Despite having spent most of my life in Bangalore, I cannot speak, but only read Kannada. (Kannada is the official state language of Karnataka, whose capital is Bangalore.)
I hence, decided to explore whatever little knowledge I had of the language through typography.
I did so over four different stages.
Stage 1: Visually Understanding the Letterform
I first looked at one particular alphabet from the script and broke it down to its bare design elements. This culminated in the design of a series of black and white postcards.
I focused on the basic elements of the letterform and to create 9 postcards.
Visualising selected designs as a postcard set of 4.
Stage 2: Extending the form of the selected letterform
I decided to further experiment with the form of the letterform in two different typefaces to create motifs.
Using two different typefaces, I created a motif for each inspired by famous symbols of Karnataka; the stone carvings in Hampi and the Bull temple in Bangalore.
Visualising these patterns as a postcard set of 2.
Stage 3: Visual representation text in Kannada
Continuing to experiment typographically using the Kannada script, I chose to visually interpret a famous sonnet called ‘Preksakandenu’ by Kuvempu.
This was probably the only Kannada text I could comprehend and appreciate during my school days, which is why I decided to revisit it through a different medium using heirarchy and contrast to explore the same.
Iteration 1
Visualising Iteration 1 as an A3 sized poster
Iteration 2
Visualising Iteration 2 as an A3 sized poster
Stage 4: Integrating Kannada and English in type
I looked at creating a representation of something where I had seen the Kannada and English script integrated.
One of the first things that came to my mind were the KSRTC buses that run all over Bangalore. Some buses have been numbered in using a
combination of both the Kannada and English script.
I initially wanted to depict this idea in the form of an infograph. But I also wanted to add a personal touch in order to give the concept an identity.
Being new to Yelahanka( a predominantly Kannadiga area in Bangalore where I currently reside), I have been struggling with the buses that
ply in the area, which are most often numbered in Kannada.
This made me want to create a map using the bus routes in Yelahanka, where each line/route is comprised of the
buses (bus numbers) that ply on that route.
Each of the routes have been coloured keeping in mind the KSRTC colours. The entire map is made using type. The bus stops have been depicted
using a bold, black type to showcase the difference between the bus routes and bus stops. The bus numbers in each line have been typed in Kannada while, the specificied alphabets are in English, just the way they are seen on buses.
The Process:
Creating the bus map using the KSRTC colours, marking the stops in black as per their scale
Creating the map out of type, where each line is formed of the buses that ply on the route. The bus stops are in black bold text where the font size denotes the scale of the bus stop.
On zooming in, all lines comprise the repition of bus numbers of the buses that ply on each route. e.g. 402B, 401C, etc
Final Output.
Because the idea was so content heavy, I decided to place and size the poster such that it comes across minimal and delicate.
Visualising as an A1 sized poster.
