MFA, Kent State University, 2018, College of Communication and Information / School of Visual Communication Design

Though there has been increased discourse on non-Latin type design practice within the type design community in recent years, there still exists a need for many more high-quality digital typefaces in most of the world's written languages—societies, who, without these resources, are less able to contribute to global discussions. As a result, this thesis uses a number of different methods to analyze the pathways in multi-script type design research, examine the expansive relationship between typography and culture, and investigate the relationship between anthropological methods and the type design process. The questions posed include: how does one become prepared to design an effective and well-researched typeface in a new script? How does one research a new script? Does the use of anthropological research methodologies increase a type designer's understanding of a script's cultural context, and therefore increase the success of their design practice? If so, to what extent, and in particular, which aspects of the contextual typographic culture should the designer investigate? How does an understanding of the relationship between type and design affect this research process? As a catalyst for further practice and discussion of these topics, a comprehensive research framework outlines best practices when pursuing type design research in a non-native script. By utilizing anthropological and human-centered design research methods in the process of creating multilingual type systems, as well as examining culture, a non-speaking designer can begin to gain a wider, more global sense of typography, as well as better understanding for the needs of the global community for whom they are designing.

Committee: Aoife Mooney (Advisor); Ken Visocky-O'Grady (Committee Member); Sanda Katila (Committee Member) Subjects: Design

MARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2010, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Architecture (Master of)

In a world where every one out of six people is considered a squatter, Metro Manila, Philippines is not alone. There, poverty is characterized by 85,000 families across the city, who build provisional homes and communities for themselves on public and private land that they do not own. Even though squatting is undeniably industrious, the informal settlements cause not only land-use problems for the city, but also uncontrolled public waste, water contamination, flooding, disease, and traffic obstruction, among others. Standard government and private sector responses are insufficient methods for replacement housing, even the most successful approach to date, Gawad Kalinga. A common denominator of past and current programs is a lack of socio-culturally sensitive housing design that can meet the needs of the diverse populations who inhabit the settlements. The classic theory of Christopher Alexander's A Pattern Language will provide insight into a design vocabulary that responds more appropriately to the needs and desires of its residents, and is applicable at all scales. Nowhere are the implications of squatting more evident in Manila, than in the Payatas area of Quezon City. Located in the northeastern part of Metro Manila, Payatas is characterized by the 40 meter (130 ft) garbage dump that its residents live and work on, earning about 100 pesos ($2) a day if they are lucky. The need for proper housing for this community, struggling to live in an environment that is a breeding ground for disease and flooding, where flies swarm constantly, and the rancid smell of rotting waste and sound of dump trucks never cease, is dire and palpable. Therefore, the main question that this thesis seeks to explore is: Due to the fact that standard urban housing models do not respond well to the particular needs of site and culture, learning from the deficiencies of Gawad Kalinga as an example, can a new urban housing vocabulary be developed using Christopher Alexander's Pattern Langu (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Nnamdi Elleh PhD (Committee Chair); Elizabeth Riorden MARCH (Committee Chair); Edson Cabalfin MSArch (Committee Chair) Subjects: Architecture