Polite Type

Beth Fileti (she/her), a multidisciplinary designer exploring art and technology. I specialize in systems thinking, communication strategies, and design solutions.

ART
DESIGN
Writing
About

{ about beth }

A black and white photograph of Beth at 16 years old. She is laying on the floor with her hands over her head and her feet lifted up towards the camera.

Age: 16

Beth is standing in front of a giant mural that has the alphabet on it, with the letters HI highlighted in yellow. Beth is coincidentally wearing a t-shirt that also says HI on it.

Age: 36

Designer, Artist, and Educator

An artist and a technologist, I do work in design, strategy, and art education. In 2021 (the banana year), I graduated from the Interactive Media Arts Low Residency MA program through NYU - Tisch, and have been teaching Exploratory Making there, since 2023.

I also worked for far too many years as a Starbucks barista. And,  for one very hot summer, I dressed as a Southern Belle on Bourbon Street in New Orleans trying to get tourists to spend $9.99 on all-you-can-eat shrimp.

some random things that i love

Cool Links

Resources To Share

  • Little Lessons in Design
    ‍Public Link to Dropbox Paper
    This is an ongoing resource that I put together for students who are looking for a broad strokes understanding of design. It is designed to explain how to think about different design principles and then give students hints on what they could self-learn from there. Also, people sometimes ask me for lists of things
  • CSS Power Hour
    ‍https://github.com/bettyfileti/CSSPowerHour
    A teaching tool for Beginners working in CSS. Download the site files and try to debug the problem sections so they match the section marked as "Goal." (This probably needs a little work. If you're interested, send me an email and I'll clean it up for you.)
  • Type@Cooper Experience and Application Materials
    Notes on attending Type@Cooper
    Collected documentation about my time in the Type@Cooper program.
  • NYU IMA Low Res Blog and Process Books
    https://www.politetype.com/ima/archives
    Archives of all of the classes and most of the projects that I worked on during my time in NYU's IMA Low-res masters program. I've also started to collect my notes on my experience overall. Read more about applying to and attending the program here.

Things I frequently recommend

  • School for Poetic Computation
    https://sfpc.study/
    Continuing education workshops and classes covering a wide range of art and technology. Really beautifully created and intentional community. (Also, their fantastic are.na board)
  • Get Stark Mailing List
    ‍https://www.getstark.co/index.html
    ‍    Every designer should sign up for their mailing list. Amazing content is included with every single send. Highly recommend.
  • Extreme Happiness
    ‍https://www.youtube.com/watch/vC8gJ0_9o4M
    ‍    One of the greatest YouTube videos of all time. Aleksander Gamme is an explorer in the South Pole and he digs up supplies that he left himself earlier on his expedition.

