interactive media: November 2010

Ideation Proposal 2

Research Topic / Issue

Who says typo-text is bored?

"interactive typography: experiential alphabetical"

Background

When their words are put into print, writers want the text to be inviting and welcoming, so that readers will read what they have written. And they also want the text to have an aura of credibility, so it will be taken seriously and maybe even accepted. Einstein’s Autobiography many years ago, as both a writer and a lover of type I noticed and remembered that the font it was printed in seemed extraordinarily approachable and easy to read—even while projecting strength and authority. James Mosley reports that printers used to say, “You can’t tell a lie in Caslon.” And then he adds wryly: or is it that you won’t get caught? When I started my revival of Caslon, I set out to revive these qualities I had seen in its letter press Linotype Caslon Old Face: readability, affability, and authority. Typography is the art and technique of arranging type, type design, and modifying type glyphs. Type glyphs are created and modified using a variety of illustration techniques. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading (line spacing), adjusting the spaces between groups of letters (tracking) and adjusting the space between pairs of letters (kerning). Typography is performed by typesetters, compositors, typographers, graphic designers, art directors, comic book artists, graffiti artists, and clerical workers. Until the Digital Age, typography was a specialized occupation. Digitization opened up typography to new generations of visual designers and lay users.

Problem Identification

The study of typography alone, would require a separate course and years of study. You cannot separate type design from the related technologies of printing, paper production and selection, and the digital tools involved in its creation and manipulation. This is much more than can be covered in an entry-level course such as this one; therefore, our discussion will be limited to the basics with practical applications for document designers. Typography has been up and down over the last few centuries. There is no `golden age' myth. We had horrible phototype setting in the 60s and 70s we had some ‘interesting' changes with DTP in the 80s; since then we have had vastly improved digital fonts and typesetter resolution; we have excellent new font designs; we have resurgent interest in national typesetting standards.

Aim & Objectives

To develop critical, innovative, and inventive way of thinking.
To provide an entertaining and interactivity way of educating to the user.
To expose younger generation importance on specific subject.
To experiential relation to dynamic typography in the form of performance, video and software art.

Motivation

I’m curiosity with what can i do with typography since there is a lot of development going on with this various type of text things. So by doing this, I might be able to create some fun interactive with it.

Ideation and Concept

abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz is just ordinary alphabetical. How if it been change to had some sort of sound toy, a performance tool and an art work in its own right which user/audience can play with the letter-creatures and watch and listen how they interact with each other or use them to produce soundscapes like an electronic musical instrument.

Create and control tiny sound-creatures in the shape of letters that react to gravity or each other and generate rhythms and soundscapes. abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz blends biology, physics, chemistry and art to create a unique and dynamic sound ecology.

My Selected Proposal

Research Topic / Issue

"interactive graphic story : explore the forgotten story"

I have chosen folklore tales as my topic for the project.

Background

Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs,and customs that are the traditions of that culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called folkloristics. The word 'folklore' was first used by the English antiquarian William Thoms in a letter published by the London Journal in 1846. In usage, there is a continuum between folklore and mythology. Stith Thompson made a major attempt to index the motifs of both folklore and mythology, providing an outline into which new motifs can be placed, and scholars can keep track of all older motifs.

Folklore can be divided into four areas of study: artifact (such as voodoo dolls), describable and transmissible entity (oral tradition), culture, and behavior (rituals). These areas do not stand alone, however, as often a particular item or element may fit into more than one of these areas. Folk and fairy tales have always played a key role in our lives. Since childhood, children learn about fairies and sprites, wicked witches and Cinderella, Red Riding Hood and Snow White. Children’s knowledge of these tales springs mainly from their exposure to television or movies, especially Disney shows. How they can take the forefront in our children’s lives, whereupon children become familiar with these tales as well as they would the Grimm Brothers’ tales or Charles Perrault’s tales. This compilation of folk tales from Malaysia includes single folk tales as well as an anthology of works by various noted authors. The tales presented here are good for solitary reading, reading aloud and telling to a bigger audience. Traditional children’s folk tales form an integral part of traditional literature which should be known and enjoyed by all children. Aside from their entertainment value, these traditional folk tales will enrich their lives with the many moral values that form a big part of these stories. Through these stories, children today have the opportunity to experience the past as well as gain knowledge on the lives, beliefs and the important values of the people of the ancient times. These traditional stories which contain good motivating elements and usually illustrate a principle or value can relate to and learn, will inspire as well as inculcate moral values that will remain with them.

Si Tanggang, Mat Jenin, Si Badang, Bawang Putih Bawang Merah and the widely popular children’s tale on a manikin mouse deer called “Sang Kancil” are only some of the traditional children stories that are well-loved and widely known by all Malaysians. “Children’s folk tales are an example of the enduring tradition of elders teaching the young on the importance of having strong and positive moral values through the subtle method of storytelling. The traditional folk tales have been passed on from generation to generation and until now, it is enjoyed by Malaysians of all ages.

Problem Identification

The good : preserved the folklore tales with enhancement of interactive multimedia toward new generation. Able to educate younger generation and implement awareness of value embedded in the story. Therefore, more technology will be built as inventors seek new ways of inventing fresh new ideas.

The bad : The universality in folk stories can be seen when there are similarities in coincidence with folk literature from other part of the world like Hikayat Raja Muda with Jack and the Beanstalk. Sang Kancil as the animal figure in Malayan Peninsula while Monkey as the figure in Indonesia. These similarities might happened because of the diffusion factors and the environments which are almost the same to each other.

Aim & Objectives

To develop critical, innovative, and inventive way of thinking.
To provide an entertaining and interactivity way of educating to the user.
To expose younger generation the value of the implementation on specific subject.
To preserved folklore tales culture in new generation.

Motivation

I always love to goggling on the Internet and found out an unique interactive kind of thing to do my installation. Moreover, folk tales had been interest me lately. So by doing this installation it will strengthen my understanding towards the topic that i had choose. Besides that, it will be sad to let this folklore to be forgotten and unpreserved in the ageing world....let's educate!

Ideation and Concept

I had two ideation where this project can be a game or infographic style. My concept more toward interactive graphic story which the destiny of storyline can be controlled by the user itself using touch simulation. There will

be colour changing depend on the mood of the story and toggling effect. I believe the combination of instrumental sound would complement each other well and the story will conveying sort of moral value as that is my purpose to embedded the moral value to the younger generation.

Review, Analysis and Precedence Studies