Year: 2019

Medium: Accordion Book, handmade paper, metallic paint, laser cut mat board, hand-written typography, hand-bound, paper engineering, wood case, ribbon.

Conception: The idea for this ABC Accordion Book came about in 2019 with the goal of celebrating the typographer and graphic designer Willi Kunz and his life’s work.

Making: I began the project by extensively researching Willi Kunz, his typography, and his methods. During the research process, I contacted Willie Kunz for additional information and reading materials and was able to ask his advice on the project. Mr. Kunz responded with “get off the computer and create something with your hands”. I took this as an opportunity to embrace my proclivity for ingenuity and complex design. I created a completely hand-made accordion book, detailing 20 pages of hand-drawn typography, dozens of patterns, whimsical easter eggs, and creative paper mechanics. I collected all of the materials with Kunz’s style in mind, had the mat board laser cut to create a more clean and consistent make, and adhered and bound all of the elements together. All pages are my original design and the structure of each required extensive research and planning. The completed book was fit with a wooden box, tying together the complex design in a simple and minimal display.

Legacy: This unique passion project has remained one of my favorites and the book is permanently displayed in my home in San Francisco.