Experiments in AR - "Weird Type" Research

Weird Type

Exploration of type in space using AR created by Zach Liberman and Molmol Kuo

I worked as architect before and then move to do illustration and motion graphic so AR that related to space and drawings is kind of a thing for me. And “Weird Type” by Zach Lieberman and Molmol Kuo that let you drew words in space seems to be the perfect AR application for me to do more research for this assignment. 

I had followed Zach for awhile and knew that he always push some small sketches everyday like a daily drawing. Weird Type is one of the sketch that was push out and got super popular until people started to ask him to put it to the app. Zach developed the sketch to the app with his partner, Molmol and put it to the app by the help of Richard The, using typefaces by abc dinamo and open source C++ toolkits called openFrameworks that is also founded by him.

Weird Type Interfaces

The interface of the app is very simple and pretty much related to Instagram interface - which making a lot of sense since the app is able to share your weird type video to your Instagram right away. The design and of the app is very clean and minimal using only black and white color. In my opinion, the app is might be easier to use if you has already know a little bit of what the app can do.( maybe because the app was push out for people that had already know how it works or followed Zach? ) Therefore, the app might be a little bit confusing or even boring for some people who didn’t get what the app can offer. Also the typeface selection in the app and the letter size is pretty limite and confusing. And there is no emojis allowed in this application - which is kinda sad for me.

Anyway, the very most interest thing of Weird Type itself is it’s own community of the app. Since Zach has launched the app because people was asking for it, so there is already a hardcore creative fans for the app. This people come up with the very interesting ideas of how to use the app itself which is something that Zach is not even able to come up with and I also even went to check the hashtag #weirdtype just to see how people play with it and kinda try to copy them.

This community feedback is very interesting and useful in my opinion. I saw Zach try to put out more sketch according to his community’s feedback that he got from #weirdtype and mix it his new sketch to create the new version of “Weird Type” and I think this’s such a perfect ideal way that everyone should create and work our way of AR experiences into.