Voice Print Kitabu by Isabelle Tan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2026 Tuzo ya Chuma ya A' Design Award in Usanifu wa Uchapishaji na Machapisho Competition Category.

ChumaUchapishaji· 2026

Voice Print Kitabu

by Isabelle Tan

Client: Isabelle Tan

Tuzo ya Chuma ya A' Design Award Winner in Uchapishaji Category

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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Voice Print Kitabu

Voice Print ni kitabu kinachohusu vikwazo vya usemi, yaani mikatizo na mikengeuko inayotokea watu wanapozungumza. Kitabu hiki kinatumia michoro ya kityografia ya sauti, mifumo ya kuona inayoonyesha usemi kwa muda, ili kudhihirisha kwamba ufasaha upo katika wigo badala ya kuwa mgawanyo rahisi wa hali mbili. Michoro hii imechapishwa kwenye karatasi zinazopitisha mwanga zenye mwonekano mkubwa wa kupenya. Insha zilizoandikwa kwa rangi nyeupe juu ya nyeusi, kwenye karatasi zenye mng'ao na zisizopitisha mwanga, zinatoa muktadha na kumwongoza msomaji. Kitabu hiki kina ukubwa wa inchi 9 kwa 12, sawa na ukubwa wa karatasi za muziki.

The Recognition

About the Tuzo ya Chuma ya A' Design Award

Voice Print Kitabu ni mshindi wa Tuzo ya Chuma ya A' Design Award, utambuzi wenye heshima unaotolewa kwa miundo mizuri inayokidhi mahitaji ya kitaalamu na ya kiviwanda yanayotarajiwa kutoka kwa kazi zilizobuniwa vizuri. Washindi wa Chuma huonyesha ustadi mkubwa, utaalamu wa hali ya juu, uelewa wa kitaalamu na uwezo wa kibunifu wa waumbaji wao. Voice Print Kitabu inatarajiwa kuwa kazi inayothaminiwa sana, kupendwa na kuenziwa, ambayo ni ya vitendo na bunifu. Muundo huu ulioshinda Tuzo ya Chuma ya A' Design Award unajumuisha mbinu bora za tasnia na una sifa za kiufundi zenye uwezo zilizounganishwa na ujuzi na kipaji. Voice Print Kitabu inaheshimiwa kwa uangalifu wake na imebuniwa kutoa maboresho ya ubora wa maisha yanayosaidia kuufanya ulimwengu kuwa mahali bora zaidi.

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