Visual research for code language plan

Visual research for code language plan

After receiving positive feedback on my cryptic code/decoding ideas presented in the crit, and based on my plan of creating my own abstract visual language to represent coding/decrypting/decoding etc in a more visual pleasing way I went on to collect some visual inspiration on past languages and other design work that has that sort of "cryptic" or "coding" style too it.

Suggestions were made in the crit to look into creating my visuals like the matrix lines of code. So I gathered a quick snapshot of this style of coding. I like the pixeleted style of the glyphs, they have a more computer based style to them which has better links to coding & decoding rather than crisp & clean glyphs. I also like how some of the words are highlighted out in a lighter shade of green much like my design but in a more random way.

I will take this random positioning of glyphs forward in the development of this idea while taking away some lines of type along vertical columns to create a more abstract aesthetic and it adds an element of motion and movement within a still image. It looks like the typography is raining down the screen. This could prove to be an engaging aesthetic that may draw more attention in and the random glyphs may add a certain interactivity to the poster were the viewer personally decodes the movie name through the highlighted glyphs. 

To inspire my visual language of symbols and abstract "glyphs" i began looking into ancient languages like the greek alphabet that makes use of ornate and abstract letterforms that are representing through aesthetic symbols. 

I came across these astrology symbols, I realized that mercury is also a planet not just a chemical compound so I could inspire the symbols & language around astrology symbols. 

Ancient alchemist language will also inspire my own visual language of symbols & abstract glyphs.

To develop on ancient languages and examples of coding I though I would look into existing design work that may inspire me through use of abstract typography that have a sort of "symbol & cryptic language" aesthetic. 

Its nice that featured a type specimen and poster design by Elana Schadel and Jakob Runge in 2012. Its a typeface with personality and each individual glyph has abstract motives and visuals, the idea was to create individual style glyphs so the viewer doesn't know whats going to occur next through the range of glyphs.

The experimental typeface blurs boundaries between graphic imagery and type design and priotises on creative flair over legibility. This is something I need to consider with my symbolic language as been symbols they don't need to be very legible, so long as the "mercury rising" title is legible enough the surrounding glyphs can be very experimental and creative. A sort of artwork in there selves.

The concept behind the typeface was inspired by Elenas research into social trends, she experimented with creating visual responses to these trends through these letter shapes, the main teen that inspired her was the "selfness" movement. A movement were characters express themselves in spontaneous and random ways.

I love the individuality of each glyph and these designs show how typography doesn't have to be simplistic and be inspired by pure readability. It can be playful and a work of art in itself.