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This project examines cultural education through language. Exploring the facilitation of decoding the letter-sound correspondence in the alphabet of the Indian Hindi language, for speakers of English, the project's central aim is to illuminate the ways in which iconography embedded into digital fonts simplifies the learning of new letters. Topics investigated include the evaluation of icons as pictographic mnemonics that aid in accurate icon recognition, the identification of sound repetition, and ultimately, the establishment of the icon-letter-sound correspondence in the reading process.Starting with the selection and development of 10 consonant character-icon sets—totaling 40 glyphs—in the Hindi language, this study at present establishes a pilot test for visual language learning in a non-native script for readers proficient in English. The test evaluates the role of icons in the font to support decoding letter-sound correspondence and to increase the familiarity of characters in the script that would otherwise be foreign to English readers. Additionally, the test informs a discussion on the impact of embedded iconography on participant motivation to learn a language in a foreign script.These activities serve as both a reflection of existing design methodology and an exploration of a new application offered by such design systems. The study expands our understanding of typography's role as a tool for learning within the capabilities and limitations of learners' individual linguistic backgrounds. Outcomes include insights into design constraints that aid in icon identification and the decoding of letter-sound correspondence while learning new letters. When expanded further into the development of the entire font set, this project holds strong implications for integration into language learning curricula, promising cultural preservation, emphasis on linguistic diversity and cross-cultural communication in an increasingly globalized world.

The combination of variable fonts and digital signage presents a unique and practical solution to the various challenges wayfinding systems face. These challenges include issues with readability, monolingual signage, low visibility, minimal readership, material waste, and limited adaptability to environmental conditions and space functionality. Variable fonts, on the other hand, are incredibly versatile and adaptive. They can be easily modified, and their display methods can be customized for any resolution or medium, static or digital. With new infrastructures and spaces emerging, typographic and display technologies are continually evolving. Designers must capitalize on and leverage these advancements to instill a better experience for those interacting with them. This investigation examines the directional attributes of a partially formed typeface to ascertain whether typography alone can aid users in navigating a given space. The findings of this investigation set the foundation for shaping the future of environmental graphic design and type design.

There are a lot of different cultures around the world. It is hard for people with various cultural backgrounds to understand each other. Language is the most direct expression of cultural barriers. With the different structures of languages, communication becomes unsmooth. People can get to know each other better if we narrow down the gaps. The research here discusses the possibility of building a connection between language characters through the graphic. This work will use Chinese and English as an experimental. Images and pictures are the most visual information for people to read. And languages are the most direct information for people to communicate. So I did some research between letters and characters in those two languages. Try to incorporate the style of Chinese fonts into the English letters, and I used calligraphy to write English letters. I used that typeface to make some words.

In educational facilities today, the approaches to teaching typography to college students with dyslexia are limited. This thesis provides a research-based pedagogy for teaching typography to students in a way that accommodates the visual, processing, and auditory differences present in students with dyslexia. Through the analysis of the learning disability itself, existing material for graphic designers with dyslexia, and current accessibility standards for those with dyslexia, this thesis offers a practical solution to provide a more balanced learning experience for all students, especially those with dyslexia. The aim of this study was to examine the current graphic design standards and refocus and modify them for ease of readability for all individuals, especially those with dyslexia.

This research addresses the core objectives surrounding the action of writing by hand. It responds to the overuse of digital technologies which have led to a lack of everyday handwriting. The introduction of sketchnotes introduces an opportunity to explore and build handwriting skills as an everyday practice. Sketchnotes create the hand-to-brain connection. This exegesis outlines how the problem of deteriorating fine motor skills is addressed through a series of creative projects in which methodical and strategic exercises including repetition, play, and experimentation centre on the actions of writing by hand. The practice-based research consists of a multi-faceted creative exploration, experimenting with long-established traditional calligraphic study, and with newer technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR). I argue that building writing by hand skills strengthens creative expression, resulting in increased confidence. A sensemaking framework is implemented to help understand and organise the studio research outcomes. Sketchnotes become the principal method that promotes the writing by hand action while creating a rich and positive voice for creative self-expression. The sketchnotes process is a valuable method to make sense of complex information in visual form. The research outcomes capture the creative exploration of hand lettering, sketchnotes, and sensemaking to build a confident and creative identity.

RESEARCH QUESTION How can an online multi-part documentary series on perspectives and approaches to typography be used as an educational resource to enhance the teaching and learning of the subject? ABSTRACT The purpose of this practice-led research is to examine conventional approaches to typographic education commonly employed in the New Zealand graphic design classroom and to investigate how the integration of multi-part documentary films into the teaching of typography can help to widen the discourses and perspectives related to New Zealand typographic design. Through this project, I draw upon my personal experiences as an undergraduate student of graphic design, and at present, an educator of the same field, to explore the democratisation potential of digital filmmaking and online distribution, specifically a dedicated online documentary series archive, and how it can enhance the graphic design student’s learning experiences in typographic studies. The expert subjects included in this research were deliberately selected to help illustrate as well as challenge the typographic canon commonly favoured in the delivery of a conventional New Zealand undergraduate visual communication curriculum, which stands as the motivation for this research project.

Advenus is a graphic design project that explores the challenges and barriers that international students encounter in the United States while seeking employment. For many international students, the U.S. promises freedom, safety, and equality attained through hard work. Despite the value and knowledge that international students can offer to the U.S. economy, government policies regarding immigration make starting a new life here a challenge. For most individuals, it starts – or ends – with a lottery system. Advenus provides resources in digital and print formats, like a website and posters, to help international students navigate the immigration process, understand the different types of visas, answer specific questions, and prepare for job applications, with the goal of overcoming obstacles that come up during the process. Advenus (Latin for foreign) will also become a platform to share stories of those who have gone through the process - a vehicle for immigrant voices.

