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“… the purpose of abstraction is not to be vague, but to create a new semantic level in which one can be absolutely precise.” – Edsger W Dijkstra, The Humble Programmer, Comms of the ACM 15(10), October 1972] prototype (’scuse the pun) for a typeface classification and organiser application. classification is performed by 3d proximity to elements within any given set. the prototype contains 6 predefined sets as well as user defined variables. current typeface oranisation software do little to make your life using them easy. nor do they make it simple to do the very task for what they were designed for: find typefaces that may be appropriate to the task at hand. in todays crowded libraries, typefaces have only one useful parameter to be judged by. the visual. everyother parameter could be considered redundant… how often have you chosen a typeface going on name alone… and when is that name ever indicative of the aesthetic behind it? the idea briefly illustrated above, is simple: define data in its direct form, but cross reference it with other information that a searcher might find useful in finding their desired goal… human editors are more than useful… they provide all important semantics and context. if you are investigating or searching information, why not look for it by it's state, rather than a shadow of the same? image searching, in the general sense of the word, is a relatively new idea in computing and operating systems, but, unless it is image caching or rerendering raw data in mac x or windows, seldom are you looking at the source material itself. searching for images tends to come down to keywords. not a very helpful parameter for something that does not fit verbal or written expression in the first place. and of course, if the image is in a precompiled database, you have to trust the vocabulary and intention of the originator. which is seldom accurate… as any image search of google will demonstrate. the idea comes down to an exploration and immediate recognition of what you might be looking for in line with more traditional search methods and precomposed customistation. it might be a little farfetched to see, or even consider a 3d virtual holding bay of type to be utile or even practical, but how much of the processing speed of your computer do you currently use? or have had to upgrade merely because the software market has encouraged you? considering that most application upgrades do little to transform your experience of how you interact with and are informed by the information that you are involved in, then a true redefinition of information classification and interaction could provide vast benefits to your experience and undertstanding of the same. our current common preconceptions in interface design and usability has to advance to fully unlock the potential of information experience. © 2008 Tristam Sparks · Graphic & Experience Design · About · Contact · Sitemap