ADC award for the appearance of the Werkschau 2023

Foto: Dirk Wachowiak

The visual identity developed especially for the Werkschau 2023 was created by Dirk Wachowiak, Professor of Typography at the Campus of Art and Design, and Sebastian Schubmehl, Master's graduate in Communication Design. It plays with visual codes that are important in all six design courses: The design, the process and the analysis. A color proof sheet was created for this purpose, which served as the basis for all print media (posters, flyers and invitations). Randomness and control were deliberately played with by giving the printer the decision on the exact position of the black panels on the proof sheet. This in turn had an effect on the individual cut-outs of the posters, invitation cards and flyers. The final motifs could only be guessed at until delivery, and possible blemishes in the trim were consciously accepted. Three fluorescent colors, which appear in different combinations, ensured a powerful visual appearance.

However, nothing was left to chance when it came to the choice of typography: For the body text, the Referenz Grotesk font was chosen, which Stefanie Schwarz and Dirk Wachowiak published on the Sudtipos font label in 2020 and which has since been used successfully in various projects. The second font – a striking display font – was also created by Dirk Wachowiak, but is still a “work in progress” and is currently being tested and used specifically for poster applications at the Campus in Trier. Different features such as a lack of descenders, extremely narrow font shapes and strong stroke widths ensure that even longer words or texts find space on posters.

Foto: Dirk Wachowiak

Foto: Evelyn Kett