Noh Mai Movement Typeface 能舞ムーブメント書体
Noh Mai is a traditional Japanese dance. Noh Mai dances are put together by a series of forms, which are patterns of body movements. This typeface system was created using the motions and movements within a Noh Mai Dance.
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Initial Research Project
Shake
6-7
Compulsory Figures
8-11
Bad Mono
12-13
Migration
14-15
Ciao
16-19
Attitudes become Typeface
20-21
Initial Idea Generation
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Contemporary Research Project
Aravint
26-27
Farsi
28-29
No Name
30-31
Phonetika
32-33
Big Jaw
34-37
Ribaasu
38-39
Transfont
40-41
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Artist Research Artist
Tien-Min Liao
42-43
Mingoo Yoon
44-45
YuJune Park
46-47
Visual Research Project
ESKOS
48-49
Kaisel
50-51
Danzante
52-53
XMX
54-55
Bunny
56-59
Contextual Research Context
Katakana Alphabet
60-61
Hirigana Alphabet
62-63
Shodo Calligraphy
64-67
Initial Calligraphy Experiments
68-84
Finding Rationale and Developing an Idea
85-87
Contextual Research - Noh Mai Dance
88-91
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Developed Contemporary Research Project
Movement
92-93
Typographic Choreography
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DiaDans
96-97
Bodytype
98-99
Visual Development Development
Initial Mark Making
100-113
Tracking Movements
115-121
Mark Making Pt.2
122-131
Updated Tracking Movements
132-138
Developing Type Specimen
140-159
Cataloging Shapes
160-172
Developed Visual Research Project
Folder Catalogue
174-175
Postcard Layout
176-179
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Visual Development Pt.2 Development
First Trials
180-189
Shape Experimentation
190-215
Developing The Shapes
216-222
Trialling Layouts
224-227
Postcard Development
228-231
Final Postcard Front
232-241
Sticker Development
242-245
Cover Development
246-250
Final Outcome Outcome
Folder Outcome
251-253
Type Showcase
254-269
Final Outcome
270-274
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Shake.ttf Designer
Morten Halvorsen
Foundry
-
Year
2020
Proportions
Normal
Weight
Medium
Terminals
Script
writewithparkinsons.com The typeface is to immortalise the deteriorating handwriting of the artists mother who suffers with Parkinson’s. It shows the impact of Parkinson’s , as it continuously changes motor skills such as handwriting.
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Compulsory Figures.ttf Designer
Hicham Faraj
Foundry
-
Year
2019
Proportions
Roman
Weight
Ultra Thin & Bold
Terminals
Display
hichamfaraj.github.io This is a display typeface based on compulsory figure exercises. Using a drawing app installed on my phone I drew a full character set mimicking the way figure skaters carve in ice variations of the basic figure 8. The phone was delicately balanced on top of objects I found lying around my desk in order to recreate the pressure on figure skaters to maintain an elegant posture. 8
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Bad Mono.ttf Designer
Tor Weibull
Foundry
-
Year
2017
Proportions
Extended
Weight
Bold
Terminals
Sans Serif
torweibull.com/bad-mono Bad Mono is based on the sports rhythm and the net of the badminton court which is built up by a grid. As the feather ball hits the net the grid squares expands and therefore most of the uppercase letters have the double letter width of the lower case letters, just as if the ball just smashed in to them and extended them.
