a much more granular approach to detail. My eye can sense if a stroke is too thick, if a curve is awkward, if spacing is optically imbalanced. I have a more refined sketching process at the beginning of each project and this process allows me to put more thought and detail into each design. Hand lettering is an outlet that allows you to explore your own style and creativity while still developing your skills as a designer.