Challenge: Think about type as it relates to its environment. How does its meaning change?

Step 1: Choose a word and design an 8 1/2 x 11-inch flyer utilizing the word in a bold, readable manner. The design should be black on white, landscape, with the word centered on the page. Use a typeface that is big, bold, and legible from a distance. San serifs are highly recommended (Helvetica Bold works great). Make twenty copies of the word flyer on paper of any color.

Step 2: Head to an urban area; bring your word flyers, a role of tape, and a camera. Walk around the area and post the flyers in considered places. Take photographs, both close-ups and distance shots, from unexpected angles. Take at least twenty photos.

Step 3: Look through your photos and select ten that work together to form a narrative. Let your narrative flow from the photos. Then narrow your narrative down to five images, and place them in an order that best tells the intended story.

A study of how color in urban environments can affect type. Samantha Russo

The expression of stress in the environment and exploration of how can it be managed.Seokmin Hong

Trying to find serenity in everyday life and looking for it in different places. Christopher Cerase

Lara McCormick is the author of Playing with Type: 50 Graphic Experiments for Exploring the Creative Impact of Typographic Design Principles, due out in March 2013.