‍

Small bits of making

Cut and painted cardboard with halloween shapes and words, mostly the word Boo
Cardboard Boo
Cut and painted cardboard with halloween shapes and words, mostly the word Boo
Cardboard Boo
A block of text that gets more and more complicated and harder to read.
Ugly Website
A block of text that gets more and more complicated and harder to read.
Ugly Website
Flan Day is written in a brush script and made to be plaid
Flannel Day
Flan Day is written in a brush script and made to be plaid
Flannel Day
Warning: this is the loudest gif in the world. The gif zooms in and shakes to feel really loud, zooming in on intense red and yellow pixels. (Note, there is no sound.)
Loudest gif
Warning: this is the loudest gif in the world. The gif zooms in and shakes to feel really loud, zooming in on intense red and yellow pixels. (Note, there is no sound.)
Loudest gif
A gif of a hand holding a banana. The image is sliced into sections and start floating off into space.
Banana split
A gif of a hand holding a banana. The image is sliced into sections and start floating off into space.
Banana split
4 yellow bars making a square shape, with open corners is spinning in the center of a screen. Small blue balls dump into it, and the physics of them bumps and jostles around befoer piling in the bottom.
Playing with physics
4 yellow bars making a square shape, with open corners is spinning in the center of a screen. Small blue balls dump into it, and the physics of them bumps and jostles around befoer piling in the bottom.
Playing with physics
An image of a blue sky with white clouds with another image of a blue sky with white clouds on top of it. The top most image shows sections of a black building wall, as if from a video game where someone is looking up and there is no ceiling, just sky.
An image of a blue sky with white clouds with another image of a blue sky with white clouds on top of it. The top most image shows sections of a black building wall, as if from a video game where someone is looking up and there is no ceiling, just sky.
A portrait of prince made by layering different textures of typography
Prince portrait
A portrait of prince made by layering different textures of typography
Prince portrait
A hand holding a blue egg with wonky looking white clouds that were drawn on by a robot.
Fun play with egg robot
A hand holding a blue egg with wonky looking white clouds that were drawn on by a robot.
Fun play with egg robot
Pepper's ghost effect of an image floating in a glass container, like a hologram. It's the face of a young boy and as the camera moves his face distorts across the glass.
Pepper's ghost
Pepper's ghost effect of an image floating in a glass container, like a hologram. It's the face of a young boy and as the camera moves his face distorts across the glass.
Pepper's ghost
A breadboard circuit is set up with a set of LED lights. A hand twists a potentiometer knob and the lights lit up in sequence.
LEDs and circuits
A breadboard circuit is set up with a set of LED lights. A hand twists a potentiometer knob and the lights lit up in sequence.
LEDs and circuits
graph paper with a sketch of block letters reading SPACE and the E is very far away
SPAC****E
graph paper with a sketch of block letters reading SPACE and the E is very far away
SPAC****E
LED scoreboard which is glitching and not working. It flashes a message that says "Uh oh. Call Aunt Beth."
LED Scoreboard
LED scoreboard which is glitching and not working. It flashes a message that says "Uh oh. Call Aunt Beth."
LED Scoreboard
A screenshot of a code sketch and camera view. The code sketch is reacting to the camera view and shows a face drawn by placing letters to correspond with shadows in the photo. The photo is of a white woman (Beth) poking her head through an oval shape, which has been cut out of a white piece of paper.
A screenshot of a code sketch and camera view. The code sketch is reacting to the camera view and shows a face drawn by placing letters to correspond with shadows in the photo. The photo is of a white woman (Beth) poking her head through an oval shape, which has been cut out of a white piece of paper.
Black text with a pattern formed by scrolling through scraped data display as white text
Data Scraping
Black text with a pattern formed by scrolling through scraped data display as white text
Data Scraping
Hand lettering that reads "Forgive Everything"
I disagree with this
Hand lettering that reads "Forgive Everything"
I disagree with this
A close up of a hand-drawn comic showing an alligator
Alligator demolition comic
A close up of a hand-drawn comic showing an alligator
Alligator demolition comic
Brush script lettering on a wood table near a yellow chair. The script reads "Thanks Erica!"
