Abstract
This paper explores how through visual analysis of contemporary design of typographic systems in Colombia, it is possible to create a custom framework for clustering and analysis to help recognize the possible emergence of cultural signals of colonised communities and cultural groups. Based on that framework we described these signals in four categories: Abstracted indigenous heritage (cultural revival); hybrid graphic vernacular (vernacular typography); Indigenous linguistic forms (direct linguistic revival); and hybrid cultural abstraction (indirect linguistic revival). We argue that local/regional type design and typography are increasingly serving as a medium of cultural resistance (intentional or unintentional), where designers engage with indigenous heritage, self-expression, and national patrimony to challenge hegemonic visual languages. Through a situated analysis, we examine case studies of contemporary Colombian typefaces that incorporate vernacular influences, indigenous scripts, and hybrid aesthetics. This article situates type design within broader cultural and political contexts, proposing typeface design as an active agent in the construction of identity and decolonial
Keywords
Typography; Global South; Cultural resistance; Decolonial design Indigenous design; Type Design Trends
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.1078
Citation
Puertas, C.A.,and de la Ros, J.A.(2025) The emergence of cultural signals in typographic systems, in Chang, C.-Y., and Hsu, Y. (eds.), IASDR 2025: Design Next, 02-05 December, Taiwan. https://doi.org/10.21606/iasdr.2025.1078
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Conference Track
Track 11 - Culture and Craft Design for Regenerative Practices
The emergence of cultural signals in typographic systems
This paper explores how through visual analysis of contemporary design of typographic systems in Colombia, it is possible to create a custom framework for clustering and analysis to help recognize the possible emergence of cultural signals of colonised communities and cultural groups. Based on that framework we described these signals in four categories: Abstracted indigenous heritage (cultural revival); hybrid graphic vernacular (vernacular typography); Indigenous linguistic forms (direct linguistic revival); and hybrid cultural abstraction (indirect linguistic revival). We argue that local/regional type design and typography are increasingly serving as a medium of cultural resistance (intentional or unintentional), where designers engage with indigenous heritage, self-expression, and national patrimony to challenge hegemonic visual languages. Through a situated analysis, we examine case studies of contemporary Colombian typefaces that incorporate vernacular influences, indigenous scripts, and hybrid aesthetics. This article situates type design within broader cultural and political contexts, proposing typeface design as an active agent in the construction of identity and decolonial