Abstract
iPad Lettering Application Software for Graphic Design Students
My project is the first iPad application software to allow graphic design students to learn lettering—the art of drawing letters by hand. My research shows that design students want to learn many styles of letters but do not have a practical, cost-efficient way to practice. Through my experience as a design student, I noticed the limited number of ways to learn lettering. Although formal classes and online tutorials presently serve the design student, both are relatively expensive and can be inconvenient. Classes and online tutorials easily cost more than 500 dollars per year. Also, formal classes have designated meeting times and pigeonhole students into a particular learning timeframe. My application will be far less expensive than both of the present alternatives and allow students to learn at their own pace. To determine if other design students wanted an iPad application, I conducted interviews and collected survey data. Most of the respondents agreed there is a need for lettering application software. Currently, my project has been prototyped and is undergoing usability testing. The initial results are positive, but I am continuously improving the application based on feedback. Therefore, my application will respond to the demands of the design student market and capture a need that is currently unmet for the approximately 20,000 graphic design students in the US.
