Intro

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There is a growing advocacy for using gender-sensitive and anti-discriminatory language to dismantle the binary gender system and combat discrimination. Although gender-sensitive language is gaining acceptance in spoken communication, it has not yet been widely adopted in written texts.

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The »Genderthek« is a project that emerged from my bachelor thesis titled »Experiments in gender-inclusive and gender-free typography.« It offers typographic solutions that address existing criticisms and aim to improve the presentation and accessibility of anti-discriminatory typography.

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Design challenge

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Our written language is closely linked to our social perceptions. Various linguistic methods have already been developed that go beyond the masculine form to not only include FLINTA* people (stands for Frauen, Lesben, Intersexuelle, Nicht-binär, Transgender and Agender. In English: female, lesbian, intersex, non-binary, transgender and agender), but also to name them themselves. These methods make it possible to act in an anti-discriminatory manner by adding new characters or using other endings. This approach is an important step towards a fairer use of language and enables all people to find themselves in language.

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»Typography is what language looks like.«

– Ellen Lupton

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Typography takes on this relevance for the writer, curator, educator, and designer Ellen Lupton in society. Language carries culture, and the role of typography is crucial for the development of that culture. Our written language is a dynamic system that is constantly changing. We have terms to name certain things, but there are also things that cannot be named because there is no corresponding term for them. When our ideas change, our language changes too - and vice versa. This connection proves the ability of language to adapt to the current needs of society.

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Personal background

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Personally, I'm only through the beginning of 2020 through my studies and life in Berlin in contact with gender-sensitive language and that language change to this extent come into contact. Through further engagement with gender and anti-discriminatory language, I realized that as a designer must be a role model for many, because by using gender-sensitive language, not just men, but all people, I strive to give all gender equally to equal participation in society.

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This approach is an important step towards a fairer use of language. It makes it possible for all people to find themselves in language and emphasizes the importance of actively including all people in order to lead to a more appreciative and diverse society that recognizes all people as equal.

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The experiments

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The three experiments aim to explore gender-sensitive and gender-neutral typography. The goal is to develop typographic solutions that address existing criticisms and improve the presentation and accessibility of anti-discriminatory typography. These criticisms include issues with reading flow caused by special characters, holes in the typeface, imbalances in gray values, double function of special characters, and overall unaesthetic typeface. Orthographic criticisms often involve disruptions in reading flow due to gendered articles and pronouns, grammatically incorrect formulations, difficulties in understanding content due to major changes in texts (e.g., for readers of simple language or non-native speakers), comprehension and transmission difficulties for visually impaired, dyslexic, or neuroatypical individuals using speech output devices, and interference with artistic freedom of language. Each experiment has a conclusive result. Finally, these three results are summarized in a micro-site and made available to the public.

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The first experiment investigates the changeability of existing special characters that are part of gender-inclusive language.

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The second experiment examines the use of the ampersand »&« as a symbol for gender inclusivity and neutrality in communication.

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The third experiment aims to create a new symbol specifically designed for gender-sensitive and gender-neutral typography, considering typographic requirements and representing gender diversity and inclusivity.

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Decision making

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To present the results and communicate the experiments, they will be made publicly accessible on a micro-site. The micro-site will serve as a platform to download resources and visually describe the experiments mentioned above. The website also offers an opportunity to keep the project up to date and supplement it with interactive or collaborative functions and content. This way, it can serve as a basis for discussion and contribute to the community. However, at this time, the focus was on providing the resources and visually presenting the analyses. Features such as a voting system, a forum, or testing the results directly on the site were not included due to technical and time constraints.

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The choice of color is significant in relation to gender, as colors symbolize different genders or gender identities. To represent inclusivity, the text color combines purple, white, green, and black. Purple (#805DA3) represents individuals with a blend of male and female genders, as well as the fluidity of gender. White represents people with multiple or all genders, symbolizing the combination of all colors. Green (#6BA255) signifies non-binary gender identities, as it complements purple and represents those who identify outside the gender binary. Black represents individuals without a specific gender. The first three colors are displayed with a gradient to emphasize the fluidity of gender.

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When choosing the font for this project, one very important aspect was that it should not reinforce patriarchal social consolidated. This is where the font collection of the project »Flint*ype«, a work by the designers Lilot Kammermeier, Sophia Krayc, Coco Lobinger, and Hannah Witte, helped me further. The aim of the collection is to present typefaces by FLINTA designers from all over the world, making the world more easily accessible. In this collection, I came across the font »Calyces Inc.«, a sans serif from typeface designer Charlotte Rhode from Berlin. It is a font that works against these patriarchal social structures and, fortunately for me, is freely available for feminist projects. It impresses with medium contrast and a certain angularity, but at the same time appears very fine and free of preconceptions.

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The same approach applies to the font for the body text. Here, understandably, good legibility is important - which is why my choice of font here is »Bastardo Grotesk«, a sans serif by Giulia Boggio from Italy. It captivates with geometry, which has something quirky and therefore very personal. At the same time, it is still clearly legible. Both fonts work harmoniously together and represent and convey the project in its entirety at the same time.

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The Result

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Please visit the full website by clicking on the link in the right-hand sidebar. You can read detailed information about the experiments, download all the resources, and give them a try.

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