Mary Huang is one of those “artist” types. You know the kind – comes up with some grand creative idea, produces it, no practical commercial application for it, winds up in galleries and presentations and award ceremonies, rinse and repeat. Her current project is called TYPEFACE and it’s flipping fantastic. Described as “custom software that translates facial dimensions into generative font design,” Mary has essentially created one type family with an infinite number of members, customized by whomever is using it and their face. A webcam analyzes the users facial features and adjusts the shape, size, width, slant, et cetera of the onscreen font in real-time. Watch as Huang demonstrates the versatility of the application:
Mary’s aim is to make generative font design more spontaneous and personal. Web-active designers like myself are likely to see an immediate connection between TYPEFACE and LAIKA, a similarly interactive font installation by Michael Flückiger and Nicolas Kunz which allowed users to vary the characteristics of a type sample from a thin and proper Didot to a heavy and slanted Leviathan and a million degrees in-between via any form of input imaginable (as seen at right). TYPEFACE focuses on much more passive input, though, which allows for more uniquely personal flare in the final product. Additionally, while Laika’s approach worked well on big blocky capital glyphs, Mary wanted TYPEFACE to focus on lowercase letterforms. Most people don’t talk in all-caps, after all.
Most importantly, I think, is the fact that facial-recognition input really encourages the user to be goofy and make funny faces, allowing both the typography and the typography to express a great deal of their personality. TYPEFACE is still a work-in-progress, as all good 21st century art is, but you can test drive LAIKA here for a bit more understanding on the degree of interaction available. Keep an eye on Mary Huang’s blog for updates on TYPEFACE as they become available.
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