TYPEFACE DESIGN
2025 2024 2023
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
WANJING LI
ON AIR
INSTAGRAM
On Air is a revival of Femina, a decorative typeface designed in 1913 by Julius Gipkens for the Bauer Type Foundry. Known for its slender proportions and ornate, looping terminals, Femina was originally used in German-language publishing and poster design, where its elegance and flair stood out. On Air brings this early 20th-century display face into the twenty-first century, preserving its expressive gestures while refining structure and spacing for digital use.On Air type specimen by Wanjing Li
Femina type specimen
Femina type specimen
Femina type specimen
On Air type specimen by Wanjing Li
On Air type specimen by Wanjing Li
On Air type specimen by Wanjing Li
On Air type specimen by Wanjing Li
On Air type specimen by Wanjing Li
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.