The Designer's Role in Supporting Cultural Representations Through
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Facilitating Diversity: The Designer’s Role in Supporting Cultural Representations Through Multi-Script Type Design and Research A thesis submitted to the School of Visual Communication Design, College of Communication and Information of Kent State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts By Natalie Snodgrass December 2018 A thesis written by Natalie Snodgrass B.A., Cleveland State University, 2016 M.F.A., Kent State University, 2018 Approved by Aoife Mooney, M.A., Thesis Advisor, Assistant Professor, School of Visual Communication David Robins, Ph.D., Interim Director, School of Visual Communication Amy Reynolds, Ph.D., Dean, College of Communication and Information Table of Contents page Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................ iii List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. vi Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... viii Abstract ....................................................................................................................................... ix Chapter I. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 a. Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 3 II. Typography and Its Relationship with Cultural Structures ........................................... 5 a. Typography and Cultural Identity ................................................................................. 7 b. Typography as Cultural Artifact: Circuits of Production and Consumption ........ 12 c. Typography and Fluency in Cultural Understanding ............................................... 16 III. Research Methods Utilized in Cultural Disciplines ...................................................... 17 a. Cultural Anthropology ................................................................................................... 18 b. Material Culture .............................................................................................................. 20 IV. Design Anthropology in the Type Design Research Process ........................................ 22 a. Inquiry in Type Design .................................................................................................. 23 b. Design Anthropology: An Expanded Definition ........................................................ 24 c. Cultural Studies and Social Inquiry in the Type Design Research Process ............ 26 d. Noto Sans: A Case Study ................................................................................................ 26 e. Phoreus Cherokee: A Case Study ................................................................................. 30 iii V. Critical Making Experiments ......................................................................................... 33 a. Script Study 1: Devanagari ............................................................................................ 34 b. Devanagari Research Process ........................................................................................ 36 c. Devanagari Design Process ........................................................................................... 38 d. Script Study 2: Inuktitut ................................................................................................. 40 e. Inuktitut Research Process ............................................................................................ 41 f. Inuktitut Design Process ................................................................................................ 44 g. Critical Making: Research Findings ............................................................................. 45 VI. Interviews ....................................................................................................................... 46 a. Interviews: Discussions on Cultural Structures Surrounding Typography ............ 48 b. Interviews: Discussions on Type Design Culture ....................................................... 51 c. Interviews: Discussions on Type Design Research Methods and Processes .......... 53 VII. Surveys ............................................................................................................................ 56 a. The Practice of Multi-Script Type Design ................................................................... 58 b. Research Practices of Multi-Script Type Design ........................................................ 62 c. Surveys: Research Findings ........................................................................................... 64 VIII. Research Framework ...................................................................................................... 65 a. Type Design Research Framework .............................................................................. 67 b. Script Research: Script and Type Resources ................................................................ 70 c. Script and Type Resources: Historical Resources ........................................................ 71 d. Script and Type Resources: Printed Matter Resources ............................................... 72 e. Script and Type Resources: Online Resources ............................................................. 73 f. Script and Type Resources: Environmental Resources ............................................... 73 g. Context Research: Investigations into Typographic Production and Consumption 74 h. Client Research: Considerations for Client and Project Needs .................................. 76 IX. Research Implications .................................................................................................... 77 a. Further Research ............................................................................................................. 78 iv b. Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 79 Appendices ................................................................................................................................. 82 Appendix A: Interview Questionnaire ................................................................................................... 83 Appendix B: Participant Survey Questionnaire ........................................................................... 87 References ................................................................................................................................... 91 v List of Figures Figure page 1. Cycle of Type and Culture ..................................................................................................................... 6 2. Livesey’s Web of Identity .................................................................................................................... 8 3. Typographic Signage in London Boroughs ....................................................................................... 10 4. Richard Johnson’s Circuit of Production and Consumption ......................................................... 13 5. Circuit of Culture .................................................................................................................................. 14 6. Building Competencies, MA Material Culture ................................................................................ 21 7. Noto Sans Tibetan Sketches ................................................................................................................. 27 8. Noto Sans Tibetan Process .................................................................................................................. 28 9. Phoreus Cherokee References ............................................................................................................. 31 10. Phoreus Cherokee Process ................................................................................................................. 32 11. Devanagari Structure .......................................................................................................................... 34 12. Devanagari Research .......................................................................................................................... 35 13. Devanagari Process ............................................................................................................................. 38 14. Devanagari Final Design .................................................................................................................... 39 15. Inuktitut Structure .............................................................................................................................. 40 16. Inuktitut Research ............................................................................................................................... 42 17. Inuktitut Process ................................................................................................................................. 43 18. Inuktitut Final Design ........................................................................................................................ 45 19. Survey