SPOKEN THOUGHTS

Design Research, 2017

While pursuing a research MA at the University of Arts London in Graphic Branding + Identity, I became interested in the Performativity of Language, what Language can do, and how our language choices influence our perception of the surrounding environment. My curiosity in investigating this matter arises from core research oriented towards understanding the relationship between language misuse and identity politics.

Spoken Thoughts synthesises the findings of 12 months of research. It's an illustrated audiobook. It investigates to what extent language influences the way we perceive ourselves and the world around us. Its naive tone of voice and child-like illustrations enhance the idea of re-learning how to speak, keeping away from preconceptions.

The narrating voice is only available as audio files, acting as an inner voice. A character represented by an eye and a mouth – a visual metaphor of sight and speech – leads the narrative of this story. Interrogating itself on the correlation between what it sees and what it says, the main character guides us throughout the journey of our daily language choices in the transition from a Pre-Verbal stage to a Verbal one.

Spoken Thoughts is a publication that aims to incite further discourse on the importance of pondering our language choices by swapping the conventional perspective of thought influencing words. It offers a visual interpretation of how and in what ways our language choices can impact our thoughts.

REFERENCES

Excitable Speech: A Politics of the Performative, Butler J.
Mapping the Margins, Crenshaw K.
Intersecting Axes of Privilege, Domination and Oppression, a diagram adapted from Morgan, Pauly K. (1996)