Thai femininity idealistic typeface 1888-1988 : design guideline on nostalgic typeface

Abstract

The Dissertation aims to accumulate and explore the aesthetic concepts, the typographic designer’s creative ideas, and the evolution of the typeface, which reflected the personality of Thai women during the period 1888 – 1988. The researcher studied and analyzed both the historical data and the creativity of the design by using typographic design theory, principles of visual elements, history of art and design, history of fashion, and the personality theory. The study focused on the three issues which are (1) the influence of art and design, (2) typographic design process and aesthetics, and (3) the personality of Thai women. The researcher linked these three issues and found the relationship between the typeface on the magazine covers and the personality of Thai women. The research instruments included the typeface prototype and the questionnaire for the specialists. The study resulted in the taxonomy of the typeface and their characters, which is applicable to the typographic design to reflect the personality of Thai women. Finally, the result was evaluated through the typographic design experimental workshop and another questionnaire. This research will be beneficial in directing the typographic design to represent the characters of Thai women during the period 1888 – 1988, and the emphasis of the Thai typeface usage within the communication design industry. Although the current technology in typeface design has highly developed, but the typefaces in use are still the legacy from the past or inspired from the shape of alphabets in the history, with some adjustment to suit the time and technology nowadays. Apart from design for real-world application, the typeface designer may design the typeface to test the idea or to use in the particular task. The creation of typeface representing femininity in the past may not be popular for the target audiences, but it was possible for the typeface designer to experiment. The result, which may be unique but creative, could also become the chance to design a popular typeface too.