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Migration.ttf Designer
Lena Rosner
Foundry
-
Year
2020
Proportions
Wide
Weight
Light
Terminals
Display
Behance A Typography was created based on the beauty of the human migration and movement. For my work I have I asked people of different ages and backgrounds, like visitors, students or professionals to walk along in the city, forging their own paths, and to write down their impressions and thoughts along the way. Afterwards I created the word “migration� out of the letters created by these subjeets on their walks. 14
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Ciao.ttf Designer
Massimiliano Audretsch
Foundry
-
Year
2019
Proportions
Extended
Weight
Mixed
Terminals
Serif
www.audretsch.it Ciao explores the formulaic compositions behind a letterform and the societal roles it consequently shapes. A conceptual typeface which includes the intonation of how it is spoken Designing three parameters for each of the three variables of intonation (duration, dynamism and melody), Ciao is an extensive piece of work showcasing 27 different kinds of intonation for each letter of the alphabet. 16
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When attitudes become typeface.ttf Designer
Sooji Lee
Foundry
-
Year
2016
Proportions
Regular
Weight
Semi Bold
Terminals
-
http://eelijoos.com/865004006353 How to write Bodoni lowercase; Recently Sooji Lee has worked on a project for DAE master thesis, under the theme of ‘Craftsmanship’. This project is literally about how to write certain typeface. She designed physical tool, process and behaviors for handwriting Bodoni. Since the mechanization has been intensified, lots of humane qualities have been deleted and replaced by machinery. Sooji Lee wondered what’s the non-reproducible humane originality and she found the possibility of a humane ‘aura’ in ‘craftsmanship’, which machines can never imitate. 20
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Initial Idea Generation Areas of Interest
Letterforms Book Design Mental Health Awareness Health and The Body Architecture Culture
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Create a billingual book about my Japanese step-brothers up bringing compared to my English upbringing. Paired with a Bilingual Typeface that reads the two languages. Advisory campaign for the NHS that educates people on the services to avoid misuse (e.g when to go to a pharmacist, doctor or A&E). Booklet/Posters/Video/Postal send out. An experience driven book that explores clinical depression to visualise the feelings and emotions of it, Based of my own experiences and others. A Fashion editorial magazine focused on second-hand fashion, specifically charity shop clothing. Collaboration with the charity shops and shelved for free in the charity shops to encourage sustainable fashion choices. Create an online selling platform exclusive for student artists to sell their work and seek freelance and internship’s opportunities. A book that documents and explores my step-dads experience serving two terms in Afghanistan as part of the RAF’s specialist survival equipment squad. A reactive typeface about anxiety, the type reacts to heartbeat. Designed to draw attention to anxiety campaign. 23
FMP What do I wan’t to make? For the FMP I want to create something process driven and be more experimental with my practice. Therefore I want to focus my practice on either book binding and making a book or creating and developing a typeface. What am I interested in? For the area’s of interest and topic for the FMP I had a couple idea’s in mind I wanted to explore: I wanted to maybe focus on mental health and create an experience driven book that help to visualise depression to those who are unaware and unable to relate, I’d want it to be experimental and typographic driven. The second area of interest would be culture, my family is made up of Austrian, Irish, Japanese and Fillipino so thought it could be interesting to explore this. An idea I had for ISTD and that I potentially want to pursue was to create a book about the differing upbringing my Japanese step brother had to me, where I was raised in the UK
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FMP Idea Moving Forward I wanted to create a typeface that reads two languages at the same time, Japanese and English, to show the marrying of the two sides of my family. However the Japanese alphabet is a phonetic alphabet unlike the Latin alphabet so this would be an obstacle I’d need to overcome to see if there would be a way to bring the two together. If I cant find a way to merge the two together I can create a multilingual typeface that works for both the English and Japanese alphabet systems. 25
Aravrit.ttf Designer
Liron Lavi Turkenich
Foundry
-
Year
2017
Proportions
Condensed
Weight
Bold
Terminals
Display
www.Aravrit.com Aravrit is an experimental writing system presenting a set of hybrid letters merging Hebrew and Arabic. Each letter is composed of Arabic on the upper half and a Hebrew on the bottom half. In Aravrit, one can read any chosen language, without ignoring the other one, which is always present.
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Farsi.ttf Designer
Borna Izadpanah
Foundry
-
Year
2013
Proportions
Condensed
Weight
Bold
Terminals
Display
Behance This typeface reads in both Arabic and Latin, The letterforms and words blend together and enable both an english and Arabic reader to understand as well as it being a multilingual typeface that is used for both languages. The shapes of the letterform that are inspired by Qalam which is a traditional Arabic calligraphy done with a reed pen, works well to bring the past of the culture with the present.
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No Name.ttf Designer
Shrey Malik
Foundry
-
Year
2018
Proportions
Roman
Weight
Bold
Terminals
Display
Behance An attempt to merge the Hindi and English type so that it phonetically makes the same sounds when read by anybody who understands any of the two languages.