It takes a person 0.05 seconds to form a first impression of something new. While first impressions are quick and surface level, they are generally important in the lasting impression developed by the individual. I believe graphic designers have the ability to manipulate the first impression of their work by using the different languages of typography to command the attention of an audience and direct a planned impression. Through the testing and research of this thesis study, I aim to provide examples of how people share common responses and interpretations of visual elements and show that the visual and verbal languages of typography can affect the first impressions of a particular design.

This exegesis documents and accounts for the development of a body text typeface designed by me, a hybrid practitioner. Using a practice-based approach with a focus on auto-ethnography, my research explores my own experiences of hybridity (coexisting cultures of Māori, Chinese, Pākeha) as well as my whānau knowledge focusing on the maternal line and my Grandmother. Our whakapapa, the lifeworld of my maternal Grandmother (whose parents were Māori and Chinese) in rural Pukekohe as well as our marae are key sources of discovery, inspiration and influence in the typographic design process. The resulting design gives ‘voice’ visually to this research, particularly the experiences of Māori Chinese wahine (both my Grandmother and I) in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Though there has been increased discourse on non-Latin type design practice within the type design community in recent years, there still exists a need for many more high-quality digital typefaces in most of the world’s written languages—societies, who, without these resources, are less able to contribute to global discussions. As a result, this thesis uses a number of different methods to analyze the pathways in multi-script type design research, examine the expansive relationship between typography and culture, and investigate the relationship between anthropological methods and the type design process. The questions posed include: how does one become prepared to design an effective and well-researched typeface in a new script? How does one research a new script? Does the use of anthropological research methodologies increase a type designer’s understanding of a script’s cultural context, and therefore increase the success of their design practice? If so, to what extent, and in particular, which aspects of the contextual typographic culture should the designer investigate? How does an understanding of the relationship between type and design affect this research process? As a catalyst for further practice and discussion of these topics, a comprehensive research framework outlines best practices when pursuing type design research in a non-native script. By utilizing anthropological and human-centered design research methods in the process of creating multilingual type systems, as well as examining culture, a non-speaking designer can begin to gain a wider, more global sense of typography, as well as better understanding for the needs of the global community for whom they are designing.

This study focuses on the ability, or inability, to replicate or compare the design of text-related research from the perspective of the independent or dependent variables employed in such designs. Prior text-related research has used variables that were not clearly described or defined, could not be directly compared from one study or time period to the next, or were applied inappropriately. Measurements of typography-related and substrate-related variables may have absolute or relative values, and confusion can arise if the variables are not clearly identified and defined. The study is an integrative review with mixed methods research design investigating 44 books and two websites (part 1), and 83 journal articles and four theses/dissertations (part 2). The integrative review shows that the sources investigated present neither essential information on typographic and substrate characteristics nor consistent definitions of legibility and readability in order to allow comparable replication from one study to another. Findings are displayed in Chapter 4. Discussion and the related details are presented in Chapter 5.

The relationship between Iran and the United States (both culturally and politically) is at a very low level because of decades of diplomatic (and at times military) conflicts. As a result, the American public is not familiar with Iranian culture. This paper describes a marketing campaign designed to develop cultural understanding between the two countries through the promotion of popular Iranian beverages. I chose Iranian beverages due to my observation that there is no market for them in the United States and my belief that a widespread and targeted campaign has the potential of becoming a successful product. The marketing campaign aims to raise awareness about Iran’s culture and history through identity, typography, packaging, virtual reality and app design.

This thesis is a three-part creative coding exploration of generative typography and pixel-based image manipulation. Systema is composed of three distinct projects named Lyra, Mensa, and Vela, respectively, that investigate and demonstrate the advantages and drawbacks of generative graphic design.

Live in the present. People often put too much emphasis on their past mistakes or planning for what their future may hold. We are living in the present and should focus on “The Now.” The present is the key to our future. Everything that happened in the past has shaped where people are now in the present. People try to erase all the bad experiences and save only the good ones. However, everything that has happened, both positive and negative, provides some intrinsic value to people. The past is unchangeable. The future is untouchable. The present is what you can live in. Owning the moment will help one to make things turn into reality. This thesis explores the concept of “Living in the Present” through motion graphics and metaphorical storytelling. Utilizing motion design principles in combination with concepts from Op art and optical illusions, this abstract concept of living in the present, comes to life. Motion graphics is the best method to visualize this abstract concept. The time-based element provides an opportunity to mix 2D and 3D visual elements along with typography to help communicate the concept of living in the present.

Text typeface design can often be a lengthy and solitary endeavour on the part of the designer. An endeavour for which, there is little in terms of guidance to draw upon regarding the design processes involved. This is not only a contemporary problem but also an historical one. Examination of extant accounts that reference text typeface design aided the orientation of this research (Literature Review 2.0). This identified the lack of documented knowledge specific to the design processes involved. Identifying expert and non-expert/emic and etic (Pike 1967) perspectives within the existing literature helped account for such paucity. In relation to this, the main research question developed is: Can knowledge of text typeface design process be revealed, and if so can this be explicated theoretically? A qualitative, Grounded Theory Methodology (Glaser & Strauss 1967) was adopted (Methodology 3.0), appropriate where often a ‘topic of interest has been relatively ignored in the literature’ (Goulding 2002, p.55). This research is specifically concerned with knowledge of design process relating to world-leading experts in the field. Data was derived via recorded in-depth interviews, these were transcribed, analysed and coded in accordance with Grounded Theory’s constant comparative method (Glaser & Strauss 1967, p.105). From the analysis, raised concepts and themes resolved in the generation of three unique Grounded Theory core categories, these have been named: Trajectorizing, Homologizing and Attenuating (chapters 4.0, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3). The core categories describe how experts negotiate the initiation of design, relational qualities with respect to design and continual accretive refinement of design. The core categories combine to resolve together (chapters 5.0 and 6.0) as workable, conceptual theory that describes and explains text typeface design process generally. The developed theory this research contributes, is anticipated suitable to be applied as analytical and/or prescriptive tools for future study, research and pedagogy in the specific subject area. Beyond this, disciplines such as graphic design, typography, information design etc. may also benefit from this research.

