The desire to predict future developments has been a constant throughout human history. From ancient divination to modern futurology research, human beings have long devised strategies to predict what the future holds for them (Baudet, 1952). Even in academic studies, we see contributions that connect Science and Technology Studies to Visual design. Furthermore, we consider how technological "revolutions" have played a significant role throughout history in bringing about new knowledge, new design processes, and new contexts of use for letterforms. Through the study of cyclical patterns that define history, we question if it is possible to imagine what changes — in terms of knowledge — artificial intelligence (AI) will bring to the field of type design. Technological innovations in this discipline have frequently proved disruptive, and likewise, AI is proving to be an important turning point in the discipline, revealing how "design and communication have evolved synchronously with the technology of the time" (Cooper, 1989 p. 4). This contribution will start by analysing two historical case studies — (i) the introduction of photocomposition and (ii) the arrival of the computer — before speculating on the perspectives given by AI in typography. Between the 1950s and 1970s, photo-typesetting opened up a wide range of new typographic possibilities (Weidemann, 1973). This "has freed the design of letterforms from the inflexibilities of type metal and has engendered an overabundance of type and lettering styles never observed in the past" (Frutiger, 1970, p. 328). The simplicity of designing letters has facilitated the design of display type but also typographic revivals (Carter et al., 2015), encouraging a greater use of traditional references among professionals. Subsequently, in the 1980s, desktop publishing and digital typography became popular, allowing type designers to abandon traditional drawing tools and adopt "pixels" as the matrix for their letters. However, digital technology has led to more experimentation. The presence of contributions by novice users, allowed the production of typefaces that push beyond the limits of the medium (Bigelow & Day, 1983) and democratise a once-niche field. Additionally, type design has also been driven into uncharthed territories and situations, moving from paper to the "screen page" (Pastore, 2021), anticipating and incorporating with the new digital visual languages promoted by the New Wave (Poynor, 2003). The presentation aims to speculate on the role that artificial intelligence (AI) will play in improving and broadening the skills and knowledge of typographic culture through the examination of patterns that emerge from the two case studies. In this hypotethical future scenario, it is predictable that in order to interact successfully with the machine, acquiring humanistic skills and vertical theoretical knowledge would be more crucial than gaining technical abilities related to software and know-how.
Shaping the Future of Type Design. Speculating on the role of AI through the Analysis of Historical Patterns in Technological Revolutions
Polo, Ludovica;Nitti, Valentina
2024-01-01
Abstract
The desire to predict future developments has been a constant throughout human history. From ancient divination to modern futurology research, human beings have long devised strategies to predict what the future holds for them (Baudet, 1952). Even in academic studies, we see contributions that connect Science and Technology Studies to Visual design. Furthermore, we consider how technological "revolutions" have played a significant role throughout history in bringing about new knowledge, new design processes, and new contexts of use for letterforms. Through the study of cyclical patterns that define history, we question if it is possible to imagine what changes — in terms of knowledge — artificial intelligence (AI) will bring to the field of type design. Technological innovations in this discipline have frequently proved disruptive, and likewise, AI is proving to be an important turning point in the discipline, revealing how "design and communication have evolved synchronously with the technology of the time" (Cooper, 1989 p. 4). This contribution will start by analysing two historical case studies — (i) the introduction of photocomposition and (ii) the arrival of the computer — before speculating on the perspectives given by AI in typography. Between the 1950s and 1970s, photo-typesetting opened up a wide range of new typographic possibilities (Weidemann, 1973). This "has freed the design of letterforms from the inflexibilities of type metal and has engendered an overabundance of type and lettering styles never observed in the past" (Frutiger, 1970, p. 328). The simplicity of designing letters has facilitated the design of display type but also typographic revivals (Carter et al., 2015), encouraging a greater use of traditional references among professionals. Subsequently, in the 1980s, desktop publishing and digital typography became popular, allowing type designers to abandon traditional drawing tools and adopt "pixels" as the matrix for their letters. However, digital technology has led to more experimentation. The presence of contributions by novice users, allowed the production of typefaces that push beyond the limits of the medium (Bigelow & Day, 1983) and democratise a once-niche field. Additionally, type design has also been driven into uncharthed territories and situations, moving from paper to the "screen page" (Pastore, 2021), anticipating and incorporating with the new digital visual languages promoted by the New Wave (Poynor, 2003). The presentation aims to speculate on the role that artificial intelligence (AI) will play in improving and broadening the skills and knowledge of typographic culture through the examination of patterns that emerge from the two case studies. In this hypotethical future scenario, it is predictable that in order to interact successfully with the machine, acquiring humanistic skills and vertical theoretical knowledge would be more crucial than gaining technical abilities related to software and know-how.
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