airbnb thank you
Brush script lettering on a wood table near a yellow chair. The script reads "Thanks Erica!"
airbnb thank you
a mapping of different words and branches coming out of the words I hope. Options include "so" or "if" or "because"
i hope if then
a mapping of different words and branches coming out of the words I hope. Options include "so" or "if" or "because"
i hope if then
a rectangular piece of wood with neon bars of bright colors and abstract shapes which vaguely resemble letters but are not letters. Almost like an alien set of words.
Illegible sign
a rectangular piece of wood with neon bars of bright colors and abstract shapes which vaguely resemble letters but are not letters. Almost like an alien set of words.
Illegible sign
Cardboard sign in a banner shape that says "Strong as Hell!"
Strong as hell
Cardboard sign in a banner shape that says "Strong as Hell!"
Strong as hell
A cardboard sign that says "Get On My Lawn"
No-word user flow
A cardboard sign that says "Get On My Lawn"
No-word user flow
Photo of a Shakespearean sonnet written from an artist driven to madness by having to create work for Jeff Bezos
Shakespearean mad sonnet
Photo of a Shakespearean sonnet written from an artist driven to madness by having to create work for Jeff Bezos
Shakespearean mad sonnet
a pen plotter is writing the word BRAND with lots of repetitive line work making the letters blocky and hard to read
Pen plotter
a pen plotter is writing the word BRAND with lots of repetitive line work making the letters blocky and hard to read
Pen plotter
A collage of script letters in the center reading "Comfort Zone" surrounded by symmetrical green white and blue shapes and tiny cut outs of Beth's forehead and eye.
Comfort Zone
A collage of script letters in the center reading "Comfort Zone" surrounded by symmetrical green white and blue shapes and tiny cut outs of Beth's forehead and eye.
Comfort Zone
A screenshot from the NYTimes
Researching roadkill
A screenshot from the NYTimes
Researching roadkill
Hand-lettered white on dark blue in a script font: Sweet Dreamin
Sweet Dreamin'
Hand-lettered white on dark blue in a script font: Sweet Dreamin
Sweet Dreamin'
Beth steps away from the camera with arms outstretched. There are two lines on top of the video with labels for Target Distance and Arm Distance. When the numbers for these reach certain thresholds a flag digitally appears between her hands and flashes between graphics.
Flag pose
Beth steps away from the camera with arms outstretched. There are two lines on top of the video with labels for Target Distance and Arm Distance. When the numbers for these reach certain thresholds a flag digitally appears between her hands and flashes between graphics.
Flag pose
a group of sketches for a manatee icon
manatees
a group of sketches for a manatee icon
manatees
A young girl has a paper maché Mr Met mask on over her head
Mr Met
A young girl has a paper maché Mr Met mask on over her head
Mr Met
a red square with rainbow pixels that move in and out in a geometric shape based on mouse movement
Rainbow pixels
a red square with rainbow pixels that move in and out in a geometric shape based on mouse movement
Rainbow pixels
Thick letters spelling "Future Memoirs"
Future Memoirs Lettering
Thick letters spelling "Future Memoirs"
Future Memoirs Lettering
A young girl sits on a beach with a cardboard box over her head. The box has ears and a silly face
Solar Eclipse Pinhole Camera
A young girl sits on a beach with a cardboard box over her head. The box has ears and a silly face
Solar Eclipse Pinhole Camera
Lettering that reads "Very glad that FRIDAY is upon us all"
TGIF
Lettering that reads "Very glad that FRIDAY is upon us all"
TGIF
Pencil smudges on top of a blue post-it, animated to form a hand drawn static effect
Hand-drawn static
Pencil smudges on top of a blue post-it, animated to form a hand drawn static effect
Hand-drawn static
A light moves over a string of LED's and they change color.
Color sensing
A light moves over a string of LED's and they change color.
Color sensing
String on a polka dot table cloth. Part of sting is white and part of it is purple
Color changes with light
String on a polka dot table cloth. Part of sting is white and part of it is purple
Color changes with light
Layered cut-outs of a woman holding a flag that reads "You can't hurt me, I'm a wrestling mom."
You can't hurt me
Layered cut-outs of a woman holding a flag that reads "You can't hurt me, I'm a wrestling mom."
You can't hurt me
A dinosaur stomping closer to the screen roars so loudly that the browser window shakes
Very loud gif
A dinosaur stomping closer to the screen roars so loudly that the browser window shakes
Very loud gif