The impetus of the thesis emerged through an academic interest in how experimental uses of typography and illustration functioned as a method of narration within literature. This was followed by investigations into the use of typography and illustration yielded that while there is a growing field of literary study examining non-linguistic elements within narratives, there are few studies into typography and illustration and how an author utilises and develops them as a method of narration. In light of this, this thesis examines attempts to expand upon the act of narration through the use of typography and illustration in both experimental and common forms. This is focused through Scottish artist Alasdair Gray and three of his novels: Lanark: A Life in Four Books, 1982, Janine and Poor Things. While Gray’s novels are contemporary his use of typography and illustration engages in wider print cultures that facilitated experiment into literature involving the manipulation of typography, illustration and the traditions of narrative. Experimentation in literature from 1650 to 1990, be it through illustration, typography or the composition of narrative, often emerged when printing practice and its product were no longer seen as efficient at communicating to modernising audiences. This act often coincided with larger changes within print cultures that affected laws, politics, the means of distribution, views of design and methods of distribution. These changes facilitated poets, authors and artists to break with traditions of communication and restrictions to methods of printing to create new forms further inspired by emerging print and audio / visual media, methods of printing production, views toward the composition of artworks and a modernising society. The traditions of print history related to experiment form one area that create the foundations of Gray’s employment of illustration and typography. Traditions of printing history are also an area to build foundations for how to examine the usage drawn from Gray’s work. Similar aspects of standardisation permeate Scottish language history and its literary market. Scottish engagement with Britain, religion and politics as well as the introduction of the printing press had ramifications for the state, nationalism and independence, affecting literary markets, but also drawing new methods of using and thinking about language. Engaged with European print cultures, through literature and non-standard typography, artists explored Scottish identity and how language reflected and represented this, often highlighting the disparity between the use of thought and speech. The examination of aspects of Scottish literature in this manner shows the path of Scottish literary markets, including those for Gray’s work, but also alternative methods for the use of non-standard typography related to characterisation and character speech. This again forms methods through which to explore how narration is expanded through typography and illustration. Gray’s novels emerge from the foundation of earlier print cultures and history, built through Gray’s wide reading, political engagement, his broad art-schooling and his involvement in literary markets. Through the three novels closely studied here, Gray builds and expands upon earlier artistic and literary examples and examined against theories of narration they reveal how typography and illustration are developed as a method of narration. Throughout Lanark: A Life in Four Books, typography and illustration serve multiple aspects of narration in the forging of an epic narrative. In 1982, Janine, typography is utilised as a means to render aspects of consciousness that cannot be easily accomplished through traditional methods, while adhering to the narrative limitations of the character’s point of view. In Poor Things both typography and illustration function as a method to represent aspects of printed materials as a means to present multiple points of view and explore the theme of the complex nature of the truth. Ultimately through Alasdair Gray and three of his novels this thesis explores the cultures of printing and application of experimental and common uses of typography and illustration within literature. More importantly it explores how typography and illustration are extended as a method of narration.

This dissertation brings together the theoretical essays of German avant-garde writer, artist and designer, Kurt Schwitters (1887- 1948), with his fine and applied art, in order to examine three sites where text and image converge - typography, graphic design, and collage arts. As such, it is positioned within an important, but limited body of scholarship that approaches Schwitters' work in an interdisciplinary manner. I consider artwork that is central to Schwitters' oeuvre - his collage arts, for example - for which he is best known. In addition, however, I examine aspects of his work that have received little scholarly attention, such as his graphic design work, typographical designs for a new script, and an exhibition that he co-curated with Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. I therefore bring Schwitters' work into dialogue with other contemporary artists and theorists of typography, including Walter Porstmann; Bauhaus professors Josef Albers, Herbert Bayer, and Moholy-Nagy; members of avant-garde groups, De Stijl, Theo van Doesburg, and Dada, John Heartfield, and Hannah Hoech; and proponents of New Typography, Jan Tschichold, Paul Renner, and Max Burchartz. In doing so, I position Schwitters within the networks of the broader European avant-garde. I make three main arguments in the course of this dissertation. Firstly, I claim that in addition to working indiscriminately across media, Schwitters did not see his work as media or art form specific. I show that, on the contrary, the artist purposely challenged and shifted perceived borders, such as those between text and image, as well as fine and applied arts. I suggest, therefore, that approaching Schwitters' work from just one of these angles significantly limits our understanding of it. Secondly, by examining Schwitters' working practice and collaboration with other artists of the European avant-gardes, I counter the often commonly held notion that Schwitters was as an outsider to such circles. Instead, I posit him as an active and important figure within them. Finally, I show that much of Schwitters' montage work is deeply rooted in self-citationality through the incorporation of material he originally created for other purposes - be it literary work or that from the applied arts. While this could be seen as purely egoistic, I argue that Schwitters used self-referentiality as a means to challenge the boundaries between these different art forms. As a result, he both equates the applied arts with the fine arts, and reveals his commissioned graphic design work to be a core part of his oeuvre.

The Shape of Poetry is a thesis which explores the relationships of synesthesia, typography and poetry. Synesthesia is a neurologically-based condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. This phenomenon is common in poetry as a rhetorical device. In graphic design, we uses typography and other visual elements to make cross-sensory metaphors as well. The similarity among these three provides a new field of research possibilities. The goal of the thesis is to visualize poetry by exploring typographic variations and implementing synesthesia findings. The final result is a campaign to promote William Shakespeare’s sonnets, in both print and digital applications. Overall the findings of this thesis aim at giving designers another angle when designing for multi-media platforms, and inspire those who have the similar interests in the relationship of sensory perception and design.

