Cette thèse interroge la typographie contemporaine au prisme du postmodernisme des années 1980 jusqu'au début des années 2000 afin de montrer que celle-ci va au-delà du simple outil de communication visuelle et de technique d'impression. Dans ce but, cette recherche revient sur l'histoire de la typographie pour en soulever les problématiques récurrentes (idéal de beauté, lisibilité, pluridisciplinarité) retravaillées et ré-étudiées par le postmodernisme. Outre les effets stylistique, le postmodernisme se pose en opposition et réaction au modernisme qu'il remet en cause en tant que modèle dominant. Les problématiques qui découlent de cette remise en question, interrogent la légitimité du designer ainsi que sa place dans la société, dans le processus de création. La typographie et son statut sont parties prenantes de ce débat qui permet de l'extraire du simple objet imprimé. Cette thèse interroge donc la possibilité de considérer la typographie comme objet esthétique et critique qui pense et se pense, à partir des discussions et travaux de cette période, ainsi qu'en s'appuyant tout particulièrement sur la recherche en design. Cette démarche permet également de mettre en perspective la recherche et les savoirs actuels autour de la typographie afin de faire émerger les paradoxes de cette dernière et d'aboutir à sa redéfinition. / This thesis is about contemporary typography in the light of postmodernism from the eighties to the early years of the new millenium in order to show that it goes beyond the mere tool of visual communication and printing technique. So the research relates the history of typography and raises the recurrent issues (ideal of beauty, lisiblility, multi-disciplinarity) worked out and studied by postmodernism. Beside the stylistic effects, postmodernism stands out by reaction to modernism which it questions as a prevailing pattern. The deriving problems raise the question of whether the designer is legitimate and what his/her position in society is, in the creative process. Typography and its status are part and parcel of this issue which helps take it from the mere printed object. Thus, this thesis raises the question of whether it is possible to consider typography as an aesthetic and critical object which thinks, from the talks and works of that period, by particularly drawing upon research in design. This process also helps put into perspective the analysis and current knowledge around typography in order to develop its paradoxes and lead to re-define its goal.

Les États-Unis n’ont eu de cesse d’attendre depuis Emerson le grand chef d’œuvre national qui célèbrerait le destin d’exception de la jeune démocratie et affranchirait la littérature et la langue américaines de la tutelle du vieux continent. Cette tâche ne pouvait incomber à l’épopée dont on a pu juger qu’elle était inapte à décrire le monde contemporain et qu’elle contredisait une modernité poétique de l’intensité lyrique. La renaissance spectaculaire du « long poème » américain au cours des XIXe et XXe siècle ne peut donc s’inscrire dans la filiation de « formes » jugées obsolètes. Elle paraît d’ailleurs d’autant plus problématique qu’après avoir été rapportée au lyrisme démocratique de Walt Whitman, le « long poème » fut approprié par T.S. Eliot et Ezra Pound et assimilée aux excès d’un « high modernism » autoritaire, élitiste et systématique. C’est ainsi que la critique n’est parvenue à rendre compte paradoxalement de cette « forme » qu’en la niant, confirmant ainsi son illisibilité : le long poème ne pouvait être qu’un recueil de poèmes courts, un chef d’œuvre ruiné ou une parodie de la pensée systématique et de l’exceptionnalisme américain. En étudiant « A » de Louis Zukofsky, Paterson de William Carlos William et les Maximus Poems de Charles Olson, je vise à démontrer qu’il est au contraire possible de lire cette forme en tant que telle sans avoir recours à des typologies génériques ou à la dichotomie modernisme/postmodernisme. Je tenterai aussi de suggérer que, dans ces trois œuvres, la poésie se conçoit comme une activité en devenir qui tente modestement d’articuler le poème au monde, au temps et à la lecture. / Ever since Emerson the United-States have been expecting the great national masterpiece that would not only celebrate the unique destiny of this young democracy but would also free American language and literature from the European model. However, it did not seem that it was for the epic poem to accomplish this task given that it appeared not only ill-suited to describe the modern world but also incompatible with the demands of a poetic modernity predicated on lyrical intensity. Hence, the planned obsolescence of this “form” has made it all the more difficult to explain the spectacular rebirth of the “American long poem” in the 19th and 20th centuries. It has appeared all the more problematic since, after having been associated to Walt Whitman’s democratic lyricism, the “long poem” was appropriated by T.S. Eliot and Ezra Pound making it the symbol of the authoritarian, elitist and systematic tendencies of “high modernism”. It will thus come as no surprise that the critical community has tended to view the “long poem” negatively confirming in a way its illegibility: the “long poem” could only be viewed as a short lyric sequence, an impossible masterpiece or a parody of systematic thought and American exceptionalism. In undertaking this study of Louis Zukofsky’s “A”, William Carlos William’s Paterson and Charles Olson’s Maximus Poems I wish to demonstrate that it is possible to read the “long poem” as such without having to resort to generic categories and to the modern/postmodern dichotomy. I also hope to show that, in these three works, poetry is understood as a kind of ongoing activity which modestly attempts to articulate the poem to the world, time and reading.

