Investigation into Language: Initial ideas - Designing a Logogram Language

Digitally editing the imagery

The design then considered the various methods that could be used to evolve the possible logograms through digitalised design. 

This was achieved by letting the computer react on its own to the information it was fed. 

The design therefore used various presets for editing, to which the computer translates and decides how to visualise its output. 

• What lines does it pick up?
• How much control do I have over it?
• How solid is the line?
• What is the information I am feeding it?

Process of experimentation:

Based on the groupings of the different styles previously explored, the design used Illustrator to see how a series of scripts could be produced from the original imagery. 

Considerations:

- How can the imagery be pushed?

- What styles are most successful?

- What imagery best resembles connotations of the future?

- What is achievable in the time left for the project?

The imagery was placed on illustrator where the design could explore different techniques of accentuating its linear qualities. Using the vectorising and inverting tools, outputs were generated to see how the imagery could work as logograms with alphabetical implications. 

This was then pushed with the use of borders and considerations of colour, to see how the line could evolve. These tests presented a mapping visual, as well as a resemblance to Aztec styled patterning, which was interesting to note. 

The outcomes were more successful for some styles than others due to the differing layers, weights and stroke densities. This produced a visual that resembled syllables, which mirrored ideas of Chinese and Japanese language, where their logograms have one-character and two-character words. The design noted this to provide context if this concept was to progress. 

Vectorised scripts:

The design then wanted to produce more quick outcomes to push the possible logograms further. It thus selected the most successful vectors and enlarged them to highlight the detail and line quality further.

These considered shapes and forms of nature, as to reflect the basis of Egyptian hieroglyphics. 

Reforming

It was felt that there was too much information to take on for the timespan of the project, in order to produce fulled considered outcomes. The design therefore selecting only a few compositions that best represented each style/genre. It was felt there is no need for all the variations if each composition is to represent a field of meaning / emotion. It was also felt that the original imagery contained a lot more depth than the vectors, that the design found visually more successful.

As such a condensed selection were edited to enhance their line definition and then explored to see whether they look best on a white or black background. An output that used green was also considered due to its undertones of the digital realm. The design concluded to keep the outcomes monochromatic.