THE GEOMETRY & POETICS OF LETTERS

Most Typography works are focused on the practical and aesthetic representation of letters, the letters as drawn on paper or on electronic support, the letters drawn with width and blackness. I am interested in the geometric architecture of letters themselves, the letters taken as clear, abstract structures, as geometric constructs.

My aim is not to build a font nor to get a better understanding of existing or potential writing tools and techniques. I want to celebrate the beauty of an "H", the simplicity of an "O", look at how similar "n and "u" are, abstractly, geometrically.  From this, I believe a lot of conceptual, abstract and quite scientific work can be done on the subject, that can feed back as conceptual groundings for typography, to enrich our understanding of language, and possibly enhance language itself. 

I would suggest the following topics:

1. The definition of abstract letter shapes: 

1. Historical considerations: typography is an after-the-fact human endeavour, going from a de facto state of in-use alphabets to a conceptual practice 

2. Practical approaches: extracting wireframes of most used fonts, computing their averages, considerations on variance

2. Geometric analysis of letter abstract shapes: 

1. Length of path: e.g. an "i" is short, an "W" is long

2. Complexity measures: e.g. "o" is the simplest, "g" is the most complex

3. Differences ("distance") between shapes: e.g. "p" and "q" are close to each other, far from "m"

4. Symmetry groups

5. Decomposition into basic elements: 

1. Different approaches: e.g. cutting down to individual curves, or keeping multi-segments shapes together. Neural network / pattern recognition considerations.

2. Statistical analysis of micro-shapes: e.g. distribution of elements (how much vertical segments compared to curves)

3. Psychological considerations: brain responses to elemental shapes (micro-legibility), then to letters themselves (standard legibility), then to words (readability)

4. Physiological (Laryngology), Musical, Onomatopeic considerations - relationship between muscles, voice, sound, and shape

5. Semantics considerations of shapes (micro- and macro-): e.g. meanings of circles, vertical segments,..etc.

6. Aesthetic considerations of shapes (micro- and macro-): 

1. by themselves: aesthetic homogeneity of the alphabet. Exceptions and black ducks

2. in words: why do some words look better than others? do letters work well together, aesthetically? 

7. Reflections on non-western alphabets

8. Towards an objective measure of letters, and a redesign of the Western alphabet.

9. Appendix: extra reflections: the poetry of shapes, advanced semiology,..etc.

POETICS OF LETTERS:

B

•  Transformed:

• Rotated left 90: a double arch with pedestal. A greek Mc Donalds. Double gothic round entrances.

• Rotated right 90: a bar, with 2 loose lines hanging.