Hur en texts typografiska utformning påverkar hur enkel den blir att läsa är en fråga som har sysselsatt forskare under lång tid. Förhoppningen har varit att få en bättre förståelse för hur läsning går till och hur man bäst bör sätta text för att underlätta för läsaren. Ett problem har dock varit att skapa medvetenhet om forskningens resultat bland dem som arbetar med att sätta text. Tanken med detta examensarbete var att skapa en överblick av forskningen, med inriktning på hur mikrotypografin, det vill säga den typografi som berör detaljer i textens utformning, påverkar läsbarheten i brödtext. Efter litteratursökningar valdes tio vetenskapligt publicerade empiriska studier på detta område ut. Artiklarna beskrevs och diskuterades med hänsyn till deras metodik och deras resultat. Följande mikrotypografiska faktorer behandlades i studierna: skillnader i läsbarhet mellan typsnitt, x-höjdens och teckenavståndets inverkan på läsbarheten, skillnader i läsbarhet mellan gemener, versaler och kursiv text samt skillnader i läsbarhet mellan olika bokstavsformer. Slutsatsen var att forskningen kring läsbarhet ger intressanta inblickar i hur typografin inverkar på läsprocessen. Det begränsade antalet studier på varje område samt brist på studier utförda på svenska gör det dock svårt att skapa konkreta riktlinjer för hur text bör sättas. Vidare konstaterades att studier utförda i samarbete mellan forskare och typografiskt kunniga vore en möjlig metod att sprida kunskap till de typografiska yrkena och öka sannolikheten för praktisk tillämpning av forskningsresultaten. / How the typographic design of a document affects how easy it is to read is a subject that has long been of interest to researchers. The aim has been to reach a better understanding of the reading process, and to find an ideal way to design text for maximum legibility. However, the researchers have seemingly failed to raise awareness about their results in the typographic community. The aim of this thesis was to create an overview of the research into how microtypography – the typography concerned with individual letters and sentences – affects the legibility of running text. Ten empirical studies on this subject, published in scientific journals, were selected after literature searches. The methods and results of the studies were described and discussed. The studies were concerned with the following microtypographic factors: differences in legibility between typefaces, the role of x-height and letter spacing in, differences in legibility between lower case, upper case and italic letters as well as differences in legibility between specific letter shapes. The conclusion was that legibility research gives interesting insights into how typography can influence the reading process. However, the limited amount of studies found concerning each typographic factor, as well as the lack of studies concerning Swedish typography makes it hard to create typographic guidelines for Swedish typographers based on the research. It was also concluded that studies conducted in cooperation between researchers and typographers might be a way to raise awareness about the research and lead to greater practical application of research results.

