title: The exploration of static typography for expressing the emotive qualities of music

authors: Lu, Amanda (Meng-Hsuan)

subjects: typography

abstract: This thesis explores how the pure form of static typography can express the emotive qualities of music. More specifically, how typefaces/letterforms and typographic compositions can produce emotive associations; and whether combining both aspects can enhance the emotive value.

Emotion, typography and music are the three core subject areas of this research. Using music as the medium to elicit emotions, the findings from this thesis indicate that typeface/letterform is the most effective aspect of static typography to express emotive qualities, followed by the combination of both typographic aspects, and typographic composition which has the least impact for emotive connections. 

Five influential factors affecting the process of emotive association between music and static typography has been found: 1) Association of typographic attributes and design principles to emotive qualities, 2) Direct association using emotive terms and adjectives, 3) Connotation through personal memory and imagination, 4) Association to human voice and human touch, and 5) Association to phonetic properties of music. 

Chapter 2 of this thesis presents a review of the literature from the three main subject areas. It begins from the psychology of emotions and the importance of emotional attachment in design. Next, the chapter discusses the visual logic and creation of emotions through the pure anatomy of letterforms and typographic experimentation. The third section continues with how music can evoke emotions and the analogy between the properties of music and typographic characteristics. 

Chapter 3  4 presents original research of this thesis, initiating with a formative pilot study where three music sequences were selected and three corresponding typographic compositions designed by the researcher. The method of matching one sequence to one design piece was employed. Chapter 4 continues with original research, where modification was made to the methodology to obtain more specific results. Each aspect of static typography was investigated individually. The combination of both aspects was also tested to examine whether it can enhance the emotive impact.

Findings from this research intend to present fresh realization to graphic designers, typographers and type designers, highlighting the tangible and enduring essence of static typography, with its power to engage the audience on an emotive level.

text: The exploration of static typography for expressing the emotive qualities of music This thesis explores how the pure form of static typography can express the emotive qualities of music. More specifically, how typefaces/letterforms and typographic compositions can produce emotive associations; and whether combining both aspects can enhance the emotive value.

Emotion, typography and music are the three core subject areas of this research. Using music as the medium to elicit emotions, the findings from this thesis indicate that typeface/letterform is the most effective aspect of static typography to express emotive qualities, followed by the combination of both typographic aspects, and typographic composition which has the least impact for emotive connections. 

Five influential factors affecting the process of emotive association between music and static typography has been found: 1) Association of typographic attributes and design principles to emotive qualities, 2) Direct association using emotive terms and adjectives, 3) Connotation through personal memory and imagination, 4) Association to human voice and human touch, and 5) Association to phonetic properties of music. 

Chapter 2 of this thesis presents a review of the literature from the three main subject areas. It begins from the psychology of emotions and the importance of emotional attachment in design. Next, the chapter discusses the visual logic and creation of emotions through the pure anatomy of letterforms and typographic experimentation. The third section continues with how music can evoke emotions and the analogy between the properties of music and typographic characteristics. 

Chapter 3  4 presents original research of this thesis, initiating with a formative pilot study where three music sequences were selected and three corresponding typographic compositions designed by the researcher. The method of matching one sequence to one design piece was employed. Chapter 4 continues with original research, where modification was made to the methodology to obtain more specific results. Each aspect of static typography was investigated individually. The combination of both aspects was also tested to examine whether it can enhance the emotive impact.

Findings from this research intend to present fresh realization to graphic designers, typographers and type designers, highlighting the tangible and enduring essence of static typography, with its power to engage the audience on an emotive level.

year: 2009

title: Pasifika women affected by domestic violence: The case of Teuila

authors: Masters-Awatere, Bridgette

abstract: Domestic violence is a pervasive social issue in New Zealand, with the majority of victims being women and children. In 2008, the New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey found that one in five Pasifika had experienced violence at the hands of their partner in the previous year.2 Six years later the results of the same survey reported a 19 per cent decrease of intimate partner violence among Pasifika. Despite this reduction, domestic violence is still prevalent in Pasifika communities. Women in general are known to have low rates of accessing the services available to assist them in navigating themselves and their children to safety, and Pasifika women, with even fewer social and economic resources than other women, are thus left in an even more precarious position. The research presented in this chapter focuses on identifying the barriers and supports women encounter when they attempt to access external agency support to gain protection from their abusers in order to deal with the impacts of abuse.

