#designlog

Typeface as Signal // Noise

Three artefacts. Three mediums. Three signals trying to speak:

✴️ A misaligned Adler Tippa S strikes “Input ≠ Comprehension” — a phrase that’s never felt more literal. The faded ink, ghosted characters, and emphasis drift all mirror the translation gap between perception and understanding.

✴️ The EA-450 emboss label shouts “EMBOSS” with unapologetic tactility — a raised voice carved in plastic. It's the analogue version of shouting in all caps.

✴️ Below, the dot matrix printout chants “Set-Up” like an echo in a malfunctioning machine, its barcode alignment lines attempting order, but always just shy of centre.

From these analogue sources, a new Process Zine Typeface System is forming — each font a different signal mode, voice, or glitching fragment of communication:

• SIGNAUX — based on ASCII block grids → For command-line titles, glitch identities, and Ezra signage

• DECODE — derived from dot matrix printer output → For transcript-style text, corrupted captions, and terminal logs

• Duchenne_Modern — built from ASCII + facial glitch expressions → For expressive headings and emotional/system error messages

• EMBOSS — captured from the EA-450 label maker → For section titles, archival labels, warnings

• TIPPA_ECHO — scanned from Adler Tippa S printouts → For memory fragments, fiction quotes, mistranslations

• THERMALITE — sampled from Epson receipt paper → For receipts, logging systems, glitch overlays

We were asked to analyze a few pictures and sounds and to write our first impressions of each piece and our final thoughts. After a group discussion, which was highly influential on my selection of which media and piece I would select for my storyboard, I decided to go with “What’s He Building” by Tom Waits because I immediately thought up a great and dark visual representation for the soundtrack. I began to brainstorm and quickly sketch any idea that I had. I believe that the sketching was the most important part of my development because after I had chosen which sketches I would want to bring to life I had a set plan. Gathering the props was a bit stressful but I managed. Finding a Fedora hat was a vital part of the project as it gave my piece a sense of time and background.

  Upon starting I explained to my friend, the subject of the photographs, the process he will undergo, including the make up process and what he’d be wearing. In the sketches my subject is wearing a fedora and a trench coat and his physical appearance was slowly getting dirtier and grimier with his progressively deteriorating mental condition. I believe the make-up was very exaggerated but for a self read storyboard, the more exaggerated the piece is the more people will understand what is going on. The image taking was incredibly enjoyable and overall an entertaining experience. The photographs went according to plan and in my opinion were accurate. The added suggestions from friends made the photographs that much more intriguing. One of the shots, where the smoke of the cigarette matches the contour of his eye perfectly was a once only possible shot and I’m glad that I caught it. I believe that that was the most successful shot. To connect all the shots together I put in supportive shots that I had taken but hadn’t intended on using.  I intended to present the photographs as they were but on the following day my tutor suggested that I find a way to present these photographs in a way that people would understand the story. So I decided to turn this photograph set into a short movie clip with “What’s He Building” as the background soundtrack. I cut the soundtrack down, edited out any irrelevant lines and carefully positioned each photograph to match the narrator’s sentences. The project was an overall success and the audience understood the story. 

Film and Set Design is a follow through of Fashion and Textiles for me as we were asked to make a set and I decided to use the fabrics I made to create a set with a very “Opera-House” feel to it. Through tutor feedback and suggestions I realized that complexity sometimes dilutes the message of a piece. So I again used the BBQ sticks and used my Coffee-Tissue Paper Fabric to construct the set. I enjoyed the process as you can take anything and as long as the space given is used correctly you can make a model of practically anything, whether it be architecture, interior design, set design and so on and so forth. The final outcome was successful and what I would change is the cardboard box I used to hold the fabric models together. I used miniature models of people to scale my piece and that way I used the skills of mapping to decide where I’d situate ever component. 

The potential of this task is outstanding, complete freedom to try out any and all ideas I might have, within reason. I experimented with different things such as bubble wrap, tin foil, dead flowers, tissue, coffee, and paper.

  I started experimenting with layering tissue paper and coffee, and I discovered that the effect that I gain from doing so was very interesting and aesthetically pleasing. I moved on to more innovative experimentation, I started experimenting with bubble wrap and leaves but I soon realized it looked too bland so I decided to melt the bubble wrap over and around the dead flower petals in the oven. The effect was very interesting as it gave the effect of a spider web. 

Today we turned simplicity to complexity by using one sheet of fabric but the process was very complex because it being one fabric, or one canvas one would have a massive range of ideas on how to start and create this piece of fashion. When taking dimensions into consideration, as well as the drape, tightness, comfort, aesthetics and the form of the model the process turns out to be much more intricate then it would seem to be. However if given set directions such as what kind of cut or style, what area of the body it would cover, and so on and so forth, it would make the selection of ideas much easier.

  I did enjoy it as I was given complete freedom to do anything with it, without judgment or social criticism.       

  For the second part of fashion and textiles we were asked to create a small piece of fashion that is more focused on a small part of the body so I decided to use the materials I had – BBQ sticks, Blue Tarp and a red checkered bag’s fabric – to make a shoulder pad which I must say was a success up to the part where a model had to physically attach it to his clothing which is a factor I admittedly forgot to add. But if the piece was more spread across the torso I would have been able to attach the shoulder pad by Velcro or stitching. Moving onto the second part of the second part we were asked to cover another part of the body and attach it to the first one but allow movement between the two such as placing it around a joint area. I decided to make a sleeve because it was a simple and quick piece and both pieces would move well together considering the movement shoulder isn’t such an active joint.

  Overall I think the project worked out and I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the freedom and how there was so many different styles made throughout the generations and I have such a massive pool of inspiration to look in. 

I was ill for the first day of design so I missed the afternoon class we spent the morning discussing how to use simple materials to construct a 3D model. I would say my interest curves more towards larger or more solid structures. I prefer working with a skeleton and working my way out.

Day 2 Morning: We discussed the 3D models each of us made and were asked to sketch them, but 3 Dimensionally. This exercise introduced me to an entirely new way of documentation. I poked pins through my sketch, tore and cut pieces out, wrinkled the page and I believe that in doing so, I made this visual documentation stronger.

We were asked to bring in hundreds of an item for an in class project. I brought 100s of BBQ sticks. Today didn’t go entirely well as the structure I intended to build has a lot of connecting points/joints and I didn’t have the correct or strong enough adhesive or time to do it. However I tried it using masking tape, I experimented with the different   products; I went from jewelry to architectural models to costume. I enjoyed the different experiments but I wouldn’t deem them my most successful creations.