Constructed Language: Neighborly

ordered mass
design practice of brandon olsen

001 constructed language: neighborly
002 half day at the lake
002 a chicago flag
003 of tomorrow: the coffeeshop
004 usipb trophy
005 workplace of tomorrow
007 machine to replace myself
008 designing for connection
006 space, junk
009 expressions of the holiday spirit
010 paul sahre lecture
012 the walls, the doors, & the peephole
013 what will remain?
014 kenosha city church
015 the graduate student lounge

constructed language: neighborly
2026

Tactile Typographic Installation
Exhibited at Typeforce 14

Neighborly is about something simple but deeply important: looking out for each other. In the Midwest, people often call that “midwest nice,” but at its heart it is really about being a good neighbor, showing up, offering care, and making sure the people around us know they matter. Right now, when government agencies are disrupting communities and removing our neighbors and friends, that idea feels especially urgent. This piece is a reminder that being neighborly is not just about kindness as a gesture; it is about protection, solidarity, and choosing to stand with one another when it matters most.

Composed of small interlocking components that combine to form larger letterforms, the project asks what happens when typography is encountered as a physical structure rather than only as a flat entity. Each module incorporates abstracted textures, patterns, and treatments informed by Midwestern vernacular forms, including regional architecture, landscapes, and local visual culture. By emphasizing type as a three-dimensional form, the work encourages slower, more contemplative encounters with language and positions typography.

exhibitions

Typeforce 14, Co-Prosperity Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, USA 2026

photo credits: opening night photography: Tom Krawczyk @krawczyk_tom
letter photography: Allison Thomley

Index

the design practice of brandon olsen

location: the midwest

Index Next →