Voice Print Bhuku by Isabelle Tan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Mubairo weSimbi we A' Design Award in Kudhinda neZvakadhindwa Competition Category.

SimbiKudhinda· 2026

Voice Print Bhuku

by Isabelle Tan

Client: Isabelle Tan

Mubairo weSimbi we A' Design Award Winner in Kudhinda Category

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Voice Print Bhuku

Voice Print ibhuku rinotaura nezvekukanganiswa kwekutaura, iko kudimburirwa uye kusaenzana kunoitika kana vanhu vachitaura. Bhuku iri rinoshandisa zvinyorwa zvemavara, mifananidzo inoratidza kutaura nekufamba kwenguva, kuratidza kuti kutaura zvakatsetseka kuriko pamwero wakasiyana-siyana pane kungove kupatsanurwa kuviri chete. Zvinyorwa izvi zvakadhindwa pabepa rinooneka nemukati rine kubuda kwakasimba kwezvakadhindwa kudivi rimwe. Zvinyorwa zvakaiswa nemavara machena padema, pabepa rinopenya uye risingaoneki nemukati, zvinopa tsanangudzo uye zvinotungamirira muverengi. Bhuku iri rine chiyero che9 ne12 inches, saizi imwe chete nemapepa emimhanzi.

The Recognition

About the Mubairo weSimbi we A' Design Award

Mubairo weSimbi we A' Design Award wakahwinwa ne Voice Print Bhuku, rukudzo runokudzwa runopiwa kumadhizaini akanaka anozadzisa zvinodiwa zvehunyanzvi neyeindasitiri zvinotarisirwa kuzvigadzirwa zvakagadzirwa zvakanaka. Vakunda veSimbi vanoratidza unyanzvi hukuru, hunyanzvi hwakakwirira, kunzwisisa kwevakachenjera uye kugona kwekugadzira kwevagadziri vavo. Voice Print Bhuku inotarisirwa kuva chigadzirwa chinokudzwa zvakanyanya, chinoremekedzwa uye chinodiwa, chinoshanda uye chine zvitsva. Dhizaini iyi yakahwina Mubairo weSimbi we A' Design Award inosanganisa maitiro akanakisa eindasitiri uye ine hunhu hwetekinoroji hwakakwana hwakabatana neruzivo nehunyanzvi. Nekushanda kwayo zvakanaka, Voice Print Bhuku inoremekedzwa uye yakagadzirirwa kupa kuvandudzwa kwehupenyu kunobatsira kuita kuti nyika ive nzvimbo iri nani.

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