Honiton Lace
This project was designed and made as part of a University module based around the ISTD (International Society of Typographic Designers) 2026 Student Assessment Scheme briefs. My project was designed around the first brief - Trade Matters.
This project aims to bring light to the almost extinct craft of English bobbin lace making, specifically Honiton Lace. Bobbin lace making is on the Heritage Crafts endangered list and has not been commercially produced for almost a century. The process of making bobbin lace is so intricate and takes a significant amount of time to produce. This project highlights the importance of this craft in both history and society.
Queen Victoria commissioned Honiton lace for her wedding dress in 1840. This felt like a significant event to highlight within this project. The story of the journey of a village craft gaining royal recognition. A village spending months working together on lace for a royal wedding felt like the perfect angle to explain why a craft has importance in society and a place in the current world.
Honiton lace was almost always only made in the colours cream, white and black. This informed the decision to make the book using only black and white – to visually reflect the craft in another way.
There are two typefaces used within this book, Superclarendon that celerates the tradition of Honiton lace, as well as, Univers Next Pro which represents a modern viewpoint. This is used to contrast from the serif Superclarendon and create an easily readable neutral text type. The clear sans serif typeface allows the information to be accessible to all audiences, young and old.
The book and information is divided into five chapters, addressing all aspects of Honiton lace. The chapters consist of: History, Technique, Royalty, Community, and Decline, discussing the craft from beginning to end.
The inside of the book is printed on 80gsm Shiro Echo White paper, using a thinner paper to physically reflect the delicateness of Honiton Lace. The pages are french folded before the book is perfectly bound.
This project has been entered to the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD) Student Assessment Scheme - currently awaiting results.
Below is part of my specification, explaining my design structure and choices.