text: Pasifika women affected by domestic violence: The case of Teuila Domestic violence is a pervasive social issue in New Zealand, with the majority of victims being women and children. In 2008, the New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey found that one in five Pasifika had experienced violence at the hands of their partner in the previous year.2 Six years later the results of the same survey reported a 19 per cent decrease of intimate partner violence among Pasifika. Despite this reduction, domestic violence is still prevalent in Pasifika communities. Women in general are known to have low rates of accessing the services available to assist them in navigating themselves and their children to safety, and Pasifika women, with even fewer social and economic resources than other women, are thus left in an even more precarious position. The research presented in this chapter focuses on identifying the barriers and supports women encounter when they attempt to access external agency support to gain protection from their abusers in order to deal with the impacts of abuse.

year: 2017

title: Equity, inclusivity and shared humanity:  Addressing intergenerational failure of schooling for Māori

authors: Egan, Margaret

subjects: Equity of Māori learners

abstract: Despite decades of education reform aimed at Māori students succeeding in schooling, the New Zealand education system’s failure to engage effectively with Māori is persistent with Māori underachievement remaining chronic and seemingly intractable.
This thesis examines the interface between leadership and professional learning in a single sex secondary school during their engagement with Te Kotahitanga (Unity of Purpose). The school’s leaders were focused on closing the achievement gap between Māori and non-Māori students and asserted that if students remained engaged at school into the senior year levels, they were more likely to “achieve success”. Te Kotahitanga’s initial focus on teaching and learning in the junior years 9 and 10 presented a potential solution. As this school began to engage with Te Kotahitanga, Ka Hikitia (to step up), a strategy aimed at Māori students achieving educational success as Māori, was launched. Thus, a mandate for school reform focused on Māori potential supported the professional learning provided by Te Kotahitanga.
The findings, presented as quantitative and qualitative evidence, show that school leaders focused on their teachers implementing a more culturally responsive and relational pedagogy at Years 9 and 10 in order to close the achievement gap between Māori and their non-Māori peers. They believed that this would prepare Māori students for the more formal and traditional learning experience required in the senior school, aimed at getting through important national qualifications. While teachers and leaders who were fully engaged in Te Kotahitanga transformed the classroom experiences for their junior and senior learners, not all teachers and leaders engaged, therefore not all learners experienced the change in pedagogy throughout their time at this school. The findings also uncover layers of bias within the school and its community which prevented Māori families from contributing to their children’s education on their own terms. The two key foci, closing the achievement gap between Māori and non-Māori and retaining Māori students into the senior school obfuscated a focus on shared humanity, equity, belonging and better engagement for all.
While this research took place in New Zealand with Māori students these findings can contribute to those involved with school reform especially those in other colonised countries where indigenous students and their families face similar issues.

text: Equity, inclusivity and shared humanity:  Addressing intergenerational failure of schooling for Māori Despite decades of education reform aimed at Māori students succeeding in schooling, the New Zealand education system’s failure to engage effectively with Māori is persistent with Māori underachievement remaining chronic and seemingly intractable.
This thesis examines the interface between leadership and professional learning in a single sex secondary school during their engagement with Te Kotahitanga (Unity of Purpose). The school’s leaders were focused on closing the achievement gap between Māori and non-Māori students and asserted that if students remained engaged at school into the senior year levels, they were more likely to “achieve success”. Te Kotahitanga’s initial focus on teaching and learning in the junior years 9 and 10 presented a potential solution. As this school began to engage with Te Kotahitanga, Ka Hikitia (to step up), a strategy aimed at Māori students achieving educational success as Māori, was launched. Thus, a mandate for school reform focused on Māori potential supported the professional learning provided by Te Kotahitanga.
The findings, presented as quantitative and qualitative evidence, show that school leaders focused on their teachers implementing a more culturally responsive and relational pedagogy at Years 9 and 10 in order to close the achievement gap between Māori and their non-Māori peers. They believed that this would prepare Māori students for the more formal and traditional learning experience required in the senior school, aimed at getting through important national qualifications. While teachers and leaders who were fully engaged in Te Kotahitanga transformed the classroom experiences for their junior and senior learners, not all teachers and leaders engaged, therefore not all learners experienced the change in pedagogy throughout their time at this school. The findings also uncover layers of bias within the school and its community which prevented Māori families from contributing to their children’s education on their own terms. The two key foci, closing the achievement gap between Māori and non-Māori and retaining Māori students into the senior school obfuscated a focus on shared humanity, equity, belonging and better engagement for all.
While this research took place in New Zealand with Māori students these findings can contribute to those involved with school reform especially those in other colonised countries where indigenous students and their families face similar issues.

year: 2022