TYPEFACE DESIGN
2025 2024 2023
             
BOSTON UNIVERSITY


LAUREN GREENBLATT
PROPITIOUS HAND

INSTAGRAM
WEBSITE

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Propitious Hand is inspired by Sinistral Hand, designed by Phaedra Charles in 2018. Sinistral Hand is a calligraphic type system designed for left-handed calligraphers such as myself. Due to the bias towards right-handed writers, calligraphy can be more difficult for left-handed people to achieve as well as uncomfortable. Lefties must adapt the way they hold their pen, curve their hand, and tilt their paper to ‘properly’ write.


Propitious Hand type specimen by Lauren Greenblatt




Sinistral type specimen

Charles’ type system deconstructs the alphabet and reorganizes the ductus of letterforms to accommodate the left-handed writing position and direction. If a right-handed writer was to use this method, they would have to adjust themselves as lefties normally would. Sinistral Hand also draws inspiration from other writing systems such as Hebrew, Devanagari, and mirrored writing to help determine the ductus for a left-handed calligraphic system. Hebrew was also referenced as a counter-momentum writing system as opposed to the Latin alphabet which is forward-momentum. Sinistral Hand is a counter-momentum approach to writing the Latin alphabet.


Propitious Hand type specimen by Lauren Greenblatt




Propitious Hand builds off of Phaedra Charles’ hopes of building a system for left-handed calligraphers by refining the typeface further. Sinistral Hand is a faithful representation of the actual forms that are created with a calligraphy pen. The result is a typeface more suitable for display. My approach to further develop and transform this Sinistral Hand is to design a typeface that honors the unusual characteristics that appear as a result of the writing system while making a typeface better suited for body text. This includes altering some of the calligraphic characteristics, slightly decreasing the stroke weight, opening up the design of some characters, and reexamining how certain strokes begin, connect, and end.



Propitious Hand type specimen by Lauren Greenblatt





Propitious Hand type specimen by Lauren Greenblatt
Propitious Hand type specimen by Lauren Greenblatt
Propitious Hand type specimen by Lauren Greenblatt




Propitious Hand type specimen by Lauren Greenblatt





Propitious Hand type specimen by Lauren Greenblatt






Propitious Hand type specimen by Lauren Greenblatt



Propitious Hand type specimen by Lauren Greenblatt






Propitious Hand type specimen by Lauren Greenblatt


TYPEFACE DESIGN

2025
2024
2023


INSTRUCTOR
Christopher Sleboda

TEACHING ASSISTANTS
Amanda Mundy (2025), Ash Wei (2024)

DESIGN 
Erica Pritchett · Built with Cargo

ABOUT

This site documents student work from an advanced typeface design course taught by Christopher Sleboda and open to students in the MFA Graphic Design and BFA Graphic Design programs at Boston University, as well as students in the School of Visual Arts—including those in the new Visual Narrative MFA. The course provides a rigorous introduction to the conceptual and technical processes involved in creating original digital typefaces. Students explore the foundations of letterform construction—including structure, proportion, counterform, spacing, and rhythm—while developing their own typefaces.

Through research, sketching, and the use of digital tools like RoboFont, students engage with typographic history and contemporary practice to design functional and expressive typefaces. Each student produces a working font and a printed type specimen. This site showcases the results of that work, reflecting diverse design approaches and a deep engagement with the craft of type design.