Phylum is the culmination of a multi-week exploration into melding calligraphic forms with observations of the natural world. The first step in this design-turned-science project was growing Physarum polycephalum – slime mold – in petri dishes, and drawing formal inspiration from its complex interlocking growth patterns. A variable display style is informed by the slime mold, as well as lichen species native to forests here in the Pacific Northwest. The text style scales back to more traditional, calligraphic origins which are rooted in my own sketches and numerous drawings with a broad nib pen. Phylum – a name which refers to a principal taxonomic category that ranks above class and below kingdom – invites this project to be ever-expansive. This is the first of many interpretations within the vast web that is the world of Phylum.