This experiment explored the collapse and reconfiguration of
typographic hierarchy through scripting. By writing a Python script for
Scribus, I intervened in the logic of desktop publishing, usually
ruled by precision and logic, to introduce random placements.
The machine arranges language: headline, subline, and copytext are
put on the page without regard for traditional order or
readability. The result is a visual negotiation between
structure and misbehavior.
This felt good, but i also got bored soon. I could have experimented more
with different paragraph styles or longer text over multiple plages. But i think the concept
is tangible. Also interesting: the randomness made me want to intervene afterwards–not really to fix it, it was just somehow inviting.
| What | Layout, Text hierarchy |
|---|---|
| Sources | Text by Mary Douglas «A Feeling for Hierarchy», 2002 |
| Tools | Scribus, Visual Code Studio, ChatGPT (Parts of Script) |
| Steps | 1. Wrote Python script to generate random page layouts in Scribus
2. Used external .txt files to load structured content: headline, subline, body text. 3. Created and positioned text frames dynamically within A4 page boundaries. 4. Applied predefined paragraph styles (HEAD, SUB, COPY) to each text block. 5. Focused on controlled unpredictability (playing) |
| Output |
