Abstract
In type design, typographic anatomy is a common language used to name different parts of letterforms. Descriptive terms such as counter, aperture or x-height for Latin letterforms are widely adopted and understood by design practitioners across the globe. Body based terms like shoulder, ear and spine are also commonly understood. But these features are not always present in the writing systems of the world. How do these type terms translate across global languages? How do you name parts of a letter that do not exist or have no clear equivalent in different writing systems? Type designers and researchers try to fill this void by using other terms derived from the body or directional features of a stroke. However, there is no shared vocabulary to communicate these gaps. This study demonstrates an alternative typographic anatomy based on natural geographical features as a way to communicate across linguistic landscapes, emphasizing less on individual bodies and moving toward a nature-informed type anatomy.
Presenters
Julie SayoAssistant Professor, Visual Arts, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2025 Special Focus—Thinking, Learning, Doing: Plural Ways of Design
KEYWORDS
Graphic design, Typography, Type design, Type Anatomy, Multi-script design
