Using an original set of letter designs, the goal is to explore how typographic forms can be generated and manipulated by a program coded in Processing—based off of and inspired by the single word "Nature". Both the typeface and program is inspired by the multiple definitions of the word. One refers to the natural world, the environment, while the other refers to an object's essence or a characteristic. Stone, made up of fragments, is a common feature of the environment and will inevitably erode, breaking down into its smaller pieces and dispersing.
The letter set is intended for display use. I pulled inspiration for character construction, logic, and proportions primarily from Bodoni. However, I looked to the wide world of contemporary serif and pixel-based typeface design for additional influence.
The code itself utilizes a class that defines how the letters are constructed, including the ability to specify the side bearings of each letter. Variables are passed into this class, allowing each to be manipulated by a series of sliders. Fragment dispersion—the erosion variable—refers to the eventual break down of rock formations. Other aspects such as color, fragment shape, outline, etc. can be controlled via these sliders—allowing for some unique typographic forms. The output can also be randomized and, as a final exploration, the erosion variable can be animated.
Version 1 of the program was a simple exploration of how to translate a .png into rectangles in Processing. It also acted as a starting point for this "erosion" variable and how it affects the character.
In version 2, I added the "quad" and "circle" toggles, allowing the user to change the shape of the individual fragment. The "erosion" variable was replaced by an array of random numbers between -1 and +1, allowing each fragment to move in a separate, random direction.
Skipping ahead a few versions, the ability to flip through letters of the alphabet was now integrated. However, the user still wouldn't be able to typeset a full word or sentence in the program. Additionally, the user could now change the color of the character and background.
The next version of the program finally allowed the user to typeset a full word in the program. Yet, there was no way to define side bearings for each individual letter so some of the kerning was off.
In the program's semi-final version, each letter has defined side bearings and the overall tracking can be controlled with a slider. The user can also export the letterforms as either a .pdf or .jpeg using the Grab library. The semi-final version of the typeface is also used in this version. The actual, final version of EROSION (seen at the top) added the ability to set multiple lines of text and control the leading between them. As additional explorations, I added the ability to see the erosion variable animate and to randomize the output.
