EXPRESSIVE TYPOGRAPHY

Samsung is looking to promote Bixby in the Singaporean market by introducing the product and its strengths. This typography project is a play on the classic ‘Hello, my name is...’ stickers.

As a pair, our task is to first, come up with a concept for each characteristic that uses only Helvetica and second, as concepts that can be expressed visually with the use of any typeface or type solution. We have to introduce Bixby as a navigator, librarian, investigator, insomniac, workaholic, genius, psychic and listener.

I worked on the free-choice type while my partner focused solely on Helvetica. My designs are as follows:

*click on the images to read more

First, I created typography by replicating the Singaporean Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)’s map. The MRT map is highly recognisable and relatable for our target audience as many rely on it to navigate around Singapore. I took certain routes on the map and manipulated them to resemble certain letters. The colours used and the background is similar to the actual map. The result is simple, clean and attention-grabbing.

In this visual, I explored another form of typography. I used items that can be found in a library to express type. The objects are positioned to resemble letters. The keep quiet sign is also a distinct give-away behaviour of librarians. The objects create the idea of a library and incite curiosity as certain letters are obvious at a glance while others are less obvious. I also played around with balance for it to appear easy on the eye.

The messy scribble-like font aims to express the frustration someone with insomnia faces. The letters were used to create a silhouette of a man. The type is positioned ambiguously to convey disorientation. The alphabets were layered with different opacity settings to create a blurring effect. Also, the further the letter is from the silhouette, the smaller and fainter it appears. I used a sans serif font for a cleaner look amidst the disorientation.

This is a play on Amazon’s logo colours dark grey and orange as they are known for their lack of work-life balance. The font used was a serif font with angles and sharp edges that emphasised the lack of flexibility and balance a workaholic has. I manipulated the type to reflect aspects of a workaholic’s lifestyle. Similar to the font, everything work-related has sharp angles. In contrast, more humane elements such as time are curved.

Expressive Typography03_Investigator.png

This time, the type was expressed through the use of objects. The objects used suggest a crime scene. People tend to be interested and fascinated by true crime and serial killers – one of the reasons being the problem – solving element. Hence, although less obvious at a glance, this form of typography is more likely to intrigue the viewer.

Codes are generally perceived as more challenging and daunting than alphabets. To convey the level of difficulty in this visual, I used a well-known, unsolvable code. I created a sans serif font with a brush to make it appear like text is being highlighted on paper. I chose to express breaking the code in this way to create a nonchalant, “not worth my effort”, “too easy” personality and thought coming from a genius.

I created a trippy visual using typography to express the idea of hypnosis. To make it easier for viewers to concentrate on the type, a sans serif font was used. Shadows were also added to make the text stand out and make the overall design easier on the eyes.

With a microphone icon at the bottom, Bixby appears to be listening to what the viewer has to say. As they speak, the sound waves created by their voice spell Bixby. The colourful background creates dimension and brings the idea of sound to life.

View the full project and conceptualisation process here.

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