Language
Typography facilitates language and its communication. It translates language into legible forms. It represents different languages through multiple scripts. It is a tool, a system.
Can typography enable translation between languages?
Can typography embody hybridity?
endi
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Introducing Endi!
A variable typeface incorporating Devanagari and Latin scripts. This typeface explores translation between the two languages with each script as the weight of the font.
It demonstrates the two scripts and their in-betweenness.
Use the slider to observe its different instances.
The typeface does not aid exact translation or transliteration between the two languages.
It interrogates the gap that exists between them and their hierarchies within the systems and tools we use. Its function is to explore, to experiment, to discover.
Visually translating a letterform from one language to another.
Capturing the instances of the in-between.
Features
Devanagari does not have extra-size letters and full-sized letters. Whereas Latin has half-sized letters and full-sized letters in their lowercase. Hence the typeface has been designed only with lowercase alphabets to accommodate the upper and lower matra heights in line with the ascender and descender heights, respectively. Such that it can incorporate the characters of both scripts harmoniously.
The stroke weight of the letterforms have little to no contrast and draw inspiration from geometric sans serif fonts, such as Avenir. It consists of open apertures and wide counters to offer optimum legibility of the forms.
The typeface is modular and maintains the consistency of its stroke weight between both the Devanagari and Latin weights of the font. The shapes in between are arbitrary and aid a visual translation between two forms and languages.
The stroke weight of the letterforms have little to no contrast and draw inspiration from geometric sans serif fonts, such as Avenir. It consists of open apertures and wide counters to offer optimum legibility of the forms.
The typeface is modular and maintains the consistency of its stroke weight between both the Devanagari and Latin weights of the font. The shapes in between are arbitrary and aid a visual translation between two forms and languages.
Workshop
Endi explores translation between languages and relationship between visual forms of different scripts. However, Endi was primarily designed digitally using Adobe Illustrator and Glyphs. The typeface is digital and its form is undoubtedly influenced by the tools at play. For example, the placement of the vectors and bezier curves are responsible for forms in the transitions.
Latin, Devanagari and the Forms In-between explores the visual translation/transition between forms when its authority it at the hand of individuals using Endi.
The workshop took place at The Ugly Duck, London on 28th June with 7 participants out of whom a majority could not read Devanagari. Each participant engaged with the typeface Endi to create/imagine/explore the transition between its Latin and Devanagari forms. They were also given guides if they preferred to chart the transition using pre-existing forms.
It was extremely interesting to observe the different approaches taken by the participants exploring the linearity of written language, metamorphosis and abstraction. Please click here or on the image above to learn more about the workshop.
Latin, Devanagari and the Forms In-between explores the visual translation/transition between forms when its authority it at the hand of individuals using Endi.
The workshop took place at The Ugly Duck, London on 28th June with 7 participants out of whom a majority could not read Devanagari. Each participant engaged with the typeface Endi to create/imagine/explore the transition between its Latin and Devanagari forms. They were also given guides if they preferred to chart the transition using pre-existing forms.
It was extremely interesting to observe the different approaches taken by the participants exploring the linearity of written language, metamorphosis and abstraction. Please click here or on the image above to learn more about the workshop.