Designing Beyond Words | Suranart Kasitipradit | TEDxYouth@PathumWan
The speaker argues that true creativity requires reconnecting with personal and cultural identity, using the Thai typography collective, Typeface, to move beyond external validation and make design meaningful. The core message is to prioritize internal truth and community connection, as exemplified by their development of Thai language design beyond mere word representation. This effort is meant to serve as a model for others to build work rooted in authentic, shared experience.
## Speakers & Context
- Speaker: Unnamed individual, representing the Typeface collective.
- Background: Studied at science schools in SF and New York, while gaining clarity on beliefs and passion.
- Motivation for forming Typeface: To combat alienation from roots due to immersion in *"eurocentric art and design narrative"* and address the longing for connection, intimacy, and self-recognition.
- Current status: Has a team of seven people involved with Typeface.
## Theses & Positions
- A persistent, internal yearning for connection, feeling heard, and being seen exists, and disregarding it leads to feeling distracted and unfulfilled.
- Building worth based on being an *"achiever"* or *"always hustling"* is a mechanism used to seek external approval and masks a lack of internal connection.
- Education surrounded by *"eurocentric art and design narrative"* can cause feelings of alienation from one's own cultural roots.
- The true power of design lies in exploring the bond with the *motherland* and embracing local culture.
- Words and their connotations are no longer limited by prescribed culture or geography in the "forever connected world"; they are *"forever interactive, dynamic and decentralized in meanings."*
- The goal of Typeface is to serve as a "playground for experimenting with typography" and celebrating playfulness, while making fun of oneself.
- Creative work must be anchored by a clear, genuine dream for oneself; otherwise, the work will *"lack energy."*
- The work must be contextualized by the community, emphasizing that collaborations are more important than individual feats.
- "Designing beyond words" means putting oneself and one's inherent value out into the world proudly, without limitation.
## Concepts & Definitions
- **Intimacy (lack of):** Defined not as physical distance from loved ones, but as an internal lack stemming from choosing to disregard one's own health and identity.
- **Typography:** A term for font style, appearances, spacing, and anything related to text, which aims to create a *"very specific message"* in addition to the word read.
- **Thai Typography:** The subject of the project, characterized by unique letterforms, such as the distinction between the letters 'ค' (a chicken) and 'ก' (an owl).
- **Typeface:** Literally means a collection of letter designs and related fonts (e.g., Saraban is a typeface, Saraban Bold is a font).
- **Idok Tong:** A Thai slang term for "gay," noted because its meaning has shifted, becoming less offensive, used in communities like the LGBTQ+ community.
- **Yetbet:** An interjection used when feeling frustrated or surprised, whose double rhyme in Thai is emphasized.
- **Rakhnuwan Sangwonton:** An old proverb about reserving oneself, but interpreted as a modernly "toxic and confusing narrative" regarding female roles.
- **Yet:** A word used to mean "to discriminate," referencing the issue of colorism.
## Mechanisms & Processes
- **Internal seeking of approval:** Manifested by over-scheduling and achieving visible markers of success (e.g., "constantly seek approval... by becoming an achiever").
- **Project inception:** Initiated after discussions with friends, recognizing the need to address the cultural gap created by external artistic narratives.
- **Typeface development:** Phase one involved reimagining all 44 Thai letters based on their inherent essence (e.g., interpreting abstract ideas like boldness or beauty).
- **Phase Two design:** Focuses on animating local slang and profanity to visually spark conversations about modern issues, moving *beyond* just the written word.
- **Creative practice advice:** Before starting any project, one must determine the dream for it and ensure it is "clear and true to you."
## Timeline & Sequence
- Early life: Studying in science schools in SF and New York.
- The shift: A period of feeling disconnected while pursuing education.
- Critical turning point: A conversation with friends leading to the formation of the Typeface collective.
- Growth: The team grew from an initial stage to a seven-person crew.
- Recent support: Receiving assistance from Peter and Bin, who flew from Bangkok to Chiang Mai for the 2020 Chiang Mai Design Week.
## Named Entities
- **Thailand** — The speaker's home country and cultural focus.
