Designnonnatively
–Design in a Language You Cannot Speak
Text & Research
Lai Ping So
Research, Text, Editorial Design, Layout
Research Period: 2015–2017
Published in January 2017
Have you ever wondered if you could create a design in a language that you don't understand? This project explores this very question and how language knowledge and typography are closely related.
The hidden visual features of three distinct written languages: German, Traditional Chinese, and Hebrew, were compared and observed to highlight the unique characteristics of each script. An experimental practice was conducted using Hebrew, a non-Latin language, as the medium for design to delve deeper.
Two main questions were intended to be explored: Is it necessary to understand the meaning of a text before designing it? And how is a typeface chosen for a language that cannot be read?
The hidden visual features of three distinct written languages: German, Traditional Chinese, and Hebrew, were compared and observed to highlight the unique characteristics of each script. An experimental practice was conducted using Hebrew, a non-Latin language, as the medium for design to delve deeper.
Two main questions were intended to be explored: Is it necessary to understand the meaning of a text before designing it? And how is a typeface chosen for a language that cannot be read?
