Voice Print Book Design

Voice Print is a unique exploration of "disfluencies" in speech, presenting the complexities of fluent communication through innovative typographic scores. Each transcription serves as a musical score, illustrating the spectrum of fluency rather than a binary classification. By adhering to a set of design rules, the book reveals patterns in speech, linking stuttering to melodic singing. The design contrasts interview pages with essay spreads, using a black-and-white aesthetic and glossy paper to create a mechanical feel that juxtaposes the fluidity of spoken language. This thoughtful layout not only guides the reader but also enhances the understanding of the nuances in speech, ultimately illuminating the "harmonic sequence" of dialogue.

Voice Print is a book about “disfluencies” and the way we speak. It attempts to show the hidden complexities of fluent speech through typographic scores—showing that fluency exists on a spectrum rather than as a simple binary. Each transcription functions as a musical score, capturing speech by mapping out sound and time through a rigorous, controlled typographic system. Limiting ourselves to a few simple rules allows us to discover patterns and shapes within our speech, and draw connections between stuttering and melismatic singing. Alongside the scores are essays that provide context and guide the reader through the book. To contrast the interview pages, these essay spreads are white on black, and printed on glossy, opaque paper stock. Since the texts are sourced from online essays, it’s design is intentionally rigid and mechanical—distinct from human speech—yet the layout somehow mimics the fluidity of the interview/score pages with the indents and rag. Voice Print allows us to understand the “harmonic sequence” of a sentence, shedding light upon the expression in the way we speak.

From the original award submission.