The art direction of my newspaper was a critical aspect of the project, considering the significance of the topic. Throughout this work, ink has served as a central medium, embodying a strong visual language that captures the essence of a script in decline. The black ink impression resonates with the idea of a slowly fading trait of the Devanagari script—it’s like a shadow of what was once integral, leaving behind its imprints even as it fades from contemporary usage. This concept of a disappearing script aligns with the transient quality of ink, which has been consistently present in my explorations, reflecting the script’s cultural legacy as it loses its presence.
David Carson’s grunge typography has been a significant inspiration in this process, particularly in how it reflects the chaos and distortion that occurs when systems struggle to accommodate content outside their intended design. His work captures the tension between order and disorder, mirroring the challenge faced by Latin typesetters who found themselves overwhelmed by the complexity of Devanagari. The inherent difficulties in translating Indic scripts into Latin typographic systems highlight a gap created by industrialisation, a theme that my newspaper addresses. The misalignment between these systems is visually expressed through the juxtaposition of English and Hindi text, making the divide between Latin and Indic scripts explicit.
In terms of visual strategy, the design aims to push the boundaries of legibility and reader control. By allowing text to overlap and seemingly “blow up” across the page, I am able to control the reader’s engagement—deciding what they can access easily and what requires more effort to decipher. This layered, fragmented approach underscores the disjunction between traditional methods and modern typographic practices, drawing attention to the evolving and often clashing narratives within script history.
Ultimately, the art direction seeks to be more than just visually engaging; it is a deliberate commentary on the ongoing tensions between legacy and modernity, between cultural continuity and industrialised. disruption. The newspaper becomes a tool of exploration, presenting these themes not just in content but through every aspect of its design and presentation.
Preparing my newspaper draft -
Preparing my newspaper draft was crucial as Newspaper club had very specific file type requirement, margins, colour profiles. After some corrections I was able to finalise my draft for this newspaper. It had 16 pages in 4 double page spreads. Placing the artwork in the correct page next to the text was crucial otherwise the spreads wouldn’t create the art piece I imagine. I printed a small version of it to test out my artwork placement.
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