Studying Typography's Capacity to Improve Reading

Authors

  • Reneé Seward

Keywords:

typography, research, reading, collaboration, co-design, entrepreneurship

Abstract

For 16 years, Professor Reneé Seward has studied typography’s role in learning to read. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati in 2002, she worked professionally for 3 years before going to North Carolina State University in 2005 for her graduate degree (Master of Graphic Design MGD). It was there that she formed and initially explored the parameters of the research question “In what way can mapping or visualizing phonemic sounds to typographic symbols enhance reading for dyslexic children 9 -11 years old?” under the guidance of Professor Meredith Davis. On May 9, 2022, Visible Language editor Mike Zender interviewed Reneé about her successful, sustained research program.

Author Biography

  • Reneé Seward

    Reneé Seward is an Endowed Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of the Communication Design program at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning.Reneé has been teaching typography and graphic design for the last fifteen years. Her students have won numerous awards from Graphis, Graphic Design USA, and Creative Communication Award (C2A)design competitions.Her research focuses on developing digital and physical tools that seek to address our society’s literacy problem. She currently is a co-founder in See Word Design LLC which sells two reading tools called See Words School® and See Words Home®. Renee was a Cincy Innovates winner, has been acknowledged as a Rising Tech Star by ComSpark, and was awarded by the Business Courier Best Software of the Year. The SeeType font her team designed recently won an S TA award, and the SEGD Global Design Merit Award. She gave a TEDx talk on "Eradication Literacy Through the Power of a Font."

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Published

2022-08-19

Issue

Vol. 56 No. 2 (2022): August 2022

Section

Journal Article