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Phonetikana.ttf Designer
Johnson Banks
Foundry
-
Year
2009
Proportions
Condensed
Weight
Bold
Terminals
Display
www.johnsonbanks.co.uk/work/phonetikana However, Katakana is at least phonetic – if you memorise the shape, you know how it sounds. And many western names and words are written in Katakana, so this entry point sparked a research project we call Phonetikana. The idea is a simple one. Into each character we embed the English letters that show you how to ‘say’ the sound. So if you take the word ‘superhero’, in Japanese it would break down into four phonetic sounds, ‘Soo Pa Hee Roh’. To illustrate this, we embedded the words into a useful illustration. Below is the example ‘Big Apple’ (‘Bee Goo A Poo Roo’). 32
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Big Jaw.ttf Designer
Fang Ping Lin
Foundry
-
Year
2019
Proportions
Extended
Weight
Black
Terminals
Sans Serif
Behance The Chinese and Japanese bilingual font proposal “Big Jaw”is expected to be intimate, cute and energetic, reminiscent of the 1980s retro atmosphere. The thick lower body looks funny, and the higher center of gravity is bright and spirited, and the flexible curves appears tender. It’s suitable for easy environment such as comic title, snack packaging…etc 34
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Ribaasu.ttf Designer
Tien-Min Liao
Foundry
-
Year
2019
Proportions
Wide
Weight
Bold
Terminals
Serif Display
www.tdc.org/news/2019-typeface-design-judges-choiceribaasu In a reverse-contrast typeface, the normal weight distribution is reversed. The result is that the weight becomes concentrated along the cap-height, x-height, and baseline, creating a strong horizontal visual connection. Unlike with the Latin alphabet, the weight distribution in Kanji and Kana is much more complex, and not just on the verticals. Many strokes are diagonal or curved, so the weight distribution varies on different strokes. Simply reversing the weight distribution may not create the same visual result as in the Latin one. Instead of reversing the weight literally, my approach is to create a typeface that captures the visual essence of the Latin reverse-contrast. That essence is the quirky personality and strong horizontal connection; thus, both can work together in a visually compatible waythe example ‘Big Apple’ (‘Bee Goo A Poo Roo’). 38
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Transfont.ttf Designer
Felix Koutchinski
Foundry
-
Year
2014
Proportions
Narrow
Weight
Light
Terminals
Identity System
Behance Transfont is a system that allows you to combine various languages, numbers and pictograms, without losing the overall identity of the font. It is build with only a few basic rules. The stroke has always the same width, as well as rounded caps and corners. Everything is rounded to make production process easier and faster. You could cut stencils with a cnc-mill or just with a basic drill. Or build neon lights without having troublesome overlapping parts.
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Artist Research Designer
Tien-Min Liao
Discipline
Multilingual Typeface Designer
Country
New York
The most important criteria for designing a bilingual lettering is whether or not it is able to express the same personality in both scripts, under the premise of designing with leg ability and basic type knowledge, rather than limiting to sharing a similar appearance. 42
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Artist Research Designer
Mingoo Yoon
Discipline
Multilingual Typeface Designer
Country
New York
His current interests lie in bi-scriptual type design, particularly Hangul (the Korean alphabet) and the Latin alphabet used in much of the Western world. His typefaces are both thoughtful and considered befitting the unique qualities of the two written languages. Like the Latin alphabet, Hangul possesses its own kind of serif known as “beaks�. Its shapes and angles differ according to the East Asian writing tool being used: the type of brush and the vertical direction the stroke is performed. 44
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Artist Research Designer
YuJune Park
Discipline
Typeface designer
Country
Seoul, South Korea
Typeface design that welcomes change. One such project by YuJune and Caspar is their Chinese typeface, Ming Romantic. It started, like any of their projects, with a question. “How might Chinese characters from the Song and Ming dynasties look when divorced from the effects of the brush?�, they wanted to know, after failing to find certain formal Chinese typefaces for their own design needs. 46
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ESKOS.ttf Designer
Viktor Pesotsky
Foundry
-
Year
2020
Proportions
Wide
Weight
Regular
Terminals
Display
Behance Angular black letter style gives a traditional but modern style to the typeface. The corners are slanted instead of being at a right angle, making the typeface appear as if it’s leaning down. The shapes and angled are repeated across the letter-forms, this shows there is a clear system with developing them. The serif on the black letter style font keeps it feeling traditional whilst making the shape more interesting. 48
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Kaisel.ttf Designer
Ramzi KhalifĂŠ
Foundry
-
Year
2020
Proportions
Condensed
Weight
Bold
Terminals
Display
Behance Letter-form feels angular with the edges slanted on the font. Repetitive attributes in certain letter-forms helps to create a cohesive font. Although a bold black letter inspired font it feels curved and softer. Gothic style black lettering influence looks bold and modern whilst still maintaining the traditional style. 50
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DANZANTE.ttf Designer
Brando Corradini
Foundry
365Typefaces
Year
2020
Proportions
Extended
Weight
Regular
Terminals
Script
Behance Some letter-forms become unreadable, for example the letter ‘n’ doesn’t look anything like an upper case ‘N’. Repeating shape and size in the letter-form helps to create a cohesive font. Interesting shapes come from the fluid stroke of the type. All very wide type. Areas of thickness and thin within the typeface emphasis the scriptural nature. 52
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XMX.ttf Designer
Adrien Midzic
Foundry
-
Year
2020
Proportions
Wide
Weight
Regular
Terminals
Display
Behance Bold black letter style is visible within the swirls in the letterform, minus the serif stroke. Blend of block lettering and dramatic swirl script. Varying thickness within the letter-form. Wide typeface but quite shallow in height. Dramatic swirl in certain position repeated in areas of roundness in the letter-forms. 54
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Bunny.ttf Designer
Oliver Sabin
Foundry
-
Year
2019
Proportions
Regular
Weight
Bold
Terminals
Decorative
@ oliversabin
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Katakana Alphabet Contextual Research
Gaining an understanding of how the Katakana Japanese alphabet works and is used.
