Acoustica is a bilingual (Latin + Devanagari) display typeface inspired by Crayonette, a nineteenth-century wood type known for its slanted forms and reverse contrast. The project reinterprets this expressive Latin lineage while extending it into Devanagari, exploring how reverse contrast can be meaningfully translated across scripts. While Crayonette combines flat serif-like terminals with curved swash endings, Acoustica adopts exclusively curved swash terminals. This decision helps balance the rhythm of the Devanagari script, where many letterforms contain repeated vertical strokes that benefit from a more fluid counter-movement.
While reverse contrast is well documented in Latin typography, its application in Devanagari Script remains rare. Acoustica experiments with redistributing weight toward the top and bottom of Devanagari glyphs, And A thin weight for the internal strokes, negotiating the script’s top horizontal stroke known as 'shirorekha' and vertical stress to produce forms that feel both expressive and structurally grounded. The typeface positions itself as an exploration in cross-script adaptation, expanding the expressive possibilities of reverse-contrast typography within an Indian typographic context.
- Designer
- Athang Samant
Project link
Judges Choice: Lauren Hom