Modern design communication fails to engage our tactile senses. In an age where the majority of messages are delivered digitally, this preferences our eyes and ears over the remaining senses and as a result, the touch or ‘tactile’ senses are being neglected. Imagine a child born into a digital world where they no longer get to touch the ‘real thing’. What happens to us when there is no longer a stored memory of textures? As a child, touching rough, smooth and a variety of different textures to discover what they ‘feel’ like is essential to developing an understanding of our world (Elgin 1997). Since the introduction of digital technology into our everyday lives however, the computer mouse, keyboards, trackpads, and touch screens are fast becoming the main textures we spend our day touching (Bergmann 2010). If we as graphic communicators ignore the tactile, we are missing out on delivering some valuable sensory information by neglecting touch in the communication equation. My studio research seeks to discover if engaging with touch and re-imagining the digital aesthetic as analogue ‘one-offs’ are effective ways for graphic designers to reinvigorate their creativity and enrich visual communication within the digital landscape. The desktop computer has ultimately been responsible for a wealth of changes to the graphic design landscape. Typography as an art form, is also undergoing reinvention as a result of the digital revolution, but type usage is still embedded within graphic design as a primary tool of communication. Typography as an art, if it is to be preserved, must have a clear and renewed focus as a visual art form.

Understanding typography is an essential part of visual communication. Typography communicates the message of the design. I plan to create a piece that will inform the non-designer about the basic rules of typography in a quick and engaging motion graphics animation. With the expansion of the digital world, design has become accessible to anyone with an internet connection through software applications and tutorials. Even with these tools, there is a significant lack of design knowledge available. I will guide the audience through concepts that are most often used inappropriately. The concepts include: alignment, grid structure, hierarchy and typeface choice.

WAGONER, ELIZABETH A., Ph. D., December, 2014ENGLISHINTERPRETING THE MULTIMODAL NOVEL: A NEW METHOD FOR TEXTUAL SCHOLARSHIP (# PP.)Director of Dissertation: Raymond CraigThe recent proliferation of multimodal novels calls for a method of literary interpretation that addresses specific aspects of the genre that cannot be adequately addressed using existing literary critical tools. My project draws together tools from book design, narratology, and new media to investigate the ways multimodal novels communicate narrative detail in multiple modes. With this methodology, I analyze three multimodal novels, demonstrating that the multimodal novel makes meaning differently than the traditional novel. I argue that using this method to methodically gather a large data set before interpretation is necessary for a full understanding of the interactions of multimodal components in the novel, and of these elements as parts of a working whole. Chapter 1 reviews scholarship of the multimodal novel using narratology, new media theory, and book design. There is little critical consensus on a method for analyzing these texts, calling for a common methodology. Chapter 2 draws upon concepts from these three areas, developing a descriptive taxonomy to be used in a new method of textual analysis. Analyses of three representative multimodal novels in Chapter 3 show that textual elements with similar appearances function differently in each sample. In the first reading, The Fourth Treasure, I demonstrate that multimodal form functions to draw attention to narrative themes of the novel. With the second reading, The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet, I discuss challenges posed by less active multimodal elements, and explore how layout constructs the reading path, including ways reading paths can offer an additional level of meaning in multimodal novels. In the final reading, House of Leaves, I examine problems posed by multimodal novels that do not repeat layout patterns or use multimodal elements in a fixed way. Chapter 4 discusses my findings, including ways textual elements function in the multimodal novel. This project argues for a more systematic method of analyzing multimodal novels, proposing and demonstrating a new interpretive methodology.

The glyphs described in a font are usually rendered using software that runs on the CPU. This can be done very quickly and is a well understood process. These techniques work well when the glyph is rendered such that each point on the rendered glyph maps one-to-one to pixels on the screen. When this one-to-one mapping is removed, visual quality can degrade dramatically. This thesis describes a method to avoid this degradation by moving the rendering of glyphs from the CPU to the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). This method extracts glyph metrics from Truetype font files using the FreeType library, processes all glyph data in the font file and places it into a form that can be used by GPU shader programs to draw the glyphs such that the visual quality does not degrade regardless of the applied transformations.

Eversion is a biological term for the ability of an organism to turn itself inside out. For example, a sea cucumber can eject its internal organs to distract attacking predators. The sea cucumber sacrifices some vital functions for ultimate survival. Similarly, many introverts have become adept at temporarily everting their personalities to function in extroverted contexts. This masquerade often puts great stress on an individual. Cultural, educational, and professional environments do not often provide introverts the intervals of sanctuary necessary to revitalize themselves. Everted Sanctuaries communicates about the complex needs of introverts. The author explored introversion through sketching, object transformation, kinetic sculpture, material, and sound. In Everted Sanctuaries, transformed objects become metaphors to exhibit the often uncomfortable and stressful process of becoming uncharacteristically extroverted. These essays establish the importance of sanctuary for introverts and ask viewers to consider the depth and vulnerability concealed beneath their silent surfaces.

Understanding how typography influences consumer perception and brand reception is important to successfully employ typographic strategies that positively influence consumers. Utilizing typography to effectively express the intended meaning through text and perception requires extensive thought and skill. The purpose of this thesis was to examine whether specific typefaces used for clothing brands deliver particular brand personality traits. An online survey investigating this relationship between typography and clothing brand personality was created and made available to voluntary participants. A total of 251 usable data sets were collected and statistically analyzed. The findings of this study provided an insight on the association between the choice of a typeface, brand personality, age, gender, and knowledge of typography. More specifically, this study found that perceived typeface personalities were influenced by age and gender, but were not affected by the knowledge of typography. The results were also used to develop an interactive website that helps designers choose typefaces that express the intended message and appeal to their target audience. The Tailored Type website provided a unique, clear, and easy to follow guide for designers as well as marketers. Tailored Type Website: www.ritayu.com/thesis/index.html

Through the use of a preference test, the proper point size of display text on a package was evaluated in relation to a package's proportions. The test involved the examination of packaging images displaying the product or brand name in various point sizes by 150 participants who were then asked to choose the option they most preferred. The participants were then provided with a post-survey intended to gather additional information regarding potential preference motives. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the most preferred display type size of a package based on its relationship with the package's proportions. It was hypothesized that this proportion would be related to the golden ratio, a ratio of about 2⁄3 that has been found to be the most aesthetic proportion throughout nature and human history. The results of the study revealed that the preferred ratio was actually greater than the golden ratio, equaling 10⁄12ths of the package's width. These results were found to be further influenced by the participant's gender and the packaging structure on which the display type is applied. These findings make way for future research within this area of typographic design.