These are conceived as a 5×10 grid (gojūon, 五十音, literally “fifty sounds”), as shown in the adjacent table, read ア (a), イ (i), ウ (u), エ (e), オ (o), カ (ka), キ (ki), ク (ku), ケ (ke), コ (ko) and so on. The gojūon inherits its vowel and consonant order from Sanskrit practice. Among the syllables are the five vowels (a i u e o). The rest are syllables combined by one of these vowels with a consonant (ka ki ku ke ko ra ri ru re ro…). One exception is the n. In addition, most syllables can be slightly changed by adding two small strokes or a small circle in the top right corner next to the character. For example, ha changes to ba with the addition of two small strokes, or to pa with the addition of a small circle. Katakana is used for a variety of things. The most common use is to transcribe foreign words (non-Japanese words). There is some issue with this though. The sounds available in the Japanese languages are not as flexible as other languages. So, words that are transcribed to katakana often don’t sound like the original. As you get used to it, though, you’ll begin to not only understand non-Japanese words that have been made “Japanese”, but also know how to say foreign words using Japanese sounds (and write them in katakana).
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ア イ ウ エ オ カ キ ク ケ コ ガ ギ グ ゲ ゴ サ シ ス セ ソ ザ ジ ズ ゼ ゾ タ チ ツ テ ト ダ ヂ ヅ デ ド ナ ニ ヌ ネ ノ ハ ヒ フ ヘ ホ バ ビ ブ ベ ボ パ ピ プ ペ ポ マ ミ ム メ モ ヤ ユ ヨ ラ リ ル レ ロ ワ ヲ ン
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Hiragana Alphabet Contextual Research
Gaining an understanding of how the Hiragana Japanese alphabet works and is used.
Hiragana and katakana are both kana systems. With one or two minor exceptions, each sound in the Japanese language (strictly, each mora) is represented by one character (or one digraph) in each system. This may be either a vowel such as “a” (hiragana あ); a consonant followed by a vowel such as “ka” (か); or “n” (ん), a nasal sonorant which, depending on the context, sounds either like English m, n, or ng ([ŋ]) when syllable-final, or like the nasal vowels of French. Because the characters of the kana do not represent single consonants (except in the case of ん“n”), the kana are referred to as syllabic symbols and not alphabetic letters These are conceived as a 5×10 grid (gojūon, 五十音, “Fifty Sounds”), as illustrated in the adjacent table, read あ (a), い (i), う (u), え (e), お (o), か (ka), き (ki), く (ku), け (ke), こ (ko) and so forth, with the singular consonant ん (n) appended to the end. 62
あ ぁ か さ た な は ま や ら ゃ わ が ざ だ ば ぱ い ぃ き し ち に ひ み り ゐ ぎ じ ぢ び ぴ う ぅ く す つ ぬ ふ む ゆ ゅ る ぐ ず づ ぶ ぷ え ぇ け せ て ね へ め れ ゑ げ ぜ で べ ぺ お ぉ こ そ と の ほ も よ ょ ろ を ご ぞ ど ぼ ぽ っ ん 63
Shodo Japanese Caligraphy Shodo Type
Kaisho
Brush Type
Kojohen
Shodo is the art of writing beautifully, using all three of the Japanese alphabets. It is a spiritual practice, a mental discipline, and a physical exercise. Shodo plays a very important role in Japan, where its characters are regarded as having a sort of spiritual power. As a long lived Japanese tradition deeply integrated in the everyday lives of the people, Shodo offers a unique window in Japan’s profound culture and long lasting philosophies. Kaisho, the “square style” or “standard style” of shodō, looks closest to the original Chinese characters, and is also the easiest to read. Kaisho is the first style most shodō practitioners usually learn and master. Gyōsho, which means “travel writing,” is a semi-cursive style that deviates from kaisho in that it does not have clearly defined strokes, and looks quite different from the standard characters in printed literature. Strokes flow together for a more artistic appearance. Sōsho, which literally means “grass writing,” is the cursive style that is most abstract and hardest to read for those unfamiliar with shodō. Strokes are quick and graceful, emphasizing the aesthetic and artistic quality rather than legibility.