The advent of digital typography has seen the printed letter permeate many aspects of our world, due to its function as the visual manifestation of verbal language. However, few scientific researchers have paid attention to these innocuous and ubiquitous characters. Furthermore, existing typeface research has generally been divided into two strands: For nearly ninety years, communicators (writing, marketing, business, and design professionals) have made attempts to investigate how typefaces of different classes and styles might indicate different personalities to the viewer, and explored the notion of typeface appropriateness. More recently, psychologists have taken advantage of word processing software to manipulate perceptual fluency by changing the fonts of different documents, finding several interesting effects. In this study, two experiments were conducted, with the aim of acknowledging and synthesizing both lines of inquiry. In Experiment 1, a restaurant menu was printed with either an easy-to-read, fluent font or a difficult-to-read, disfluent font. It was expected that reading the disfluent font would influence participants’ (n = 110) choices from the menu as well as certain judgments about the dishes. However, there was only one significant effect, whereby participants who read the disfluent font expected to enjoy their chosen dessert less than those who read the fluent font. In Experiment 2, participants (n = 94) judged a person of the opposite sex using the Big Five Inventory, a measure of human personality. The target photograph was paired with a name set in one of two fonts (familiar and unfamiliar). Female participants rated the target higher on the factor of Openness when the name was printed in the novel font. The results of the current study indicate that to some extent, document designers may safely continue selecting typefaces through intuition, and do not necessarily need the supplementation of additional empirical research.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-12T20:17:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 118434.pdf: 13671427 bytes, checksum: ce58f61babcf86b8b92904fe0ebc6757 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-07-24 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This study evaluates the legibility of the text in tour guide maps, influenced by different typographic designs, aiming to find the features that offer optimum conditions for the elderly users. A preliminary survey of the recommendations in the bibliography showed the vagueness of the criteria for text legibility. And most of the tests already carried out were applied to young subjects. By knowing the functional and physical changes caused by the aging process, it is questioned the validity of these recommendations for the elderly. Comparative studies that investigated the legibility perceived by young and elderly have demonstrated significant differences between the two groups. Four main typographic variables evaluated on pre-existing studies were selected and verified in a sample of commercial maps. Crossing these information and data from previous studies, it was possible to determine shape as the variable to be assessed through a comparative usability test. The test was conducted on thirty subjects, man and woman, aged between sixty and seventy years. Effectiveness and satisfaction were measured through the search task on three versions of the same base map, each model featuring words written in: lower case with initial capital letters, upper case or small caps. As a result, when comparing the success and time in accomplishing the task, there was no significant difference in performance with the three models. However, concerning to the satisfaction, measured by the preference reported from the users, the model designed with upper case received better result. This fact contradicts previous studies that recommend the use of lower case based on the assumption that words written in this shape are more legible than words written in upper case. So, it is recommended that the designer/cartographer choose the font shape used on a map design based on the user preference. / Este estudo caracteriza-se por avaliar a legibilidade proporcionada por diferentes desenhos tipográficos em mapas do tipo guia de turismo, tendo como objetivo encontrar as características que ofereçam condições ótimas de leitura ao público idoso. Um levantamento preliminar das recomendações apresentadas na bibliografia da área demonstrou a falta de precisão quanto a critérios de legibilidade, sendo que a maioria dos testes já realizados foram aplicados com indivíduos jovens. Sabendo-se das mudanças funcionais e físicas ocasionadas pelo processo de envelhecimento, questionou-se a validade destas recomendações para o usuário idoso. Do mesmo modo, pesquisas comparativas que investigaram a legibilidade em jovens e idosos demonstram que os dois grupos a percebem de forma diferente. O estudo buscou compilar as recomendações quanto a escolha da tipografia para o design de mapas encontradas em pesquisas com foco em legibilidade. Selecionaramse quatro variáveis tipográficas principais que foram verificadas em uma amostra de mapas comerciais. A partir do cruzamento destas informações e de dados provenientes de estudos anteriores, foi definido que a variável forma seria avaliada através de um teste comparativo de usabilidade. O teste foi aplicado em trinta sujeitos de ambos os sexos e com idades entre sessenta e setenta anos. Eficácia e satisfação foram medidas por meio da tarefa de busca em três versões do mesmo mapa base, cada modelo apresentando palavras nas versões: caixa baixa com inicial maiúscula, caixa alta ou versalete. Como resultado, ao compararse o sucesso e o tempo na realização da tarefa, não houve diferença significativa no desempenho com os três modelos. No entanto, no quesito satisfação, medido através da preferência, o modelo desenhado em caixa alta obteve o melhor resultado. Este resultado contraria a recomendação encontrada na bibliografia, a qual apresenta que palavras escritas em caixa baixa seriam mais fáceis de ler do que palavras escritas em caixa alta, uma vez que não houve diferenças significativas para o grupo pesquisado. Desta forma, recomenda-se que a escolha da fonte seja feita a partir da preferência do usuário.

