interwoven

01 / Design research · 2023

Rhythm of text

Making the rhythm of a story visible.

From oral reading to visual expression.

I designed typographic booklets with a school for Deaf children, exploring how visual cues could support both interpreting a text and expressing a personal reading.

My role
Research, visual design & facilitation
Output
Two types of booklet
A class and workshop
Academic context
Kyoto Institute of Technology
Nakano Laboratory
School partner
Kyoto Prefectural School for the Deaf

01 / The booklets

Two ways into a text.

Four typographic studies of Shuntaro Tanikawa’s poetry developed into two classroom booklet formats.

Daizō Jiisan and Gan 大造じいさんとガンGrade 5 · Mitsumura Tosho

Listening 聞く

Visual cuesInterpret

Follow rhythm, intonation, and imagery to make sense of the text.

Reading 読む

ImagineExpress

Give sounds and scenes a personal visual form through typography.

02 / In the classroom

An interpretation takes shape.

7students
Grades 5–6

Kyoto Prefectural School for the Deaf

  1. 01

    Read

    Explore rhythm and imagery in the booklet.

  2. 02

    Make

    Give a personal reading form with pens and crayons.

  3. 03

    Share

    Present an interpretation to the class.

Research process

Context
Literature review, interviews, observation, and surveys.
Co-development
Prototypes refined through teacher feedback.
Classroom study
A class and workshop, followed by qualitative feedback.

03 / What we learned

A way to show an interpretation.

Student work

Student feedback

Scenes were easier to imagine, and emotions easier to understand.

Teacher feedback

Students used more varied intonation than usual.

Qualitative feedback Class of seven students.

04 / A closer look

How type carries meaning.

Emphasis & intensity

Scale and weight change the force of a word.

Space & movement

Placement suggests a scene’s space and movement.

Different voices

Different letterforms distinguish voices in dialogue.

Visible sound

Lettering suggests the character of a sound.

The same word. A different emphasis.

05 / Proposed applications

Beyond the textbook.

Planners and editors of home-learning materials suggested three applications.

  • Comprehension

    Textmeaning

    Support comprehension of dialogue, sound effects, and passages.

  • Expression

    Meaningvisual form

    Let learners show understanding visually when oral expression is difficult.

  • Connection

    Languageartothers

    Connect language learning, art, and communication between students.

Image