Typeface Research

We conduct research on typefaces.

A typeface is a collection of characters with consistent design. The sans-serif typeface you are (probably) looking at now, Noto Sans, is one typeface, as is the serif typeface you see in novels. We are surrounded by various typefaces, and when we read, it is the typefaces we are looking at. From experience and partly from experiments, we know that typefaces have features such as readability, legibility, attractiveness, and communicability. However, the specific functions of each typeface or each category of typefaces, or the way typefaces function, remain unclear and require further research.

Typefaces have been the subject of design studies, but typefaces as signs with function and meaning are also a subject of semiotics. Since digital typefaces have become the primary form of typefaces, typeface research is also closely related to informatics and computer science. In addition, since the functional evaluation of typefaces deals with how people see or read characters, there are points of contact with psychology and neuroscience. Of course, translation studies are also a target for research and application.

At Nohara Lab, we cover a wide range of topics, from basic research to applied research. New proposals are also welcome.

Research topics

  • Basic research

    • Morphology of typefaces

      • Methods for systematically describing visual attributes of typefaces
      • Observation and description of typeface creation processes
    • Pragmatics of typefaces and paratexts

      • Description of typeface usage based on large-scale data
    • Semantics of typefaces
  • Applied research

    • Automatic generation of typefaces

      • Development of technologies for parametric typeface design
      • Development of typeface customization systems
    • Functional evaluation of typefaces

      • Research on Japanese typefaces designed for readers with developmental dyslexia
      • Research on multilingual typefaces that are readable to various readers

Publications/Conference presentations

  • 教科書体付属欧文の読みやすさに関する実証研究 [Empirical Research on the Readability of the Latin Typefaces in Japanese Textbook Typefaces]
    • 朱心茹, 高田裕美, 影浦峡 [Xinru Zhu, Yumi Takata, and Kyo Kageura]
    • デザイン学研究 [Bulletin of Japanese Society for the Science of Design], Vol. 66, No. 3, pp. 51–60, 2020.
    • LINK
  • 発達性ディスレクシアに特化した読みやすい和文書体の研究 [Research on Readable Japanese Typefaces Designed for Readers with Developmental Dyslexia]
    • 朱心茹 [Xinru Zhu]
    • DNP文化振興財団 学術研究助成紀要 [Bulletin of Graphic Culture Research Grants], Vol. 2, pp. 82–97, 2019.
  • A Research on Readable Japanese Typography for Dyslexic Children and Students: Creating Japanese Typefaces for Dyslexic Readers
    • Shohei Yamada and Xinru Zhu
    • 東京大学大学院教育学研究科附属学校教育高度化・効果検証センター研究紀要 [Bulletin of Center for Advanced School Education and Evidence-Based Research], Vol. 3, pp. 50–70, 2018.
    • LINK
  • A Japanese Typeface Customization System for Readers with Developmental Dyslexia (Poster presentation)
    • Xinru Zhu and Kyo Kageura
    • Asia Pacific Dyslexia Forum, Online (Okayama, Japan), 2021.05.08–09.
  • Analysis of Typefaces Designed for Readers with Developmental Dyslexia: Insights from Neural Networks (Oral presentation)
    • Xinru Zhu, Kyo Kageura and Shin’ichi Satoh
    • 14th IAPR International Workshop on Document Analysis Systems, Online (Wuhan, China), 2020.07.29.
    • LINK DAS 2020: Document Analysis Systems, pp. 529–543.
  • Research on Japanese Typefaces and Typeface Customisation System Designed for Readers with Developmental Dyslexia (Oral presentation)
    • Xinru Zhu and Kyo Kageura
    • International Association of Societies of Design Research (IASDR) Conference, Manchester, UK, 2019.09.03.
    • PDF Paper
  • Evaluation of the Readability and Legibility of a Set of Newly Created Japanese Typefaces Designed for Readers with Dyslexia (Oral presentation)
    • Xinru Zhu, Shohei Yamada, and Kyo Kageura
    • International Interdisciplinary Symposium on Reading Experience & Analysis of Documents (READ), Kaiserslautern, Germany, 2018.10.05.
    • PDF Slide
  • Creation and Expansion of a Japanese Typeface Designed for Readers with Dyslexia (Poster presentation)
    • Xinru Zhu, Shohei Yamada, and Kyo Kageura
    • British Dyslexia Association (BDA) International Conference, Telford, UK, 2018.04.13.
    • PDF Poster
  • A Preliminary Experiment on Japanese Typefaces Designed for Readers with Dyslexia (Poster presentation)
    • Xinru Zhu, Shohei Yamada, and Kyo Kageura
    • Association for Reading and Writing in Asia (ARWA) Annual Conference, Tsukuba, Japan, 2018.02.23.
    • PDF Poster
  • Creation of a Japanese Typeface Designed for Readers with Dyslexia (Oral presentation)
    • Xinru Zhu, Shohei Yamada, and Kyo Kageura
    • 9th Asia Library and Information Research Group (ALIRG) Workshop, Khon Kaen, Thailand, 2017.11.16.
    • LINK Proceedings of the 9th Asia Library and Information Research Group Workshop, pp. 34–41.
    • PDF Paper
    • PDF Slide
  • Characteristics of a Japanese Typeface for Dyslexic Readers (Poster presentation)
    • Xinru Zhu
    • Japanese Association for Digital Humanities Conference, Tokyo, Japan, 2016.09.13.
    • LINK Digital Scholarship in History and the Humanities, Proceedings of the 6th Conference of Japanese Association for Digital Humanities, pp. 32–36.
    • PDF Poster
  • 書体カスタマイズシステムに関するレビュー：発達性ディスレクシアに特化した和文書体カスタマイズシステムの開発へ向けて [A Review on Typeface Customisation System: Towards the Development of a Japanese Typeface Customisation System for Readers with Developmental Dyslexia] (Oral presentation)
    • 朱心茹, 影浦峡 [Xinru Zhu and Kyo Kageura]
    • 情報処理学会 第82回全国大会 [82nd National Convention of Information Processing Society of Japan], オンライン（金沢） [Online (Kanazawa, Japan)], 2020.03.07.
    • LINK 情報処理学会第82回全国大会講演論文集研究報告 [Proceedings of the 82th National Convention of IPSJ], Vol. 2020, No. 1, pp. 333–334.
  • 発達性ディスレクシアに特化した和文書体の要件定義と作成 [Definition and Creation of a Japanese Typeface Designed for Dyslexic Readers] (Oral presentation)
    • 朱心茹, 山田翔平, 影浦峡 [Xinru Zhu, Shohei Yamada, and Kyo Kageura]
    • 第17回発達性ディスレクシア研究会 [Japan Dyslexia Research Association 2017], 松江 [Matsue, Japan], 2017.07.02.
    • PDF Slide
  • 発達性ディスレクシアに特化した欧文書体の特徴 [Characteristics of Latin Typefaces for Dyslexic Readers] (Oral presentation)
    • 朱心茹 [Xinru Zhu]
    • 情報処理学会 第135回コンピュータと教育研究会 [Information Processing Society of Japan SIG CE (Computer and Education)], 長野 [Nagano, Japan], 2016.07.02.
    • LINK 情報処理学会研究報告 [IPSJ SIG Technical Report], Vol. 2016-CE-135, No. 4, pp. 1–9.

Research grants

Contact

Dr. Xinru Zhu, Assistant Professor, Nohara Lab

Typeface Research

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