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Initial Calligraphy Experiments
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Tutorial Feedback Lecturer
Richard Hurst Hannah Byles
Date
23/03/ 2020
- Device a system in which you can start to develop a typeface. Transfer the shodo onto a modern Latin typeface, could work more effectively. - Look more into the structure of the Japanese typeface. - Can you create a Japanese typeface with a nib? - Apply the brush strokes to the Latin typeface - Is it a set of marks? Look at the visual similarities. Be clear about the use. - Whats the rationale behind this project? - It relates back to your Japanese culture, this could be the rationale. - Can create a series of type specimen. Could be really personal to you. - Email some multilingual type designers for some help. Watch some online videos. 85
Finding The Rationale Idea Development
Changing the project course and finding a rationale behind the typeface.
The first place to look for rationale behind this type project was to look back at memories I have from when I visited Japan and memories from growing up with a Japanese influence in my household. - Going to the shopping district under the train line in Sannomiya where my dads apartment was, it’s very unique and unlike the western shopping experience. (Type inspired by the letterforms in the signage) - Being invited to a traditional Japanese dance competition by a couple we got speaking to a dinner and being asked to hand out flowers to the winners at the end of the competition. (Type system inspired by the movements within the dance) - The alley ways were cluttered with cables from telegraph etc. lines. (Type inspired by the direction of the cables) 86
Moving Forward With The Rationale Idea Development
Moving forward with a new rationale for the typeface and what changes and new route I will take.
The idea I was most fond of was creating a typeface that is inspired by the movements within the traditional Japanese dance. This idea stemmed from a very fond memory I have when I first visited Japan at the age of 11. When out for dinner with my dad and step mother we began speaking to a couple on the opposite table, who’d we never met before, they invited us to come watch them at a traditional Japanese dance competition and they asked me to come on stage at the end and hand the winning couple a bouquet of flowers. (They ended up winning the competition). This was a very fond memory for me because the dance was beautiful to watch and I will always remember the kindness and how welcoming Japanese people are. 87
Japanese Traditional Noh Mai Dance Contextual Research
Researching and understanding the dance of Noh Mai before I explore visual experiments.
History and Explanation: The mai (dance) of noh, along with the musical elements of song and instrumental music are components of this comprehensive art form. Mai can be called the foundation of the form. The dance of noh is not simply the expression of the body moving through space, it has a much deeper meaning. When one is said to perform noh, one is said “to dance noh.� In a broad sense of the word, mai expresses much more than just the music and the movement, it somehow encapsulates the comprehensive nature of noh. Movement: Each of these dances is made up of very detailed kata (movement patterns) strung together in a fluid series. Some kata abstract, while others are clear gestures. The most basic kata from which all other movement is based is called kamae. This is the basic posture for the noh performer. In the lower body, the knees are slightly bent, lowering the center of gravity of the performer. In the upper body, the arms are slightly bent, elbows out, making a kind of circle shape with the arms and in the right hand a fan is held. 88
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The basic form of movement is called hakobi. While maintaining the same center of gravity as in kamae, the feet are slid across the floor one after the other, without lifting them. In order to change direction, for example to turn left, the right foot is hooked around the big toe of the left. Then by twisting on the ball of the feet, one foot at a time, the feet will become even and the turn is complete. In order to express sadness or grief, the kata known as shiori is used. For shiori, the head is slightly bent down and with either one or two hands (depending on the severity of the grief) the eyes are covered indicating the shedding or stifling of tears. Sashi is another kata in which the hand holding the fan is brought back even with the body and then in an arcing motion is put in front of the eyes essentially pointing off in the distance. Sashi can be used for pointing up at the mountains or down at the sea and may coincide with the descriptive text being sung by the chorus. While each kata is used to express a specific emotion of scene, the same kata can be used at different times to express different things. Origin: Developed during the 13th century is an Asian “theatrical” dance form known as Noh Mai. This “theatrical” dance style is said to have originated in Japan, and was said to have been created by an artist called Kanami and his son Zeami. It was during the 8th century that Noh Mai first originated in Japan. It was then that a form of theatre called “Sarugaku” was developed from “Sangaku”, a form of entertainment similar to the circus, and originated from China. 90
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Movement.ttf Designer
NM type
Foundry
NM type
Year
2019
Proportions
Regular
Weight
Thin
Terminals
Display
Behance ‘Movement’ is comprised of 121-characters inspired by the motions of the human body, translated by shapes written in the air. The studio worked with Vellem who came up with various movements to represent each letter, number, and symbol.