- **SF** — San Francisco.
- **New York** — Location of collaborating friends (Nana and Sarah).
- **Hatyai** — Location of a friend in Thailand.
- **Bangkok** — Major Thai city; location of a friend (Pikat Ping).
- **Chiang Mai** — Major Thai city; location of a friend (Suiting) and site of a design week.
- **Typeface** — The collective/project name.
- **Saraban** — An example of a typeface name.
- **Peter and Bin** — Friends who traveled to help set up for Chiang Mai Design Week.
## Numbers & Data
- Total number of Thai letters: **44**.
- Team size: Grew into a **seven** person team.
## Examples & Cases
- **Online Language Evolution:** The word "great," which was thought to mean "hate," can become "gloriada," meaning love.
- **Thai Slang Usage:**
- *idok*: A variant of "gay," used in LGBTQ+ contexts, becoming less offensive.
- *yetbet*: An interjection used for frustration or surprise.
- *yet kei*: Means "to have sex with a crocodile."
- *rakhnuwan sangwonton*: An old proverb about female reserve, contrasted with modern expectations.
- *yet*: Meaning "to discriminate," linked to colorism and skin-whitening products.
- **Visual Interpretation:** The letter 'ค' (Ka) was reimagined to show hidden defiance, referencing the alcoholic nature of *lao*.
- **Modern Design Application:** Animating the word *idok tong* (golden flower) to show how slang can be recontextualized visually.
## Tools, Tech & Products
- **Design mediums:** Typist, image, medium, mr message, 3D, and motion graphics.
- **Digital Communication:** Zoom (used for brainstorming sessions) and FaceTime (used for team check-ins).
## References Cited
- **Oprah:** Mentioned as an inspiration/figure of belief reinforcement.
## Trade-offs & Alternatives
- **Traditional approach:** Relying on pre-defined, prescribed cultural values for language and design.
- **Modern approach:** Embracing the open-access, decentralized, and interactive nature of digital language on the internet.
- **Artistic Focus:** Moving from merely designing *words* to animating *local slang* and profanity.
- **Emotional Risk:** Choosing to incorporate powerful, strong, and potentially sensitive language into art.
## Methodology
- **Typeface Conceptualization:** A "play on words" connecting the idea of a *tie* (connection) with *typeface* (letter designs).
- **Design Process:** Iterative process involving community input, cultural decoding, and experimentation to express abstract concepts (e.g., boredom, defiance).
- **Community Building:** Forming a support structure by gathering creatives both within and outside Thailand to hold each other accountable.
## Conclusions & Recommendations
- Before starting any project, one must first identify and clarify their ultimate dream for it, ensuring it is "clear and true to you."
- The work's energy source must come from a "meaningful intention," not external validation or trends.
- Art and design must ultimately be rooted in authenticity to the self and the community, rather than competition.
- The goal is to create a "safe space" for experimentation and the bold expression of self-identity.
## Implications & Consequences
- **Cultural Preservation:** The project reasserts the value and dynamism of local, marginalized, or evolving dialects and slang against globalizing cultural norms.
- **Authenticity:** The work suggests that true creativity is found by synthesizing personal experience, cultural history, and current, messy reality.
- **Community Strength:** The success of Typeface is framed as proof that collective support is superior to solo genius in the industry.
## Verbatim Moments
- *"i have this yearning to feel connected heard and seen even if i don't tend to admit it it's always there and i know you do too"*
- *"a lack of intimacy that comes from within"*
- *"i would constantly seek approval from other people by becoming an achiever and base a lot of my worth on how busy i am"*
- *"a whisper at night now that tiny little voice inside your head that comes out at 3am when your guards are down"*
- *"typeface was born before we knew it"*
- *"it's like how when we speak our tone of voice gives this added meaning to what we're trying to say typography does the same"*
- *"words and their connotations are forever interactive dynamic and decentralized in meanings"*
- *"This thai type in motion family means the world to me because it's about being authentic to oneself"*
- *"i want to dare you to expand your idea and make it so large that it has its own life and then keep thinking even bigger still embrace that"*
- *"the work that we put out in the world will always be in context of each other"*