Augmented Reality (AR), a concept where the real word is being enhanced with computer generated objects and text, has evolved and become a popular tool to communicate information through. Research on how the technique can be optimized regarding the technical aspects has been made, but not regarding how typography in three dimensions should be designed and used in AR applications. Therefore this master’s thesis investigates three different design attributes of typography in three dimensions. The three attributes are: typeface style, color, and weight including depth, and how they affect the visibility of the text in an indoor AR environment. A user study was conducted, both with regular users but also with users that were considered experts in the field of typography and design, to investigate differences of the visibility regarding the typography’s design attributes. The result shows noteworthy differences between two pairs of AR simulations containing different typography among the regular users. This along with a slight favoritism of bright colored text against dark colored text, even though no notable different could be seen regarding color alone. Discussions regarding the design attributes of the typography affect the legibility of the text, and what could have been done differently to achieve an even more conclusive result. To summarize this thesis, the objective resulted in design guidelines regarding typography for indoor mobile AR applications.

The aim of the study is to examine a book used as level-based teaching material, Den magiska kulan (Wänblad, 2011), to analyse the progression within and between the different levels, A, B and C, intended for use in grade 1. The material is designed so that pupils at different levels in their reading development can share the same literature. Another aim is to study the connection between illustrations and text. This literature study is based on both a qualitative and a quantitative method of analysis. The qualitative method applies a readability analysis with the focus on the graphic form and the language of the text. The quantitative method measures the LIX (readability index) of the texts. The result of the study shows that all the levels are suitable for grade 1 since their degree of difficulty is adapted and they have a smooth progression, as well as illustrations which are closely linked to the text. Although these readers are made for this grade, it is important that teachers scrutinize the material used in teaching.

Projecting Urban Natures is a compilation thesis in critical studies in architecture. It comprises three journal articles and four design proposals in which I have taken an active part. The point of departure for this thesis is the renewed emphasis on social-ecological interaction and resilience that is currently taking place within ecological systems science, and the opportunities that these paradigmatic insights in turn have opened up within urbanism and design. The thesis argues that although they are promising, these emerging integrative frameworks are seldom brought into mainstream planning and urban design practice. Instead, the structuring of “nature” and “city” into a dualistic balance relationship still permeates not only the general planning discourse, but also makes its way into planning documents, notably influencing distinctions between professions. In response, this thesis sets out to rethink and explore more integrated approaches to human/nature relationships, through the utilization of design-based and transdisciplinary research methods. While this core aim of the thesis remains the same throughout the work, the task is approached from different perspectives: through different constellations of collaborative work as well as through parallel case-based explorations that emphasize the relational, anti-essentialist and situated articulation of values of urban natures and how these forces come into play. The work has been propelled through workshop-based, site-specific, and experimental design processes with professionals and researchers from the fields of e.g. systems ecology, natural resource management, political ecology, urban design, architecture, and landscape design, as well as planners, developers, local interest groups, and NGOs. Specifically, projects performed within this thesis include: Nature as an Infrastructural Potential – An Urban Strategy for Järvafältet; Kymlinge UrbanNatur together with NOD, Wingårdhs, MUST and Storylab; Årsta Urban Natures with James Corner Field Operations and Buro Happold; and Albano Resilient Campus — a collaboration between Stockholm Resilience Centre, KTH and KIT. / <p>QC 20171102</p>

