TypePlatform
We can evaluate the maturity of a field of knowledge by considering four questions: first, are the boundaries of its focus, and - consequently - its positioning and relationships with other fields, clear and well understood? Second, is there a body of knowledge that is accepted as foundational for all activity by the community active in the field? Third, are there established routes for learning and participating in the field? And fourth, are there established paths for research, reflection, knowledge generation, and correction in the field?[1]
While the twentieth century aided the type making by the computational power, the Arabic type entered the digital era inheriting its delays and constrained development as typographical technology for Arabic lagged behind its Latin equivalent. A delay that didn't only affect the production of type but also its knowledge and discourse. And with the flourishing in Arabic type design production in the past ten years, a discussion about the development of the discourse and means of knowledge production became more indispensable.
The Type Platform is a research space for global south type designers and underrepresented scripts, with a focus on Arabic script. Thought as a laboratory of embedded knowledge, it aims to open a dialogue around the type design discourse and question the status quo of knowledge production through a series of open live discussions with type designers and scholars from the SWANA region and the global south.
The discussions will happen in an open format through live-streamed video conversations, articles, essays, and design experimentations. This variety of mediums is necessary to open a needed dialog and find the means to have the script as the source of typographic information.[2]
While English will sometimes serve as the intermediate language for conversation, experimenting with translating the discussions to Arabic and Persian will be tested to break the isolation in place and enrich knowledge production in the most common languages of the Arabic script.
Any and all copyright interest in this project is dedicated to the public domain. Making this dedication for the benefit of the public at large.[3,4]
[1] Gerry Leonidas, "Foreword," in "Theory Of Type Design" by Gerard Unger, nai010, December 2018.
[2] Lara Captan, Kristyan Sarkis, Arabic script to Type: A Manifesto (v.1), tptq arabic, 2017.
