Editorial Rhythm
This project explores editorial design as a visual translation of 12 Etudes, Op.10 — No. 3 in E (Tristesse) by Chopin. Inspired by synesthesia, the blending of senses where music can be seen as colors or shapes, it experiments with typography and layout to reflect the rhythm and emotion of the piece. Just as music has movement and structure, fonts, sizes, and spacing create their own "visual rhythm," turning sound into design.
Elements
Chopin once proclaimed, “In all my life I have never again been able to find such a beautiful melody.” The titleTristesse means "sadness". To reflect this emotion, an elegant, peaceful blue and soft transitions are used, visually echoing the piece’s melancholic beauty.
As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, “Music is liquid architecture; architecture is frozen music.” Integration of architecture into the layouts ties musical structure, typographic form, and architectural design together.
Example layouts
For the soothing parts of music, more white space is left and only a few elements are used.
For the intense parts, overlaps of elements appear with overlaps of grids. Huge elements play with positive and negative spaces to give a noisy feeling. Repetition of elements also gives a sense of rhythm.
Flow of Layouts
UI Exploration
Further experiment explores a mobile app prototype that generates layouts from sound waves, turning music and voice recordings into dynamic designs. Elements are arranged on grids, with customization options ranging from manual selection to system-generated compositions. By merging music and editorial design, the app makes creative poster-making accessible to all.
Artistic Exploration
Beyond architecture, typography, and music, ceramics also share a structural connection. Their forms echo typography and architecture while visually capturing musical rhythm. To explore this, note pitches are mapped into illustrations, shaping ceramic curves that express the fluidity of clay and the flowing nature of music.
