Sonotype - Our Sonic Impressions

Chances are that we began to communicate with one another using our bodies before we began to converse through shapes, lines and images. Sonotype uses our sonic impressions to generate type forms that are expressive, universal and inclusive. Fuelled by many years of engaging with people who experience difficulties in engaging with language, this typeface is a combination of a tangible carrier of expression and sound as well as a recognisable and consistent repertoire of forms. It represents the human communicative experience as sonic and scribed impressions.

Sonotype is now available as a completely functional typeface with a repertoire of 44 letterforms that represent 44 phonemes as recognised by the IPA (24 consonants and 20 vowels). The user manual for the current version can be accessed here.

Check out the process, reflections and data files here.

Method and Techniques: Generatively designed using Rhinoceros 3D, Grasshopper, C++ and Python. Rendered on Autodesk Fusion 360.