Hidden alphabets : finding new typefaces and letterforms in daily life

Contemporary typeface designs have evolved through the work of many designers in the field of visual communication. This is evident in their application in widespread media such as magazines and advertising. In contemporary design, typefaces are not only used for the purpose of writing, but also for their expressive quality. This research attempts to discover the extended meaning of contemporary experimental typeface design through the lens of ‘the everyday’ proposed by Henri Lefebvre and Michel De Certeau. Within this framework the research explores and develops the notion that typefaces are everywhere within the context of everyday life. I have aimed not only to view typefaces as rather abstract aids to communication, but also to consider them as part of our everyday life itself. I explore typeface design to reveal aspects of my cross-cultural experiences in two distinct cultures and languages, that of Korea and Australia. My aim is to contextualise and document my studio research in designing experimental typefaces for Roman and Korean letterforms based on my personal observations of day-to-day life. These experimental typefaces represent key aspects of my ‘everyday’ bilingual and cross-cultural experiences in both Sydney and Seoul