Voice Print Buka by Isabelle Tan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Moputso oa Tšepe oa A' Design Award in Moralo wa Kgatiso le Media e Phatlaladitsweng Competition Category.

TšepeKgatiso· 2026

Voice Print Buka

by Isabelle Tan

Client: Isabelle Tan

Moputso oa Tšepe oa A' Design Award Winner in Kgatiso Category

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Voice Print Buka

Voice Print ke buka e mabapi le ho kgaotseha ha puo, e leng dikgaello le ho se tsitse ho etsahalang ha batho ba bua. Buka ena e sebedisa ditshwantsho tsa mongolo (typographic scores), e leng dipaterone tse bonwang ka mahlo tse hlalosang puo ho ya ka nako, ho bontsha hore bokgabane ba puo bo teng ka mokgwa o fapaneng ho e na le hore bo arolwe feela ka mekgahlelo e mmedi. Ditshwantsho tsena di hatisitswe pampiring e bonaletsang e nang le ho bonahala ho matla ka lehlakoreng le leng. Diesei tse ngotsweng ka mongolo o mosweu hodima botsho, pampiring e benyang le e sa bonaletseng, di fana ka moelelo mme di tataisa mmadi. Buka ena e lekana le diintjhi tse 9 ka bophara le tse 12 ka bolelele, e leng boholo bo tshwanang le ba pampiri ya mmino.

The Recognition

About the Moputso oa Tšepe oa A' Design Award

Voice Print Buka ke mohapi oa Moputso oa Tšepe oa A' Design Award, kananelo e hlomphehang e fuoang meralo e metle e finyellang litlhoko tsa porofeshenale le tsa indasteri tse lebelletsoeng ho lintho tse hlahisitsoeng tse entsoeng hantle. Bahapi ba Tšepe ba bontša bokhoni bo boholo, bokhethehi bo phahameng, kutloisiso ea litsebi le bokhoni ba boqapi ba baqapi ba bona. Voice Print Buka e lebelletsoe ho ba ntho e hlahisitsoeng e hlomphuoang haholo, e ratoang le e ratehang, e sebetsang le e nang le mehopolo e mecha. Moralo ona o hapileng Moputso oa Tšepe oa A' Design Award o kenyelletsa mekhoa e metle ka ho fetesisa ea indasteri mme o na le litšobotsi tsa theknoloji tse nang le bokhoni tse amanang le tsebo le talenta. Ka lebaka la botlalo ba eona, Voice Print Buka e tšoanelehela tlhompho mme e entsoe ho fana ka ntlafatso ea bophelo e thusang ho etsa hore lefatše le be sebaka se molemo.

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