Voice Print Libër by Isabelle Tan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Çmimi i Hekurt A' Design Award in Dizajni i Medias së Shtypur dhe të Publikuar Competition Category.

HekuriShtyp· 2026

Voice Print Libër

by Isabelle Tan

Client: Isabelle Tan

Çmimi i Hekurt A' Design Award Winner in Shtyp Category

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The Design

About Voice Print Libër

Voice Print është një libër mbi çrregullimet e rrjedhshmërisë së të folurit, ndërprerjet dhe parregullsitë që ndodhin kur njerëzit flasin. Libri përdor partitura tipografike, modele vizuale që hartografojnë të folurit përgjatë kohës, për të treguar se rrjedhshmëria ekziston si një spektër dhe jo si një ndarje e thjeshtë në dy gjendje. Partiturat janë të shtypura në letër gjysmë të tejdukshme me tejdukshmëri të fortë. Esetë e shkruara me të bardhë mbi të zezë, në letër me shkëlqim dhe të patejdukshme, ofrojnë kontekst dhe udhëheqin lexuesin. Libri ka përmasa 9 me 12 inç, në të njëjtën madhësi si partiturat muzikore.

The Recognition

About the Çmimi i Hekurt A' Design Award

Voice Print Libër është fitues i Çmimit të Hekurt A' Design Award, një njohje prestigjioze që u akordohet dizajneve të mira që plotësojnë kërkesat profesionale e industriale që priten nga krijimet e dizajnuara mirë. Fituesit e Hekurt shfaqin aftësi të madhe, specializim të lartë, kuptim ekspert dhe kapacitet krijues të autorëve të tyre. Voice Print Libër pritet të jetë një krijim shumë i vlerësuar, i admiruar e i dashur, praktik dhe inovativ. Ky dizajn fitues i Çmimit të Hekurt A' Design Award integron praktikat më të mira të industrisë dhe ka karakteristika teknike të afta, të lidhura me njohuri dhe talent. Voice Print Libër respektohet për përpikërinë e tij dhe është dizajnuar për të ofruar përmirësime të cilësisë së jetës që ndihmojnë ta bëjnë botën një vend më të mirë.

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