Voice Print Llibre by Isabelle Tan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 A' Design Award de Ferro in Disseny de Mitjans Impresos i Publicats Competition Category.

FerroImprès· 2026

Voice Print Llibre

by Isabelle Tan

Client: Isabelle Tan

A' Design Award de Ferro Winner in Imprès Category

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Verified Award Winner
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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

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The Design

About Voice Print Llibre

Voice Print és un llibre sobre les disfluències de la parla, les interrupcions i irregularitats que es produeixen quan les persones parlen. El llibre utilitza partitures tipogràfiques, patrons visuals que representen la parla al llarg del temps, per mostrar que la fluïdesa existeix en un espectre i no com una simple divisió en dos estats. Les partitures estan impreses en paper translúcid amb una forta transparència. Els assaigs, compostos en blanc sobre negre, en paper brillant i opac, aporten context i guien el lector. El llibre fa 9 per 12 polzades, la mateixa mida que les partitures musicals.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Ferro

Voice Print Llibre és un guanyador del guardó A' Design Award de Ferro, un reconeixement prestigiós concedit a bons dissenys que compleixen els requisits professionals i industrials esperats de creacions ben dissenyades. Els guanyadors de Ferro demostren una gran habilitat, una alta especialització, una comprensió experta i la capacitat creativa dels seus creadors. Es preveu que Voice Print Llibre sigui una creació molt apreciada, admirada i estimada que és pràctica i innovadora. Aquest disseny guanyador del guardó A' Design Award de Ferro integra les millors pràctiques del sector i té característiques tècniques competents lligades al coneixement i al talent. Voice Print Llibre és respectat per la seva minuciositat i està pensat per oferir millores en la qualitat de vida que ajuden a fer del món un lloc millor.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Voice Print is a book about disfluencies and the way we speak. It attempts to show the hidden complexities of fluent speech through typographic scores, showing that fluency exists on a spectrum rather than a simple binary. Alongside the scores are essays that provide context and guide the reader through the book. These essay spreads are white on black, and printed on glossy, opaque paper stock. It's design is intentionally rigid and mechanical, but still mimicking the fluidity of the scores.
Dimensions & Packaging: Width 228.6mm x Depth 304.8mm x Height 15mm
Tags: typography, book design, experimental typography, graphic notation, editorial design
Production Technology: The book is 9x12 inches, same size as sheet music. Scores are printed on translucent paper with significant show-through, representing the fluidity of human speech. Essays are white on black and printed on glossy, opaque paper, to contrast the scores.
Design Challenge: The hardest part was translating something as fluid and emotional as speech into a strict visual system. Finding the right balance between structure and freedom required constant testing. Socially, it confronted cultural biases surrounding stuttering; technically, it involved designing a typographic method capable of capturing temporal and tonal variations. This process expanded the role of design as a tool for empathy and linguistic awareness.
Research: This design research explores speech fluency through visual notation. The goal was to reveal the structure behind imperfect speech. Using recorded interviews, speech was transcribed into typographic scores that map sound over time. Participants included people with varying speech patterns. The results show visual and rhythmic similarities between stuttering and melisma, reframing disfluency as expression, not error, impacting how we perceive voice and identity.
Inspiration: What is fluency? Is it the lack of stutters? Does it signify perfection? How do we show the hidden complexity behind fluent speech? When we mention fluency, thoughts of speaking smoothly often come to mind. Disfluencies have been viewed as undesirable due to cultural perceptions. What if our pauses and irregular flow of speech arent seen as undesirable?
Project Duration: This project started in January 2023 NYC, and completed in July 2025 NYC.
Operation Flow: Voice Print turns speech into visual scores. Each page transcribes how we talk, pauses, hesitations, and rhythm, into patterns on a grid, inspired by the musical score. By following a few design rules, speech becomes something you can see. It helps us recognize that stuttering and melismatic singing share structure, showing that our disfluencies are not flaws but part of how we express ourselves.
Team Members: Isabelle Tan