Graphic Design for 'The Future is Here'

BACKGROUND Since Gutenberg's invention of movable type in the 15th Century, the form of the visible word has been characterised by an emphasis on the outline of letter shapes and the disappearance of the inconsistencies of handwriting. This began to be questioned in the late-20th Century through such projects as Licko's 'Lo-Res' type families (1985) and Letterror's 'Beowolf' typeface (1989), and more recently by Dexter Sinister's 'Meta-the-difference-between-the-two-font' (2010). But, as Ludovico (2012) has noted, much remains to be known about the impact of the post-digital age on design and publishing. CONTRIBUTION This research outcome comprises the visual identity, signage and catalogue for the exhibition 'The Future is Here' at RMIT Design Hub. The research asks: how might contemporary technologies challenge historical conventions in typography? This question is addressed by combining robotic manufacturing and the OpenType font format in unorthodox ways. The research synthesised OpenType technology with Noordzij's (2005) concept of the 'heartline', with reference to key precedents including Robotlab's 'bios [bible]' (2008) and Rappo's 'Typeface as Program' (2010). A commissioned digital font (developed by Dan Milne), with hundreds of randomised idiosyncrasies and a skeletal construction, mimicked the inconsistencies of handwriting and enabled the use of robots and three-axis routers as writing tools. Further, the cover of the digitally-printed catalogue reproduces the biomimetic growth of Roland Snook's exhibition furniture, so no two of the 4000 copies are alike. SIGNIFICANCE The exhibition had an audience of 4764 visitors over 33 days. In 2014 this work was discussed at length in a feature in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, and an interview with the researchers about the work was published on the Design Matters website. In 2015 this work was a finalist in the AGDA Design Awards and the Victorian Premier's Design Awards.