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Typographic Choreography.ttf Designer
Joel Frear
Foundry
-
Year
2015
Proportions
-
Weight
-
Terminals
-
Behance Typographic Choreography is a unique language designed and developed for the choreographing of dance routines. Proportions and angles have been taken from the human body to design these 18 basic glyphs that can be combined to create an infinite number of dance movements and expressions. These 18 primary glyphs can be combined together to create secondary and tertiary glyphs or split from one another depending on the requirements of the dance moves.
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DiaDans.ttf Designer
Neue Design Studio
Foundry
-
Year
2019
Proportions
Wide
Weight
Bold
Terminals
Identity
Behance As a foundational element for the new identity, we made a customized typeface called Dia Dans – based on the font Dia from Schick-Toikka. This visual move unites all the different performances, and highlights Dansens Hus as a vibrant dance scene in Oslo.
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BODY TYPE.ttf Designer
Julius Raymund Advincula
Foundry
-
Year
2019
Proportions
-
Weight
-
Terminals
-
Behance An experimental typography project in which the artist uses his own body and skin to create the letter forms. 98
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Initial Mark Making Stage
Visual Experiment
Brush Type
Stiff Calligraphy Pen
To start the documentation process of the movements in the body within the Noh Mai dance I simply just made marks in my sketchbook from watching a video of the dance. Doing just quick free handed marks allowed me to watch and really focus on the movements within the dance without worrying too much on how ‘aesthetic’ the marks were looking. These initial marks were a good starting point for seeing how I could use these shapes within the types form. Above is the marks vectorised (image traced) and placed in my process book. I did this with a rigid brush tip pen, so It doesn’t have the characteristics of Shodo calligraphy.
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Tracking Movements Stage
Visual Experiment
Format
GIF
To trace and document the shapes and movement’s within the dance I created really rough gifs of the movements and traced the hands to create a documented shape. These were really rough so that I could have an initial shape to start to experiment and play around with creating a typeface from these shapes. Already you can start to see some shapes that are similar in form to a letter. These are just initial experiments, hence why they’re very rough and not nice looking. But cleaning them up could be interesting and nice element to have. 115
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More Mark Making Stage
Visual Experiment
Brush Type
Traditional Calligraphy Brush
After making the gifs I printed out the initial shapes they made and began tracing them to neaten them. I used traditional Japanese calligraphy brushes an ink to create more context to the Japanese background, and to give the shapes more character and dimension. Already I can start to see letterforms within these shapes produced, which is a good starting point for developing the typefaces. 122
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Creating New Gifs Stage
Visual Development
Format
GIF
The last set of gifs were very rough and didn’t leave me with many shapes to experiment with. I decided to document an entire dance to give me more shapes to work with and it gives me the opportunity to catalogue it later down the line. The other dance was such a long dance that documenting the entire dance would’ve been very long and time consuming, so I decided to change dance I was looking at to a much shorter Noh Mai dance. I decided to break the gifs down into 10 seconds sections, Tracing both hands in one gif left more a big scribble than a usable shape. So I created 2 gifs for every 10 second period, one being the left hand - the other the right hand.
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Starting To Develop The Type Specimen Stage
Visual Development
Brush Type
Traditional Calligraphy Brush
(1) The above typefaces shape doesn’t feel reflective of the context, it lacks the brush stroke effect and fluid shape of the Shodo style. The shape feels a little unnatural as well, the letterform feels forced into the shape with the brush. (2)This could also be difficult to impliment into the other letters. Feels a bit 90′s in its shape and style, so again not reflective of the context we’re going for. The squarer circle doesn’t feel very fluid or like shodo brush strokes. (3) Could create an interesting shape for the letterform, but the curvature in the letterform could make it difficult especially as it won’t sit on a straight line. (4) Again, doesn’t feel reflective of the Shodo calligraphy brush strokes. Not a fan of the silhouette and the shape of the type experiment. 140
(1)
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Starting To Develop The Type Specimen Stage
Visual Development
Brush Type
Traditional Calligraphy Brush
(1) I like this shape more, feels more natural and fluid. More reminiscent of Shodo calligraphy. The flick feels a little too force and unnatural to the Shodo calligraphy - so change that. (2) This flick shape is starting to feel more fluid and natural. More reminiscent of the Shodo calligraphy brush stroke. Feels more realistic to how the brush moves. (3) Shape is quite universal to different letterforms Which is good! Shape needs to be neatened and made to be more reflective of Shodo calligraphy brush strokes. 144
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Starting To Make a Typeface Stage
Visual Development
Format
Fine Liner
Moving on from that chosen shape I began to trace it and implement it into the other letterforms, making a full alphabet. There were a couple of letters I had trouble with, they struggled to work within the form for the typefaces. I’ve done them initially as outlines for ease of vectorising them but I intend to make the block letters.
