Voice Print Pirtûk by Isabelle Tan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Xelata A' Design Award a Hesinîn in Dîzayna Medyaya Çapkirî û Weşandî Competition Category.

HesinÇap· 2026

Voice Print Pirtûk

by Isabelle Tan

Client: Isabelle Tan

Xelata A' Design Award a Hesinîn Winner in Çap Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #178230

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Voice Print Pirtûk

Voice Print pirtûkek e li ser nerêkûpêkiyên axaftinê, ew qutbûn û nerêkbûnên ku dema mirov diaxivin çêdibin. Pirtûk notayên tîpografîk, nexşeyên dîtbarî yên ku axaftinê li ser demê nexşe dikin, bi kar tîne da ku nîşan bide ku herikbarî li ser spektrumekê heye ne ku wek dabeşkirineke sade ya du rewşan. Ev nota li ser kaxeza şefaf a ku bi xuyabûneke xurt a aliyê din ve hatiye çapkirin. Gotarên ku bi tîpên spî li ser reş, li ser kaxeza biriqok û nezelal hatine rêzkirin, çarçoveyê didin û rêberiya xwendevan dikin. Mezinahiya pirtûkê 9 bi 12 înç e, heman mezinahiya notaya muzîkê.

The Recognition

About the Xelata A' Design Award a Hesinîn

Voice Print Pirtûk xelatgirê Xelata A' Design Award a Hesinîn e, nasîneke bi prestîj ku ji sêwiranên baş re tê dayîn, yên ku pêdiviyên pîşeyî û pîşesaziyê yên ku ji afirandinên baş hatine sêwirandin têne hêvîkirin tînin cih. Xelatgirên Hesinînê jêhatîbûna mezin, pisporiya bilind, têgihiştina pisporî û kapasîteya afirîner a afirînerên xwe nîşan didin. Tê hêvîkirin ku Voice Print Pirtûk afirandineke pir hatiye rêzgirtin, sitayişkirin û delal, pratîkî û nûjen be. Ev sêwirana bi Hesinînê serketî pratîkên çêtirîn ên pîşesaziyê yekgirtî dike û xwedî taybetmendiyên teknîkî yên jêhatî ye ku bi zanîn û jêhatîbûnê ve girêdayî ne. Voice Print Pirtûk ji ber baldariya xwe tê rêzgirtin û hatiye sêwirandin da ku kalîteya jiyanê baştir bike û alîkariya çêtirkirina dinyayê bike.

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