A Real American Horror Story: Lessons in Legibility, Caroline Byrne

Medium: Digital

"A Real American Horror Story: Lessons in Legibility" is a typographical illustration of lyrics from "Why?" by Oklahoma sludge metal band Chat Pile. Known for droning guitar tones, heavy bass, and lyrics that evoke the sense of dread found only in America's heartland, this piece centers the morose and bleak nature of their music and lyrical subject.

For an assignment in Adobe Indesign regarding legibility/illegibility in type, the first illustration uses legible type, emphasizing the main title and adjusting the kerning and leading of a repeated "why" plea to create varying values. The scene shifts both in time and legibility in the second, as the type is now heavily distorted and chaotic. Meant to be illegible, the second requires a struggle to read and evokes feelings of frustration and discomfort. Maybe it forces a second look at the first piece to truly understand or it's simply glossed over for its difficulty.

These feelings and actions are what we have become accustomed to when faced with our country's homeless population. As the richest nation, our level of homelessness is shocking, yet it is our apathy that is even more shocking. As our country undergoes changes, we have to expand our sense of compassion and duty of care, as we are all closer to being homeless than we are to being billionaires.”

Moody forest scene framed by a decorative border, featuring a white unicorn lying in a sunlit clearing. Tall, straight pine trees surround the animal, and soft rays filter through the foliage, creating a misty atmosphere. The unicorn’s body appears slightly aged or weathered, contrasting with the lush, bright green grass. A broken wooden fence leans in the background, giving the scene a quiet, uncanny stillness.
A high-contrast graphic poster featuring a telephone pole and multiple utility wires rendered in a dense, noisy black-and-white texture made of repeated characters. Large distressed red and black text reads “Why do people have to live outside?” with additional phrases scattered diagonally: “In tents,” “under bridges,” “living with nothing,” “horrific suffering,” and “We have the resources.” The background appears intentionally chaotic, with heavy visual noise and overlapping letterforms creating a feeling of urgency and distress.