This thesis examines the re-formulation of graphic design from a service industry, towards one that encompasses expanded possibilities of agency with content and designer authorship. I present the views of design academics and writers around the designer as author debate. I explore artists books as a medium for designer authorship and I originate and design a self-reflexive project in this form. In my exploration of artists books I conclude that Johanna Drucker’s definition, which foregrounds the functionality of the book form, is pertinent to my approach as a graphic designer who constructs viewing experiences when designing publications. Artists books can otherwise be understood as sculptural or as visual art objects. I argue that Drucker’s framing of artists books as book forms which provide a sequential viewing experience is implicitly phenomenological. As content for my artists book studio project I explore the notion that the appearance of letterforms, including their design, the manner of their material production or reproduction, and the materials on which they appear, give visual clues about the time and place of their origin. To illustrate this idea I have used letterforms and images selected from a collection of my father’s print and photographic ephemera. They function as artefacts which trace a story of migration from Europe to Australia, and a career in graphic communication. Letterform details, both hand generated and typographic, are reproduced and juxtapositioned with supporting contemporaneous photographic images to create a narrative viewing experience in book form. The book is titled There is nothing a letterform doesn’t tell us about its time.

This paper, in French, explores the theory of authorship behind the controversy surrounding Houellebecq's use of Wikipedia articles in his last novel, La Carte et le Territoire (2010). The alleged plagiarism participates in and is revelatory of an aesthetics of borrowing: from the narrative voice (borrowed from a fictional future posterity) and proverbial, trite speech to the works of art inside the novel (mere reproductions of other works). The notion of cliché, both linguistic (in the style) and artistic (in the plot), questions the very concept of originality of the work of art. Be it a reproduction of the world (mimesis) or of other productions (imitatio), its author's importance is consistently undermined, and the work acquires a full autonomy: a production of language speaking itself, instead of being spoken. The novel thus constructs a complete disappearance of the author, in keeping with theories built by Borges, Foucault or Baudrillard.

The way readers interpret the written word is changing. We look for information almost as much in between the lines as we do in the words themselves. The internet and its tools offer ways for readers to engage the text like never before — can the printed word keep up? This thesis will look at the history of print through the eyes of typography and decide if multimodal methods of arranging type are appropriate or even possible in the modern book. Specifically, it will look at the Christian Bible and it’s already present use of multimodalism. This study will bring awareness to the possibility for a new method of meaning in Biblical typography.

This study examined font and layout alternatives for mild special education children in third through sixth grade. Of this group, twelve were boys and two were girls, seven were suburban students and seven were urban students. During the first phase, the students were observed reading four different fonts, then the participant named the easiest font to read and the preferred font. During the second phase, an alternative math assignment format was designed by applying universal design guidelines. The student was then observed solving math problems on a traditional and an alternative format to see if format appeared to enhance the educational focus and performance of the special education student being observed. The data was analyzed in three ways: student reading behavior, student performance, and student perception and preference. Reading behavior was measured by noting behavior such as enthusiasm, boredom, restlessness, frustration, and engagement. Overall the following results were found. Participants were more restless while reading Comic Sans and Times. Incorrect words were evenly distributed across all of the fonts, however the students skipped more words while reading serif fonts. Times had the most skipped words but, curiously, the fewest misread words. Participants paused before words more often with the san serif fonts yet skipped entire words less often. Participants had read two sentences together more often while reading sans serifs, most noted with Comic Sans. Twelve out of 13 students chose a san serif as their favorite font from the group of four fonts. Of those 12, eight students chose Comic Sans as their favorite. Only four of fourteen participants said the easiest font was indeed the font where they missed the least number of words, sat the least restless, or appeared to be the most engaged. Of interest is whether the students' preference for san serifs is partially because many of their electronic devices such as game systems, iPods, computers, and cell phones feature san serif fonts. Perhaps students feel good about the font style featured on pleasurable devices and experiences. The curriculum format study showed a minimal difference in performance (an average of 9.5/12 for the traditional layout and 10/12 for the alternative layout) but a clear difference in preference. Ten out of 12 students (the two pilot study students were not given both format options) stated that they preferred the alternative curriculum design. This format featured less problems on a page to decrease distraction and integrated workspace for each problem. Students who worked out problems on the worksheet had more problems correct than the students who did most of the work in their heads, regardless of the curriculum format design. This alternative format has promise if teachers encourage students to work out problems using the workspace provided.

Most legal authors today self-publish, using basic word-processing software and letting the software’s default settings determine what their documents will look like when printed. As these settings are not optimized for legal texts, they do so at their peril. The default font Times New Roman, for example, as Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook warns, is "utterly inappropriate for long documents [such as] briefs." Commentators have started urging a more deliberate approach to legal typography. Their suggestions, however, have been content-neutral, intended for all legal texts and focused on goals such as legibility and readability. Typography, however, has much greater potential. The shapes, the spacing, of letters and of words can reinforce, complement, and independently create narrative meaning. Or, intentionally or unintentionally, it can cut against it. It can do its work honestly and ethically, or inappropriately and subversively. This article explores how.

The past thirty years have marked the start of a new kind of civil war in our digitally powered American society. There is a deep chasm between the cry for the lost art of typography and the mediated power of the Image. We are a culture battling a war in our own heads, attempting to assimilate Images without replacing the need for a written text. This thesis will argue that the mediated Image is not a death sentence to critical thinking; rather it is an undeniable, inescapable power that can be used to positively influence our culture. It will research the history of fear found in many revolutionary novelists and theorists, and how that fear has gone beyond the point of being a warning symbol, becoming a paralyzing lamentation for the lost art of the past. It will ultimately answer the nagging question of our present society: Has the rise of the mediated Image replaced the written text and its requirement to digest information in rational and analytical manner?