Black background and white text with a maze slowly being written in code
Bash maze
Black background and white text with a maze slowly being written in code
Bash maze
A photograph of Jeff Bezos is being digitally doodled on with red marker, which draws a mustache, squiggles har, and draws a necklace around his neck that reads "jerk." Then a mouse comes over and blurs and distorts the entire image into abstraction.
Jeff is a jerk
A photograph of Jeff Bezos is being digitally doodled on with red marker, which draws a mustache, squiggles har, and draws a necklace around his neck that reads "jerk." Then a mouse comes over and blurs and distorts the entire image into abstraction.
Jeff is a jerk
A photo of a woman at a Trump rally holding a flag that says "Elvis had a stinky butt." The eyes of the woman and people in the crowd are blocked out. And the photo has an animated wavy color effect slowly going across it.
Shaders
A photo of a woman at a Trump rally holding a flag that says "Elvis had a stinky butt." The eyes of the woman and people in the crowd are blocked out. And the photo has an animated wavy color effect slowly going across it.
Shaders
Digital monster eyes which change colors when a light is shined on them.
Monster eyes
Digital monster eyes which change colors when a light is shined on them.
Monster eyes
a cartoon illustration of a chicken face and the word "eagle"
eagle letters / chicken sketch
a cartoon illustration of a chicken face and the word "eagle"
eagle letters / chicken sketch
An accordion fold print piece that says "hair" the letters are integrated with silhouettes of people and a collage of smaller letters forming different hairstyles.
Hair collage
An accordion fold print piece that says "hair" the letters are integrated with silhouettes of people and a collage of smaller letters forming different hairstyles.
Hair collage
painted and cut cardboard sign that says aloha
cardboard aloha
painted and cut cardboard sign that says aloha
cardboard aloha
a 3D rendering of an a, made out of shiny blocklike materials. there is the hint of a finger in the frame.
Render of an a
a 3D rendering of an a, made out of shiny blocklike materials. there is the hint of a finger in the frame.
Render of an a
a collection of Leuchtturm 1917 notebooks
Notebooks
a collection of Leuchtturm 1917 notebooks
Notebooks
Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures album cover artwork dyed on a black egg.
Joy Division Egg
Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures album cover artwork dyed on a black egg.
Joy Division Egg
Black and white lettering spelling "rid them" stacked four times, in a graffiti-style
RIDTHEM
Black and white lettering spelling "rid them" stacked four times, in a graffiti-style
RIDTHEM
Sketches for a two books or movies on top of each other and playing with the words "Those are two different stories" and one book is titled "Michael Myers" and the other is titled "Mike Myers"
Myers v. Myers
Sketches for a two books or movies on top of each other and playing with the words "Those are two different stories" and one book is titled "Michael Myers" and the other is titled "Mike Myers"
Myers v. Myers
A silver moon-shaped orb is floating in front of the screen and both orb and viewer move forward in a field of stars
Moon walk
A silver moon-shaped orb is floating in front of the screen and both orb and viewer move forward in a field of stars
Moon walk
A sheetpan covered in sugar has several lines running through it from a marble
Gravity, sugar, and a marble
A sheetpan covered in sugar has several lines running through it from a marble
Gravity, sugar, and a marble
a cut out of a magazine article on top of a pink paper. certain words are highlighted and connected in zig zag shapes
cut out poem
a cut out of a magazine article on top of a pink paper. certain words are highlighted and connected in zig zag shapes
cut out poem
A black and white checkerboard with a wave rippling over it, caused by the illusion of the squares expanding or contracting.
(c)ode to Bridget Riley
A black and white checkerboard with a wave rippling over it, caused by the illusion of the squares expanding or contracting.
(c)ode to Bridget Riley
A photograph of a woman standing in front of a window has been burned into a leaf.
Photo on a leaf
A photograph of a woman standing in front of a window has been burned into a leaf.
Photo on a leaf
Rough cut out shapes on a post-it note making a simple neon pink and teal eye
Post-it eye
Rough cut out shapes on a post-it note making a simple neon pink and teal eye
Post-it eye
Read about my experiences in
NYU’s IMA/ITP Program
and
Type@Cooper.
ART
DESIGN
Writing
About
Polite Type
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beth@politetype.com
@politetype