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Cataloguing The Shape Forms Stage
Visual Development
Format
Traditional Calligraphy Brush
I took a break from developing the typeface and started to focus on the cataloging of the shapes from the Noh Mai dance. As previously mentioned I had changed the initial video I was using for reference. I had begun to reference in 10 second intervals, tracing the left and right hand separately. From there I began to trace these shapes using traditional Japanese calligraphy.
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Visual Research Stage
Visual Research
Format
Folder for Catalogue
Top: I really liked this example of how to present the print’s, they’re presented very beautifully in a very minimal packaging to let the artwork be the centre stage of the design. I like the use of stickers on the black card, I think this really supports the minimal approach but still allowing information to be presented to the audience explaining the project. I like the insert, I think it looks visually great but also creates a nice user experience unpackaging the prints. I like the black and white colour scheme too, I think with the context I’m working with this is the best colour combination to use. Middle: This packaging feel a lot more casual than the previous example, instead of being a box style packaging this is a folder style. Although less detailed than the previous it’s still very effective and well designed. It allows you to slip the artwork in and out easier but looses the fun user experience the previous has. I like that the text is printed on the folder It makes the information stand out clear. I think that the ribbon to seal is a nice addition to the detail, it makes it feel like a present for the user. Bottom: Again this more casual and like a folder than a box style package, but because of the small details in the design of this one it feels more sophisticated and thought through. I think that the string seal looks really effective but gives a great user experience, it feels like they’re opening up a present. I think the minimalist printing on the cover are very effective and again adds to this sophistication. 174
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Visual Research Stage
Visual Research
Format
Postcard Layouts
Top: This first example of layout on a Shodo postcard/print is very beautiful. The Shodo calligraphy is made centre stage on this one, with a thinner border for the artwork to really stretch over the page and really stand out. The little stamps are placed in an area with a lot of negative space to not distract from this artwork, they match the hand drawn style of lettering to work cohesively on the design and not feel too out of place. Bottom: This example I think looks really interesting and works well. Instead of having the informative body text to the edges like most examples I have seen, the informative texts sits central to the design, I think this is effective in balancing the hierarchy and because of the calligraphy artwork being wider than the rest of the text it brings your eyes directly to it. 176
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Top: This one is more of a simple approach which contains no other information for the reader other than the Shodo calligraphy, really bringing the attention to the detail of the artwork. It also embraces the negative space which I think frames the artwork well. Bottom :Although the size of the calligraphy on this postcard is really big because of where the informative text is placed in its hierarchy your eyes go towards that first instead of the artwork. Which depending on the intent could be quite effective, it depends what you want the reader to see first.
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First Trials Stage
Visual Development
Format
Poster Catalogue
These were the first experiments of placing the shapes into a layout. For the shapes in these I simply image traced them on illustrator, but I don’t think this was effective. Tracing them on illustrator lost the brush strokes and characteristics of the calligraphy, which I think are important to keep. They feel too digital and less authentic to the Shodo calligraphy, so I may to go in and do some more experiments. With these I put a placeholder stamp in for the mean time, but I will need to go ahead and make my own. I placed them in the negative spaces available to each individual postcard, but this wasn’t successful because it left it feeling staggered and random, which just didn’t look good. I think I need to go back and create more prominent brush stroke calligraphy of the shapes to really communicate the cultural aspect and to be in the correct style. I also think the layout of this one just isn’t successful. 180
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Shape Experimentation Stage
Visual Development
Format
Traditional Calligraphy Brush
I felt that the image tracing of the shapes in illustrator meant that the shapes lost the calligraphy characteristics and didn’t feel authentic to the Japanese Shodo. Image tracing meant that lots of fine details were lost but also the original calligraphy drawings of the shapes were too neat and ‘perfect’ to feel reminiscent of the Japanese tradition. I decided to try them again, this time using an authentic Japanese calligraphy ink and not just a standard black ink but also using the traditional Japanese rice paper that Shodo is done on. This will help have the brush stroke characteristics and give it an authentic feel. I did many experiment’s until I felt I had perfected the shape.
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Developing The Shapes Stage
Visual Development
Format
Photoshop
I selected the shapes I felt were most successful and had more of the characteristics of Shodo calligraphy, instead of image tracing them I made alterations on photoshop. I simply removed the background, altered the contrast to create a more rich black ink and to remove any discolouration that may of occurred in the scanning process. Once I had done that I added a layer of ‘grit’ to create a texture on the shape that would make it feel less smooth and digital and more like the calligraphy.