The study investigated the inclusion of foreign language material using non-Latin scripts on the design of ‘public informational’ genre documents in the UK. It examined the design strategies stemming from differing styles of visual language, focussing on the use of simultaneity and graphic equivalency (the visual matching and treatment of texts) in documents. The study also examined the levels of integration at different levels (macro and micro). A document survey of a representative sample of (ethnically profiled) local government authorities using data collected through a document survey and multiple case studies was conducted. The survey recorded the process of document production, from commission to publication, to provide a broader understanding of the creation of a bi/multilingual ‘public informational’ document. Also, there was scrutiny of the underlying rationale(s) for the publication of such documents. The research then sought to develop criteria for the evaluation of bi/multilingual documents through empirical studies of extant documents collected from a variety of sources. The survey provided evidence for the contention that current design solutions do not always appropriately address the problems of integration in bi/multilingual document design for the chosen genre. Indeed, it is the case that budget rather than access too frequently appears to be the driving motivation in the production of bi/multilingual documents. Also, that most local authorities use one or more of ten design strategies (defined by the study) to integrate two or more texts within a document. Again, the survey also supports the contention that the occurrence of language shift (Fishman 1966) is a contributing factor for the seeming lack of knowledge amongst ethnic graphic designers in the UK. Also, that the UK government policy with regard to immigration has moved from the pluralistic Netherlands model to the American model where greater emphasis is now placed on English language acquisition and assimilation. Further, given the current global financial downturn (2009), it is unlikely that ‘best practice’ recommendations for the design of bi/multilingual documents would be implemented.

This thesis will investigate the potential use of effective negative space to improve the readability of text typography in graphic design. Negative space in two-dimensional design is also referred to as "white space" -- which is void of text or graphics. Negative space is more than just the background of a design. This thesis will demonstrate negative space as an element of design itself and develop a systematic approach to address negative space as it occurs in the following: margins, background, space for the eye to rest, signal that there is a break or end in the communication, variation in space -- passive vs. dynamic, implied space.

This thesis reviews the circumstances that led to what Paul Renner called “the inflation of historicism,” places his response to that problem in the context of the Weimar Republic, details how the German attributes with which he began the project were displaced from the typeface that emerged in 1927, demonstrates that Futura belongs to a new category of serif-less roman fonts rooted in Arts and Crafts lettering, and considers why the specifically German aspects of the project have gone unrecognized for over seventy years. Renner’s writing is compared to ideas prevalent in early twentieth-century German cultural discourse, and Futura’s design process is placed in the context of Renner’s personal experience of Weimar’s social and economic crises. Objective measurements are employed to establish the relationship between drawings attributed to Renner and are used to compare features of Futura with other fonts of the period.

This practice-based study explored the relationship between text-based messages and audio-based communication within the contemporary urban environment. Issues relating to signage overload and urban movement were identified at an early stage in this study, and pedestrian wayfinding was then selected as a form of communication that allowed for exploration of all the key issues. Two practice-based approaches to the research were developed that utilised both analysis and experimentation. Initially informal and then subsequently structured investigations of text and audio-based communications in real environments were conducted. Subsequently structured case studies were undertaken in carefully selected external environments, whence a series of charts and macroscopic drawings were produced facilitating data collection and analysis by the researcher. Analysis of findings indicated that whereas in interior public spaces the combination of text and audio in messages was relatively well established, there were few examples of wayfinding design that employ a combination of text and audio design currently existing within the external environments investigated in the case studies. It was also indicated that signage overload and visual clutter made pedestrian wayfinding problematic in the urban environment. Speculative design proposals investigate possible solutions to these issues. From this practical and theoretical basis guidelines have been derived with a view to supporting practitioners in this new area.

This study investigates the education and practice of calligraphy and graphic design in Saudi Arabia. The study provides recommendations for improvement based upon analysis of the collected data. These recommendations are consistent with the country's own religion, objectives, industry, economy, and regulations. The study has three objectives: A. To identify current difficulties facing calligraphers in Saudi Arabia, and their causes and origins. B. To examine the beliefs and attitudes of contemporary Saudi calligraphers toward modifying Arabic calligraphy for commercial industrial use. C. To gather insights and opinions of professional Saudi calligraphers on improving the education and profession of calligraphy and graphic design in Saudi Arabia. Qualitative case study methodology is used for the investigation of this study. Participants in this study consisted of nine Saudi professional calligraphers. These participants were selected for their involvement and experience in the education and practice of calligraphy in the country. Data for the study were collected during the Summer and Fall of 2002 in Riyadh, the largest and most important industrial, commercial, educational, and cultural city in Saudi Arabia. Data were triangulated using four methods of data collection: semi-structured interviews, follow-up questionnaires, field notes, and public documents. Interviews, conducted with Saudi professional calligraphers, constitute the main source of data for the study. Additional data came from the participants’ responses to follow-up questionnaires developed specifically to obtain answers to new questions raised after the initial interview data had been analyzed. In addition, field notes were taken during a meeting with a member of the Arabic Calligraphy Organization in Alqateef City (ACOAC) and during a visit to Alka-teb Institute for Improving Arabic Calligraphy (AIIAC). Public documents were also collected during those visits. Data were analyzed using two methods. Global analysis was used as a practical method for preparing data for other analytic procedures. Then, data were analyzed using content analysis. Findings revealed participants’ dissatisfaction with calligraphy and graphic design education in Saudi Arabia. They emphasized the importance of improving current Art Education and calligraphy education in public schools. They also expressed their desire for establishment of calligraphy, graphic design, and Fine Art schools for Saudi industry.

Everything we understand about the world comes to us through, and can be captured by, the linguistic use of words and pictures. Or does it? This is a question that addresses the core function and purpose of visual communications design. The question is explored in this film thematically, narratively, and technically, by portraying a story about a person struggling to understand language and solve a unique, high stakes design problem: the library cataloging of an entire human life. This is a creative project that uses computer graphics design technology and the unique presentation of typographical design problems to provoke thought and discussion about some of the human challenges in the fields of linguistics, philosophy, semiotics, communications, theology, and art. A convention of the film is to display spoken and non-verbal language in typographic and pictorial form. The project is delivered on DVD with multi-feature interactivity.

