CODING IS FOR EVERYONE—
AS LONG AS YOU SPEAK ENGLISH
Role: Editorial Designer
Tools: Adobe Indesign, Illustrator
Size: 8.5*11 in
Tools: Adobe Indesign, Illustrator
Size: 8.5*11 in
Client:
Self-initiated
Timeline: 4 Weeks Fall 2021
Timeline: 4 Weeks Fall 2021
2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web, and there's been a lot of pixels spilled on "the initial promises of the internet"— a world that all may enter without privilege or prejudice, a world where anyone, anywhere may express his or her beliefs without fear of being coerced into silence or conformities. Unfortunately, we’re not even close to the techno-utopian dream after 30 years. But it’s not too late to recapture that vision.
Coding Is for Everyone—as Long as You Speak English is a publication that engages with the field of inclusive coding through the lens of socio-linguistics, while simultaneously drawing on visual and cultural cues informed by early computers and operating systems designs. With pseudo-archaeological excavations of the early history and exploration of the intersecting social and political contexts around programming languages from internet linguist Gretchen McCulloch, alongside the critical analysis of typographic structures and systems in the creative rise of Internet nostalgia, the publication invites readers to reflect on the linguistic dominance of English in programming. It sheds light on the ethical challenges in tech and design spaces, and reminds us of openness and sharing as the foundations of the web facing the vision of Web 3.
Coding Is for Everyone—as Long as You Speak English is a publication that engages with the field of inclusive coding through the lens of socio-linguistics, while simultaneously drawing on visual and cultural cues informed by early computers and operating systems designs. With pseudo-archaeological excavations of the early history and exploration of the intersecting social and political contexts around programming languages from internet linguist Gretchen McCulloch, alongside the critical analysis of typographic structures and systems in the creative rise of Internet nostalgia, the publication invites readers to reflect on the linguistic dominance of English in programming. It sheds light on the ethical challenges in tech and design spaces, and reminds us of openness and sharing as the foundations of the web facing the vision of Web 3.
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Inspired by Alexei Shulgin’s Form Art (1997) and classic decorative book cover design, I used basic HTML elements such as buttons and boxes to compose ornament frames and patterns in a vintage-style.
Instead of sporting a two page vertical layout, the pages are printed horizontally to mimic the text orientation on websites. One page encompasses an entire spread, instead of having one on each sheet.
Instead of sporting a two page vertical layout, the pages are printed horizontally to mimic the text orientation on websites. One page encompasses an entire spread, instead of having one on each sheet.
To translate complex ideas in the research into condensed visual form, the editorial design looks back to the Old Web aesthetics, using old computer UI as its core graphic language. The juxtaposition of early techno-optimism and present-day challenges of the digital divide is intended to induce serious feelings of nostalgia and fond reflection within the audience.
