The methodology of visual research has been challenging for the simple reason that it is difficult to be invisible in an environment and be observant at the same time. Since the most important aspect of visual ethnography is observation, an open mind and eyes are the most important tools while doing research. The stages of research of research have been: General observation and getting to know the place: this included just walking around the bazaar without any particular intention. This establishes a sense of the place and people around. The next stages involved close observation of people, products and shops. This included using media like sketches, notes and photographs to document the bazaar again with no particular focus. This helped lay a ground for study and reflection of the subject area. Once there was an established sense of the place the next stage has been to focus more into a particular area or person, learn and record more insights. The study thus starts from an overview of the bazaar. It then slowly enters a macro level where each aspect of study is carefully understood.

The project is an attempt of acquainting me to the field of type design and scripts in India. The format of the document is more like my learning diary where I have tried to put together the various facets of type design the way I have learnt them. ‘The process has been equally important to the end product’. The chapters progress in the same order as I have approached my project. The first two chapters speak briefly about the nature of work in CDAC in the field of font design and an account of the project initiated there. In the next two chapters I have tried to summarize very briefly the digitization in letter design pertaining to Indian scripts and standards and the study of devanagari script which is a prerequisite to developing further understanding. The further chapters extensively elaborate my project work and stages involved. It reflects my approach and methodology and the actual learning of the project and process of font design. Thus the document lays down the process of my summer internship, moreover the many various things I got to learn and see during the course of this project.

The increasing advent of globalization and technological advancements are taken to tell that we are living in an age of increasing sameness. The cultural diversity, once rich and abundant is being replaced by a global culture. This has had an effect on the visual culture of India. Regional dialects, languages and scripts have not escaped the consequences of ‘modernization’. The well painted billboards and shop signs have been replaced by massive in your face advertisements. The streets are full of panwalas and departmental stores wear the same huge red beverage advertisements on their heads. The devanagari script saw its peak in the times of letterpress, when elegant complex letterforms were cast and used widely in print and publication. The nature of Indian scripts being different than Roman or Latin, their digitization initially proved to be a tedious task that did not deliver the script in its totality. Recent developments in type digitization however have reached a stage where the script can be produced in its original richness of form and elements. There has been increasing demand for the digitization of Indian scripts to reach larger number of audiences via several media. In the print media, newspapers in Hindi boast more circulation than their english counterparts, proving that there is certainly demand. The digitization of Indian scripts however have brought in their wake alteration in form to suit the requirements of the technology available. Though reach of the scripts has widened, they propagated the spread of a deteriorated form. This forms the inspiration for undertaking the task to analyze the current type design scenario & thereafter design a new approach to designing typefaces to propagate the richness of a correct and complete script.

The devanagari script saw its peak in the times of letterpress, when elegant complex letterforms were cast and used widely in print and publication. The nature of Indian scripts being different than Roman or Latin, their digitization initially proved to be a tedious task that did not deliver the script in its totality. Recent developments in type digitization, open type font formats, web embedding has ensured the script to be produced in its original richness of form and elements. There has been increasing demand for the digitization of Indian scripts to reach larger number of audiences via several media.