Shape my language

Type geeks will be particularly pleased with the latest installation at London’s Design Museum café and atrium.

Type designer Bruno Maag, from typeface and logo design consultancy Dalton Maag, has created tumbling curtains of type for the installation, called Shape My Language.

Some glyphs recognisable from our alphabet sit aside more unusual forms from the world’s languages, creating what looks like a transparent, 3D version of a code breaking machine.

Each character is displayed in Maag’s font Ubuntu, which he developed as part of rebranding projects for open source operating system Ubuntu.

Maag says, ‘There are dozens of different script systems in use in the world today, giving shape to thousands of spoken languages.

‘A typeface designer’s task is not only to visualise the emotion with which a message is spoken but also to ensure that the reader can absorb the message with a minimum of distraction.’

Shape My Language will run from 28 January – 28 February at Design Museum, Shad Thames, London SE1. A late night opening will be held on 25 February.