The ability of typography to reproduce content and spread it across demographic borders has brought together a wide variety of fonts and cultures. Globalization and international trade have also contributed to the development of multicultural cities all over the world. Multilingual design is therefore an important aspect of our everyday lives. It makes it possible to present and communicate different languages and scripts and thus promotes a sense of inclusion and respect for one another. It can be found, among other things, on road control systems, in print and digital media, and on all types of packaging.
One of the countries that has experienced this change particularly strongly in recent decades is South Korea. The country is experiencing an unprecedented economic and social upturn and sharply increasing tourism figures. The phenomenon is characteristic of this development Hallyu. It describes the increasing international popularity of the South Korean entertainment industry since the early 2000s. The spread of the Korean writing system, the Hangul, is also closely linked to this upsurge.
Increasing exports and tourism figures illustrate the need for bilingual design, which is particularly evident in public spaces. Here, all traffic and railway control systems are translated or Romanized (a description of the sound of the words in Roman script). The demand for multilingual media is constantly increasing. But combining two writing systems as different as Hangul and Latin in a coherent way requires special attention from designers. They are required to create visual communication and typographic designs that reconcile virtual and urban landscapes.
There are many design approaches and ways to achieve this. While some designers use similar or matching fonts, others prefer to emphasize the differences between the two respective fonts. They create harmonious layouts by treating the font in a visually similar way through the use of color, illustrations, or deformation.
Some of the fundamental challenges include:
- Readability and font choice: A lack of harmony can impair comprehension. Any different reading directions are also relevant here.
- Typographic hierarchy: Clarity is essential for communication. Bilingual designs require a meaningful arrangement of languages that makes it clear where one ends and the other begins.
- Cultural sensitivity: Writings have cultural significance. Respectful design is essential to avoid misunderstandings or insults.
Despite the omnipresence of multilingual design, the selection of specialist books or other information media on these topics is still quite limited. This is why designers often follow their intuition or the wishes of customers. But multilingual design requires more than just aesthetics. It is an expression of living together, respect and cultural identity.
This text was translated automatically.
