Isabelle Tan ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ Voice Print ᱯᱩᱛᱷᱤ ᱫᱚ ᱪᱷᱟᱯᱟ ᱯᱨᱚᱛᱤᱡᱚᱜᱤᱛᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱜ ᱨᱮ 2026 A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱨᱮᱱᱟᱜ ᱟᱹᱰᱤ ᱢᱟᱱ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱡᱤᱛᱠᱟᱨ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

ᱞᱚᱦᱟᱪᱷᱟᱯᱟ· 2026

Voice Print ᱯᱩᱛᱷᱤ

Isabelle Tan ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ

ᱜᱟᱦᱟᱠ: Isabelle Tan

ᱪᱷᱟᱯᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱜ ᱨᱮ A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱡᱤᱛᱠᱟᱨ

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#178230 ᱞᱟᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱣᱟᱨᱰ ᱦᱟᱞᱚᱛ ᱡᱟᱸᱪ

A' Design Award ᱨᱮ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱢᱮ ᱯᱨᱮᱥ ᱨᱤᱞᱤᱡ ᱯᱩᱨᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱵᱮᱡ

ᱨᱚᱝ

ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ

Voice Print ᱯᱩᱛᱷᱤ ᱵᱟᱵᱚᱛ ᱛᱮ

Voice Print ᱫᱚ ᱢᱤᱫᱴᱟᱝ ᱯᱩᱛᱷᱤ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱚᱠᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱨᱚᱲ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱟᱰᱟᱣ-ᱟᱰᱩᱨᱤ ᱵᱟᱵᱚᱛ ᱛᱮ ᱚᱞ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱫᱚ ᱦᱚᱲᱠᱚ ᱨᱚᱲ ᱡᱚᱦᱚᱜ ᱦᱩᱭᱩᱜ ᱠᱟᱱ ᱛᱷᱟᱢᱠᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱛᱷᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱯᱩᱛᱷᱤ ᱨᱮ ᱴᱟᱭᱯᱚᱜᱨᱟᱯᱷᱤᱠ ᱥᱠᱚᱨ, ᱚᱠᱛᱚ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱨᱚᱲ ᱩᱫᱩᱜ ᱮᱫ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱫᱟᱲᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱛᱚᱥᱵᱤᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱵᱮᱵᱷᱟᱨ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱛᱮ ᱩᱫᱩᱜᱚᱜ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱡᱮ ᱟᱲᱟᱝ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱚᱨᱮᱥ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱨᱭᱟ ᱦᱟᱹᱴᱤᱧ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱝ, ᱢᱮᱱᱠᱷᱟᱱ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱥᱯᱮᱠᱴᱨᱚᱢ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱛᱟᱦᱮᱸ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱥᱠᱚᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱡᱷᱟᱸᱡᱷᱨᱤ ᱧᱮᱞᱚᱜ ᱠᱟᱱ (translucent) ᱠᱟᱜᱚᱡᱽ ᱨᱮ ᱪᱷᱟᱯᱟ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱛᱮ ᱥᱟᱦᱴᱟ ᱛᱟᱞᱟ ᱛᱮ ᱚᱞ ᱫᱚ ᱟᱹᱰᱤ ᱵᱟᱲᱛᱤ ᱧᱮᱞᱚᱜᱼᱟ᱾ ᱦᱮᱸᱫᱮ ᱨᱚᱝ ᱪᱮᱛᱟᱱ ᱨᱮ ᱯᱩᱸᱰ ᱚᱞ ᱛᱮ ᱚᱞ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱮᱥᱮ ᱠᱚ, ᱡᱷᱚᱞᱚᱠ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱧᱮᱞᱚᱜ (opaque) ᱠᱟᱜᱚᱡᱽ ᱨᱮ, ᱠᱟᱛᱷᱟ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱯᱨᱚᱥᱚᱝᱜᱚ ᱠᱚ ᱮᱢᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣᱤᱭᱟᱹ ᱠᱚ ᱦᱚᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱩᱫᱩᱜ ᱟᱭᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱯᱩᱛᱷᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱢᱟᱯ ᱫᱚ 9 ᱵᱟᱭ 12 ᱤᱧᱪᱤ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱮᱨᱮᱧ ᱚᱞ (sheet music) ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱢᱟᱯ ᱥᱟᱶ ᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱᱼᱟ᱾

