Phonobet

Phonobet is an alphabet with recognisable letterforms that helps non-native readers with the pronunciation of an unfamiliar language. Depending on how the mouth opens when pronouncing a sound, letterforms were adjusted in height or made larger. In addition, letterforms visualising elongated sounds were made wider. Letters pronounced together were linked together. The supportive role and power of design and typography serve as a bridge that brings people closer together.

The jury on Phonobet:

If you have trouble pronouncing a new language, or any language for that matter, the problem arises due to the letters. After all, they can be pronounced in so many ways. Phonobet manages to solve precisely this problem with small systematic interventions. Existing letterforms are distorted so that the height reflects the opening of your mouth, and the width symbolises the length of the sound. Playful, beautiful, inviting but so intuitive and totally on the mark.

What does this award mean to you?

This award signifies recognition and appreciation for the path I have taken in this research. A path which has immersed me in a world filled with interesting encounters and valuable discoveries and which has challenged me to further develop my skills in graphic design. I am immensely grateful for the opportunities I’ve been given in connection with this research by MAD-Research/UHasselt, the READSEARCH research group.

This award would not have happened without the target group around which my research revolves. It gives a voice to those who deserve to be able to learn the pronunciation of a language to the best of their ability to build a new life, as well as the teachers and support staff who play an important role in this. It gives the strength to continue working on this meaningful project.

How did the idea for this project come about?

Despite the fact that many languages use the same alphabet, there are many different pronunciations. Acquiring good pronunciation can be an obstacle for those who want to learn a foreign language. The spelling conventions followed in written language do not always make it easier to remember the correct pronunciation of words or even to infer them from the text image. There are valuable aids, such as the International Phonetic Alphabet, but they form an additional designation alongside the alphabet. This led to the formulation of the research question: can the pronunciation of Western languages be visualised with the help of the 26 letters of the Latin alphabet by using typography and without deviating from recognisable letterforms and spelling?

What makes your project so special?

Phonobet examines the extent to which it is possible to narrow the gap between pronunciation and the written letterform. For this, the letters of the Latin script were used with small but systematic modifications to indicate the correct pronunciation, without have any effect on the correct spelling of words. It forms a guide, so to speak, with little visual hints as you read. Since the letterforms remain recognisable, Phonobet makes the transition to the regular alphabet, at a further stage, possible.

How does it contribute to a better world?

I am intrigued and fascinated by the human race and the capacity and desire for communication that human interactions entail. I love language as a unifying element. One of the main goals in my work is to fulfil the social responsibility of a designer. Letters are the building blocks of reading and education. They are an essential part of communication within a broader social context. I use the supportive role and power of design and typography (letters) as a useful and meaningful tool. Language and its visualisation and the use of letters can build a bridge to bring people closer together.

Do you have any further plans for this project?

The graphically developed materials (alphabet, posters and book) currently exist only in the form of prototypes. A possible future use could be as an educational tool for language classes and teaching in general. So, these materials can be further fine-tuned based on feedback from teachers who use it in their language classes. The research also includes a theoretical section which documents and explores similar historical experiments (some of which were never published) from as far back as in the sixteenth century. The aim is to also publish this valuable overview in a separate book, alongside the graphic materials and the research thesis. The project hopes to preserve the meaningful elements, focused on the target group, as it moves forward with the implementation.