This study of the graphic field in notes on space, undated (log 3) focuses on how the white emptiness of a page plays a structural role in the articulation of dissociated fragments of notes. According to the criteria of three theorists (Genette, Lapacherie, Baetens), the distinction between non-linear and tabular proves to be non-exclusive in this particular work. Ostensibly, this non-figurative writing instigates interactive contemplation and lends itself to multiple entries, like an object one contemplates from every possible visual perspective without ever constructing a representation or image. The poetic form that du Bouchet explores renders perceptible the latent materiality of all text.

This experimental study investigated the relationship between the independent measures of font selection, type size, and type rendering technology and the dependent measures of legibility, as measured by the Chapman-Cook speed of reading test, as well as comprehension, as measured by a series of questions from the verbal comprehension section of the Graduate Record Exam. An electronic instrument presented test items in 12 different typographic styles. The study tested 117 college students at a university in southwestern Virginia. Each participant encountered anti-alias type rendering style and the orthochromatic type rendering style while participants were randomly assigned to either Helvetica or Palatino (font selection) and 8, 10 or 12 point type size. Results indicated that the 12 point type size was read more quickly than either 8 point type or 10 point type. There was also an interaction between font selection and type rendering technology for speed of reading: Helvetica without an anti-alias was read more quickly than Helvetica with an anti-alias and more quickly than Palatino without an anti-alias. These findings contradict an earlier, similar study. There were no significant results with regard to comprehension. [Vita removed Oct. 13, 2010. GMc]

As computers become more abundant in the home and office, more people are performing tasks that once would have been done by a skilled professional. Computers and software programs have become easier to use, including desktop publishing programs. Programs are now available that allow anyone to "become a designer." Through this, however, most typographers agree, the typographic quality of documents has suffered. Many companies are now designing their own media, in an effort to save money. The documents they create are adequate, but there is something missing. Though they may not be able to explain why, most people can appreciate the appearance of the professionally typeset page. The goal of this thesis project is to make it easier for a non-professional to make typo graphically pleasing text pages. The basic rules of typography, without regard to fluxuating design trends, have essentially stayed the same for hundreds of years. Background research for this project was completed by studying historically significant typographic manuals of the last 300 years. Research began with Joseph Moxon's Mechanick Exercises (1694) and ended with the most recent edition of The Chicago Manual of Style (1993), one of today's most highly regarded manuals. From this background research, minimum and preferred software requirements for desktop publishing software applications were created. The purpose of these requirements is to encourage software manufacturers to incorporate more automation in regard to typography, as well as to encourage improved default settings in their software applications. The goal was to make the minimum requirements realistically achievable. Many of the minimum requirements are currently available in software programs; however, no one program contains all of the requirements. Each software program has strengths and weaknesses. From these lists of requirements, the specifications for the "ideal" software application were created. Through this "ideal" application, all of the best features of current software programs were brought together, in addition to a few innovative ideas. These specifications only relate to the typographic capabilities of the software, and do not include other areas such as color or image manipulation. Though these specifications could vastly improve on the quality of typography produced electronically, automated tasks completed by a computer will never produce the same results as a job done manually by a skilled professional. Computer programming is limited and many typographic rules cannot be adequately defined in a computer algorithm. Though perfection may not be attainable, improvement is possible.

This thesis will first document how both typography and photography have merged into a pure form of communication: typophoto. Simultaneously, the study will refine the visual parameters for understanding the concept of typophoto through an examination of the works of a number of designers, design movements and visual theories. The final goal of this thesis study will be to explore a new interpretation of typophoto and to extend its use in the new digital era. In 1925, the designer, painter, photographer and film maker Laszl6 Moholy-Nagy first mentioned the concept or theory of typophoto in Malerei Photographic Film. Typophoto was a manifesto of visual communication which closely integrated typography and photography to give an unambiguous message through different planes and media. Exploring typography and photography, Moholy-Nagy sought to understand how both disciplines had been influenced by other art training and how they had developed by means of techniques and time constraints. Furthermore, the idea of typophoto was extended into other fields such as film, where, as a kinetic form of the media, it could interpret the concept of typophoto efficiently (See Appendix A). Today's fast-paced trends and fashions in visual communication require an increased understanding of and accessibility to a complex system of information and media as they move toward 'Motion' or 'Kinetic' art. The designer needs not only to implement the application, but he/she is also required to be a "messenger": a visual communicator or commentator. As media development and technological constraints have became increasingly diversified, the task and responsibility of the designer in problem-solving has become more difficult and complicated. Simultaneously, in light of Moholy-Nagy's progressive and innovative approaches to use two disciplines as a unified form, today's designers and artists must acquire cross-field abilities and experiences. Consequently, typophoto provides us with an effective if complex way to develop our creativity. This thesis documentation first discusses what typophoto is and then explores how the visual message can be made unambiguous by incorporating the notion of typographic and photographic communication. In other words, typophoto could be a powerful vehicle for solving the problem of the ultimate goal of communication: to send a message.

None provided.

The printed word has been commonplace in society for over 500 years; the written word has been in existence for thousands. The primary intent of the written or printed word has historically been to be read. With that goal, rules and formats have developed over the centuries as aids to legibility. Naturally, these guidelines have been developed for the printed, or static typographic page. As our sophistication with and acceptance of technology grows, however, we increasingly turn to the computer or television screen for written information. Additionally, graphic designers and artists are questioning the role of the printed word as they explore the many technological advances that have moved type from the page to the screen. Formulas and guidelines that served the printed page may no longer be relevant. New typographic approaches are necessary to successfully integrate the visual word with new technologies.

