Typography is what language looks like and is the way we form language into pictures. As designers, one of our primary means of communication is the written word. We’ve been taught about how to communicate a visual message as effectively as possible, but communicating through written language can be challenging, and can sometimes go really wrong!
For this project I looked into some of the ways miscommunication occurs in written language. I decided to explore two areas of visual miscommunication that involve typography.
The first component of Mis/Communication is called Not My Type and describes the multiple personalities of an alphabet of letters. It is based on the idea that we perceive personality in fonts and considers what might occur if these letters were as complex, inconsistent and unexpected as humans can be, and if they couldn’t always be judged according to their appearance.
The second component is called More Than Words. This part of the project is an exploration into how we can use type as image to evoke emotion and convey a message more effectively than by just what the words themselves say. I used the ‘miscommunication’ angle for this as well, taking quotes that said one thing and using typography to create an image that makes them look as though they say something completely different.
The project was a finalist in the Best Design Awards Graphic Design Student Category.
Thank you so much to Dave Corbett at Corbett Neon in Christchurch for making my awesome neon sign, I will no doubt be back for more!