ᱢᱟᱱᱟᱱ

A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱵᱟᱵᱚᱛ ᱛᱮ

Voice Print ᱯᱩᱛᱷᱤ ᱫᱚ A' Design Award ᱞᱚᱦᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱧᱟᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱠᱟᱢᱤ ᱡᱷᱟᱞᱠᱟᱣ ᱠᱚ᱾ Voice Print ᱯᱩᱛᱷᱤ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ, ᱣᱤᱜᱭᱟᱱ, ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱤᱢᱟ ᱵᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱜᱚᱲᱚ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱯᱤᱪᱷᱟ ᱨᱮ

ᱯᱨᱮᱥ ᱠᱤᱴ

ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱧᱮᱞ ᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱠᱨᱮᱰᱤᱴ, ᱴᱤᱢ ᱥᱫᱚᱥᱭ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱤᱠᱮᱞ ᱵᱤᱵᱚᱨᱚᱬ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

ᱟᱞᱜᱟ ᱜᱩᱱ ᱠᱚ: 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 a simple binary. Alongside the scores are essays that provide context and guide the reader through the book. These essay spreads are white on black, and printed on glossy, opaque paper stock. It's design is intentionally rigid and mechanical, but still mimicking the fluidity of the scores.
ᱢᱟᱯ ᱟᱨ ᱯᱮᱠᱮᱡᱤᱝ: Width 228.6mm x Depth 304.8mm x Height 15mm
ᱴᱮᱜ ᱠᱚ: typography, book design, experimental typography, graphic notation, editorial design
ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱛᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ: The book is 9x12 inches, same size as sheet music. Scores are printed on translucent paper with significant show-through, representing the fluidity of human speech. Essays are white on black and printed on glossy, opaque paper, to contrast the scores.
ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱱ ᱪᱮᱞᱮᱧ: The hardest part was translating something as fluid and emotional as speech into a strict visual system. Finding the right balance between structure and freedom required constant testing. Socially, it confronted cultural biases surrounding stuttering; technically, it involved designing a typographic method capable of capturing temporal and tonal variations. This process expanded the role of design as a tool for empathy and linguistic awareness.
ᱜᱚᱵᱮᱥᱚᱱᱟ: This design research explores speech fluency through visual notation. The goal was to reveal the structure behind imperfect speech. Using recorded interviews, speech was transcribed into typographic scores that map sound over time. Participants included people with varying speech patterns. The results show visual and rhythmic similarities between stuttering and melisma, reframing disfluency as expression, not error, impacting how we perceive voice and identity.
ᱯᱨᱮᱨᱚᱱᱟ: What is fluency? Is it the lack of stutters? Does it signify perfection? How do we show the hidden complexity behind fluent speech? When we mention fluency, thoughts of speaking smoothly often come to mind. Disfluencies have been viewed as undesirable due to cultural perceptions. What if our pauses and irregular flow of speech arent seen as undesirable?
ᱯᱨᱚᱡᱮᱠᱴ ᱥᱚᱢᱚᱭ: This project started in January 2023 NYC, and completed in July 2025 NYC.
ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ ᱦᱚᱨ: Voice Print turns speech into visual scores. Each page transcribes how we talk, pauses, hesitations, and rhythm, into patterns on a grid, inspired by the musical score. By following a few design rules, speech becomes something you can see. It helps us recognize that stuttering and melismatic singing share structure, showing that our disfluencies are not flaws but part of how we express ourselves.
ᱴᱤᱢ ᱥᱮᱫᱟᱭ ᱠᱚ: Isabelle Tan