This study examined the readability of fonts. More specifically, it investigated how four different fonts effected both reading rate and reading comprehension. The typefaces Georgia, Verdana, (which, according to their designers, optimize onscreen readability) Times, and Arial (both designed for digital output to hard copy) were displayed as treatments both on a computer screen and on paper. The purpose of the study was to determine whether sans serif and serif typefaces optimized for on-screen viewing significantly improve reading rate and reading comprehension. Comparisons were made among the typefaces using a categorical independent variable postmeasure-only research design to determine the level of dependent variables (rate, comprehension). The group means of each of twelve treatment groups (N=264) were analyzed using analyses of variance to determine if either of the variables (presentation mode or font) had a statistically significant effect upon reading rate and/or reading comprehension of a sample taken from a population of subjects attending a midwestern state university. No significant difference was found among reading speed or reading comprehension scores of subjects tested who read text which was typeset in any of the four typefaces. However, significant difference was found between the presentation modes used in the experiment. Since it was found that 8-bit on-screen text was not significanly more readable than 600dpi text on paper, and 1-bit onscreen text was found to be significantly less readable than onscreen text and 600dpi text on paper, this research concludes that for purposes of ease of readability, onscreen text is better suited to be rendered as 8-bit onscreen text than 1-bit on-screen text. Also, the findings indicate that 8-bit on-screen text was not found to be significantly less readable than 600dpi text on paper. Also, due to the various typefaces currently being used in digital typography and the differing presentation media, further exploration of the readability of on-screen text should examine more fonts and screen display variables.

None provided.

This thesis involves the design of a new English typeface which reflects the aesthetic values of Thai culture. It incorporates Thai stylistic considerations, including the unique appearances and forms of Thai artifacts, into the design of English letterforms. A primary purpose of this new typeface would be for use as a display typeface in printed or digital applications regarding Thai subjects, which are distributed inside and outside Thailand.

Typesetting and typography have become misunderstood terms, if not obsolete, due to the proliferation of computers. Since every computer user has access to a myriad of typefaces and the ability to modify type through software, the true qualities of many typefaces have become unrecognizable. Therefore, it is incumbent upon people to seek out the information necessary to be competent in the area of design and typography. A well-designed type specimen is the first place to start for a user to reference typographic terminology and rules. Technical characteristics of typefaces such as tracking, font metrics, leading and unique recognizable characters could prove to be an invaluable tool for many people, not just designers. In addition to a type specimen being a subtle tutorial, it should also be educational. Computer technology has opened the door for many people and has increased their exposure to typefaces and typography. On the other hand, it has also led many to believe that by typing on the computer, they are setting type correctly. There are many rules and guidelines that should be followed to insure the correct usage of type, both aesthetically and typographically. And everyone - designers, printers, typesetters and the general public, need to learn and practice these rules and terminology to uphold the standards of typography that have evolved over the centuries. Type specimen books have been used for centuries, and due to the influx of technology, that same information is easily accessible on a computer. Many designers were initially reluctant to use a specimen on the computer. It did not seem as 'pure' as a type specimen book. The computer would add glitz and glimmer while sacrificing quality and quantity of information. But as more and more specimens became available on the computer, it became obvious that huge amounts of information could be included and continually updated, whereas it would be far too much to include in a book. A well- designed userfriendly specimen could be an invaluable tool to a designer. Many specimens, while being aesthetically pleasing, were not useful as a reference tool or educational aid. While everyone has their own reasons for wanting specific attributes in a specimen, these needs all begin to intermix and overlap, thusly forming a complex entity. Designers, printers and typesetters may all have different needs, but they all have one thing in common: everyone wants a useable and helpful type specimen book. An interactive type specimen is a necessary and valuable tool for any professional in the graphic industry. The ease of use, the ability to keep it updated, and the cohesive format make an interactive specimen useful to all levels of type users. Since printed material is outdated as soon as it is completed, an interactive piece has the flexibility to be continually updated - keeping the users up-to-date on the trends, news and information regarding type and typography.

This project is an oral history about the type designer Matthew Carter. Through questions Matthew Carter's thoughts and ideas on type design have been explored. The resultant dialogue was recorded as an oral history of Matthew Carter. There are video and audio tapes along with the written project. The purpose of this research is to determine how Matthew Carter approaches designing letterforms as technology changes. A discussion follows in which Carter's core philosophy of letterform design is defined; his ideals and perception of type design, and any significant trends anticipated in the future of letterform design. The theoretical basis for this study is the changing technology and how or if it affects typeface design. A List of References is included as Appendix A. Based upon this review, no one has explored the idea of how type design has changed over time, from hot metal typesetting, through phototypesetting, to the age of digital typesetting. There are many surprises as Matthew Carter explained how his approach to type design has changed little over the period. The method in which one could set type has changed opening the way to new possibilities. Methodology included study of all of Matthew Carter's typefaces, formulation of relevant questions, travel to Cambridge, Massachusetts to interview Matthew Carter and record the interviews on both audio and video media. Questions of Importance include Matthew Carter's early years in printing, his professional life, the present and the future of typeface design. The appendices contain a list of all of the type faces designed by Matthew Carter.

In the history of type design, two methods have been used to scale type-- to produce enlarged or reduced letterforms from a reference size. With original handcut fonts, designers performed optical scaling (scaling by eye) that varied the proportions of letterform features over a range of sizes in a nonlinear manner. That is, letterform feature proportions were size dependent. This was an entirely manual and intuitive process. More recently, however, the use of the lens, as well as computational and other technologies, has allowed letterforms to be scaled automatically from a reference character, a simple proportional enlargement or reduction. To date, little work has been done to combine these two methods, that is to say, to automatically perform nonlinear scaling of a reference character in order to approximate the optical scaling performed by skilled type designers and punchcutters. This research developed a mathematical model of optical scale in type design, consisting of two parts: (1) a model of the scaling of individual letterform features; and (2) a model of the scaling of entire letterforms. The model was tested by applying it to the original handcut fonts that supplied the initial data for the research in order to generate synthetic letterforms. These nonlinear synthetic letterforms were then compared with the originals, as well with proportionally scaled letterforms generated by the model approximated the original optically scaled handcut letterforms. In addition, the performance of the proportionally scaled letterforms was compared with the originals, as well as with the nonlinear, synthetic forms.

Not provided.