Typometry

Typometry is a hands-on, play-based game for the exploration and animation of letter forms. Players use printed cards as an interface to explore geometry, typography, motion, patterns, and thresholds of perception and legibility.

Each of four cards contains a set of letters grouped by their geometric basis: curves, rectangles, angles, and compounds. Each group is assigned a distortion-animation based on its geometric basis. For example, the curved letters are animated and distorted by circles. Moving a card laterally along the play surface, selects a letter from the set. Moving the card across the depth of the surface affects the intensity of distortion—the tighter density of forms leading to greater legibility. The compounds set of letters presents a special case for distortion, using a particle system generator to animate the letter form with hundreds of smaller letters. Results are visualized via large-scale projection before the table top area of play.

This project utilized custom computer vision software written with Processing.