“Generative Typography” is the title of my diploma thesis, handed in in autumn 2008 at Multimediaart/FH Salzburg.

Thesis

Generative Typography.
An analysis of generative design strategies in terms of creating display fonts with vvvv.

Abstract

“Generative Typography” analyzes generative attempts for creating display typefaces.
Generative Design is a specific method for creating visual content, which completely differs from currently conventional “What You See Is What You Get” operations. The designer has to translate his imagination of the visual product into algorithms, the language of the medium computer. This linguistic approach to the medium enables creating a different kind of visual results. Proper to Evan E. Sutherlands principles: “It is only worthwhile to make drawings on the computer if you get something more out of the drawing than just a drawing” (Sutherland 1963, 507).
The processes the designer passes this way, differ decisively from conventional methods. The most common paralleltities can be found in the early computer graphics.
For approaching the topic of generative creation of display faces, font is being examined in terms of its computational process. Methods of generative design are able to tweak this process algorithmically at specific points, for implementing the designers vision.
Further on, specific methods of Generative Design are being singled out and analyzed, in terms of their possibilities for creating and influencing display faces. This leads to a basis of possibilities, which allows implementing
those approaches.
That‘s what the piece touch.txt does in several multitouch applications. Users are so able to investigate the evolving image classes.

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Project

HD version at vimeo