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Trialing Layouts Stage
Visual Development
Format
Postcard Layouts
The first layout trial has the Image traced version placed in it, which I don’t think has been very successful. The image trace looses all characteristics to it and just doesn’t work within this context. The image on the second is an improvement but you can see the paper around some of the edges so this needs to be neatened and rid of. I like the type handing, I think it works well in this layout and hierarchy and fills the negative space well. I opted to use Japanese to communicate the information to give it some context to the project basis and for the visual element. The text in the top right corner reads ‘Noh Mai Movement Catalogue’ and the text in the bottom states it’s time stamp in seconds and which hand the movement came from.
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(1) I first tried the Postcard in an A5 size but printed this felt too large for the context, and making a folder/case for cards of this size would’ve raised a few challenges. (2) Next I printed it at A6 size, a size below A5, but this felt too small and unusable for it’s context, and all detail within the calligraphy began to get lost in this smaller scale.. I think a size in between this would be better suited. (3) Next is a size in between A6 and A5 at 12.5 x 17.5 cm, which works perfectly it feels like a better size for the context and easier to work with creating the final piece.
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Postcard Development Stage
Visual Development
Format
Postcard Layouts
(1) With this first layout I’m liking the type handling, I think the varying sizes within the same typeface works well at setting the hierarchy and using both Japanese and English creates visual interest whilst also making it for both Japanese and English audiences. However the layout isn’t working, it feels very off. Having the line off centred doesn’t look right, it needs to be on the centre point. Also once printed the type actually is too large and feels out of scale with everything else. (2) The line on the centre point works much better. The type works slightly better at that scale, although the body text could do with being slightly bigger. The calligraphy stamp and placeholder for a stamp works well but I think the orientation on it doesn’t currently work. (3) I changed the orientation of the postcard which is more effective and feels more like a postcard. I also added lines for the address if people intended to use it for an actual postcard. The scale of the type and the stamps need to be bigger though. (4) I increased the size of the title text which works much better and is more readable. I also added a small line of texts in italics explaining the project very briefly because currently only the folder case contains information about the project and I think it would be useful for the postcard itself to explain the project a little bit. But the size of this texts needs to be increased. (5) I increased the size of the informative text and it works much better as it’s more readable now. I also increased the size of the stamps because they didn’t feel to scale with the rest of the postcard. 228
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Final Postcard Front Stage
Final Development
Format
Postcard Layouts
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Sticker Development Stage
Visual Development
Format
Sticker Layout
(1) Body text is too small and unreadable at its correct scale. It also feels a bit tight so the leading could be increased slightly. The title text feels too small making it difficult to read, it also feels too small in relation to the body text. The sticker could also do with being longer. (2) Longer size is much more successful and fits the folder better. Body text size is much better and actually readable, same with header and sub-header. Japanese text at bottom feels a bit lost, maybe it’s not needed. (3) Larger leading makes it more readable but makes it difficult too fit all the information in. Bolder header makes it easier to establish the header from the bodytext, it emphasises the hierarchy. Typeface still needs to be bigger. (4) I think the sticker works best on the larger flap of the folder. The negative space creates a nicer border around it and your eye is drawn to it more. (5) I was worried that the opposing flap felt bare so trialed around with some other sticker options to see what could look good. Ultimately I think it looks bare. The negative space gives it an element of sophistication and draws your eye to both the artwork itself and the informative text. 242
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Cover Development Stage
Visual Development
Format
Cover Layout
Because I didn’t have access to letterpress or silk screen printing I wasnt able to print onto the black card, so I though I could make a sticker cover inspired by Japanese book cover design. The first one the type handing works well, it also mimics the type handling on the postcard creating a fluid design throughout the elements. But the white background doesn’t look right, it feels more like a book cover and feels too bust for the nature of the project. I also tried it in black but the white illustration doesn’t look good because I could only use the vectorised version. The readability of the text is hard once printed because of the white type on black background. The black background is more successful but I don’t think I like this approach for the cover design. 246
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Cover Development Stage
Visual Development
Format
Cover Layout
(1) I decided to opt for a more minimal approach to the others I tried in the end because I think it was more the design style I was after and I didn’t face problems like the printed black not being the same as the black card of the folder. The type handling is the same as the one on the postcards so creates a fluid design through all the elements. (2) I felt that because of the lower quality of card stock it didn’t look good bare, had I got for a smooth coated or rubberised paper it would be fine bare. To create a contextual link to the contents of the folder I used a Japanese calligraphy ink and brush to create brush stroke all over the cover. I think this works quite well. 248
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Type Showcase Stage
Final Development
Format
Type Showcase Booklet
To display the typeface and show it off for portfolio usage I created a little booklet/zine that showcased the individual letters and also in use. I used the same font families that I had used for the postcards to show that link between the two projects. 254
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