Ying Han’s Dailies: Transforming Everyday Words into Dynamic Design

Have you ever noticed how different places “speak” to you before anyone actually says a word? When it speaks, it speaks in types. Walk into a bank and the typography feels formal, restrained, almost conservative. Step into a boutique hotel and suddenly the letters become elegant, airy, and carefully spaced. The shape of a word on a street sign, the weight of the letters on a public notice — all of these carry meaning beyond their literal message. To think of typography as a form of architecture is to understand that letterforms occupy space, frame movement, and shape perception. A street name in heavy stone capitals feels monumental, immovable, almost ceremonial. A banner in condensed sans-serif feels temporary, efficient, and urban in a different register. Most of us absorb these visual signals subconsciously, yet typography is constantly shaping how we feel, behave, and move through space.

Photo Credit: Ying Han

It was precisely this overlooked everyday experience that inspired designer Ying Han.“I was inspired by the raw energy and spontaneity of gym notes: quick, motivational, and goal-driven in the gym. I became interested in how typography can amplify this dynamic spirit, using type as a tool to convey positivity, movement, and motivation.” That observation led to Dailies, a typographic postcard series that transforms everyday phrases into dynamic visual compositions. Han approached it as motion: from stretching, compressing, rotating, and layering letterforms to create rhythm and momentum. Through bold forms, expressive layouts, and rhythmic compositions, Han aims to capture the energetic mindset associated with physical activity and personal growth.

This postcard design won the A’Design Award in the Graphics, Illustration, and Visual Communication Design Category in 2025. The design concept for this typographic postcard series focuses on the interplay of form, composition, and color harmony. In Dailies, bold typography is paired with complementary hues of orange-yellow and purple-blue to create dynamic visual contrast. This approach enhances legibility while evoking a sense of energy and positivity, transforming each postcard into a vibrant expression of typographic design and visual communication.

Photo Credit: Ying Han

Besides the rhythm of typography, Han demonstrates equal strength in publication. Her project BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), has been selected as the Best in Publication for the AIGA Baltimore Flux Student Design Competition in 2025. “I draw inspiration from the dynamic interplay of theater drapes and stage lighting.” Han shared. Employing die-cut typography and lighting patterns, the design reflects the diverse chapters and themes of the event. Each chapter is characterized by a unique pattern, mixing with images to convey a cohesive visual narrative. Han shows her ability to think three-dimensionally, blending typography, structure, and user interaction into a unified design experience, and narrative in a creative way.

Photo Credit: Ying Han

Ying Han’s approach places her within a contemporary lineage of designers who treat typography as a cultural language. Designers such as Paula Scher have demonstrated how type can become architectural and emotional, filling space with graphic authority. Jessica Walsh has pushed expressive typography into the realm of visual storytelling and experimental branding. Like these figures, Han works at the intersection of structure and expression. In an era saturated with digital noise, Ying Han’s design reminds us that letters and words still have the power to shape emotion and quietly influence how we navigate the world.

Disclaimer: Written in partnership with APG.