Cette étude présente l'un des parcours possibles d'analyse comparée sur la création poétique de la deuxième moitié du XXème siècle, en tâchant, sous l'égide de la notion de non-dualisme, de parvenir à la formulation de concepts qui puissent contribuer à redéfinir les épistémologies d'action propres à la poésie des années 1960-80 mais aussi, en perspective, de l'extrême contemporain. Cette approche de littérature générale nous amène à étudier des ouvrages d'auteurs hétérogènes, relevant du domaine moderniste francophone (Jean Daive, Michel Deguy, André du Bouchet, Denis Roche, Claude Royet-Journoud, etc.), germanophone (Paul Celan), et italien (Antonio Porta, Andrea Zanzotto, etc.), ainsi que de la poésie sonore (Bernard Heidsieck, Henri Chopin, Ernst Jandl, etc.) et de la poésie concrète, conceptuelle et minimaliste d'aire euro-américaine (Vito Acconci, Robert Barry, Aram Saroyan, etc.), dans la conscience qu'une proposition de théorie de la poésie ne saurait être formulée sans rendre compte des entrecroisements entre de multiples pratiques qui résultent, d'après l'étude des textes, étroitement reliées. Étant donnée la perspective théorique qui caractérise cette thèse, une attention particulière est consacrée aux interactions entre poésie, poétique et philosophie, la French Theory d'une part et la pensée de Wittgenstein de l'autre constituant les deux apports principaux pour la formulation des concepts proposés. Cette étude souhaite enfin offrir une proposition alternative de théorie de la poésie moderne, et elle est par conséquent en dialogue critique avec d'autres approches de ce genre, notamment celles de Jean-Marie Gleize, de Michael Hamburger et d'Henri Meschonnic. / This study proposes a comparative analysis of the poetry of the second half of XXth century. It aims, through the notion of non-dualism, to formulate concepts able to redefine the epistemologies of action of poetry from the 1960s to the 1980s but also, in a general perspective, of contemporary poetry. As a typical approach in general literary studies and literary theory, this thesis investigates the work of heterogeneous authors, with a focus on French (Jean Daive, Michel Deguy, André du Bouchet, Denis Roche, Claude Royet-Journoud, etc.), German (Paul Celan) and Italian modernism (Antonio Porta, Andrea Zanzotto, etc.), as well as sound poetry (Bernard Heidsieck, Henri Chopin, Ernst Jandl, etc.) and Euro-American concrete, conceptual and minimalist poetry (Vito Acconci, Robert Barry, Aram Saroyan, etc.). This choice is due to the scientific awareness that a proposition of a theory of poetry has to be formulated all the way through multiple approaches that result, thanks to text analyses, as deeply intertwined. Given the theoretical perspective of this dissertation, a specific attention is brought on the interactions among poetry, poetics and philosophy, French Theory and Wittgenstein being the two main inputs. Finally, this thesis wishes to offer an alternative proposition for a modern theory of poetry and it is therefore in a constant critical dialogue with other studies of the same genre, such as those of Jean-Marie Gleize, Michael Hamburger and Henri Meschonnic.

Living with a hearing impairment can have a large impact on a person’slife. There already exists many different aids to help in their life, butas technology advances new solutions can be created to further improvethe life quality for everyone. Two technologies that have advanced andbecome more affordable are Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality(AR). A potential aid for those with a hearing impairment could bea system where speech is converted to text and presented in AR to theuser. Such a system must have an easily read and legible text. In this master thesis legibility and user perception are studied for differenttext presentation in VR. The VR enables a more controlled environmentthan AR. Reading speed, subjective scoring and eye-movementdata are used to analyze the presentations. Lastly, some design recommendationsbased on the findings are presented. The result showed that the legibility was affected by many factors.Middle-layers (layer between the fore- and background) improved thelegibility, especially over complex backgrounds. The size of the textalso affected legibility where the larger text performed the worst. Theoptimal number of lines of text seems to be two. There were variationsbetween the preferred presentations, indicating that a future systemmight seek to accommodate this by some level of customization.