R E S U M E

Vaishnavi Murthy

DOB : 10/11/1983

: as on 09/10/ 2015 Bangalore, India

+91 8884111815

vaishnavimurthy
@
gmail.com

Education

MA Typeface Design
University of Reading, UK
(This course was fully funded by the Felix Scholarship)
2013 - 2014
Communication Design Graduate, Specialising in Graphic Design
National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India
2001 - 2006

Key Strengths
Type Design :
Working knowledge of how to create refined,
multi-script type families.

Research :
History of printing and type design in India
Evolution of Indic Scripts





Unicode specification formats

Phonetics & use of Vedic symbols

Conservation :
Curative conservation of paper and palm leaf

manuscripts and suitable archival practices.

Graphic Design :
Typography, Branding, Editorial Design
Known Softwares
Type :


Code :



Publishing :

Audiovisual :

Glyphs App
Compiling Open type feature files
Basic working knowledge of HTML, XML and CSS
Indesign, Photoshop, Illustrator
Final Cut Pro, Primer Pro, Sound Forge

Work Experience

12 yrs.
(Graphic Design, Script Research & Typeface Design & Consulting)

Known Scripts

Latin
Cyrillic
Malayalam
Devanagari
Kannada
Telugu
Sanskrit
Tigalari (Tulu)
Grantha

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Script

Script

Script

Script + Languages
Script + Language
Script + Language
Language
Script + Language
Script

(Reading Uni., Typeface - Yska)

(Reading Uni., Typeface - Yska)
(Reading Uni., Typeface - Yska)
(Consulted for in the past)
(Making a typeface - for Google)
(Making a typeface - for Google)
(Consulted for in the past)
(Making a typeface - for Unicode)
(Consulted for in the past)

TYPE AND SCRIPTS RELATED WORK

MA Typeface Design University of Reading, UK
2013 - 2014

Typeface : Yska (Malayalam, Latin, Cyrillic)

http://typefacedesign.net/typefaces/year/2014/yaska/

Yska is a warm experimental typeface with a focus on functionality. It has an

elegant hand-crafted feel that is a throwback to the classical humanist style. Its
has a celebratory qualitywith uprights having a whimsical fluidity capturing hints
of a broad nib calligraphy lineage. The connected italics with its unconventional
stroke modulations add a distinct first person secondary voice to this typeface.
A humanist interpretation of the old style manuscript forms imbues Yska
Malayalam with a consistency of grace that tempers what is otherwise a more
geometrically drawn script. Designed to be used in text sizes for both screen
and print, Yska maintains a coherent feel across the varied script systems, styles
and weights. Its large x-height makes it easier to read on retina screens. This also
makes the Latin and Malayalam to work well when used together.
Dissertation : 1949-1975: Monotype Malayalam series: 590, 660 & 750
Abstract : This paper examines the key early developments in, and the motive
forces that shaped Malayalam for machine composition. These are based on over
1,300 pages of correspondences, drawings, trials and related specimens found in
five files outlining the circumstances behind the making of hot-metal Malayalam
faces 590, 660 and 705 at the Monotype archives, Salfords, UK. These are dated
from 1949 till 1975. In order to gain insight into the situations that existed during
the formative stages of the reformed script as it exists today, a brief analysis of
the key stages of Malayalam typeface design has also been looked into.
Seminar : Constructed patterns
Examining the various kinds of recognisable patterns that exist in our
engagement and understanding of Typefaces.
Paper :

Bembo book revival

Analysing the various decisions taken while redesigning the Bembo Typeface
for the current digital medium.

Tigalari Script Project

Student Project : Baravu, standardizing the Tulu script
This was my final year project which lasted a year where I researched on the

history and standardisation of Tigalari script.
2005 - 2006

Paper :

On 10th March 2012, I submitted a paper on this project called

Tending to the inheritance of Tulu script
Typoday 2012, IIT Mumbai.

Unicode :

Current work :

Im currently working on a Unicode proposal for the Tigalari script.

Creating teaching methods while encouraging social engagement at various
levels. Im also assisting with restoration/conservation/digitising and archiving
of several Tigalari manuscripts.

Unicode Proposals


Credits :

Conjunct consonants with independent vowels in Kannada script

http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2015/15127-kannada-conjunct.pdf

Preliminary proposal for encoding the Tulu script, Michael Everson

http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2011/11120r-n4025r-tulu.pdf

Supporting Tulu language in Kannada script, Sriramana Sharma

http://www.unicode.org/L2/L2012/12203-kannada-tulu.pdf

Type Design Consulting

Ive been consulting for Devanagari, Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam typefaces
and for several international type design firms based in the UK and USA from 2011
onwards. One of these was to review all Devanagari typefaces that were being
created in 2014.
Ive worked on localisation of Brands entering the Indian market for a leading design
firm in the UK.

Manuscript Conservation

Trained in preventive & curative restoration of palm leaf manuscripts, national

manuscript mission, INTACH, India.
I have successfully helped restore and digitise over 1000 palm leaf manuscripts in
Karnataka with various teams of conservators. I also consult for archives which are
trying to upgrade their facilities.
Akaya Typeface
Current work :

Google fonts has commissioned me to create a Kannada, Telugu and Latin display
typeface which Im currently working on. For this, Ill be handing both the design
and engineering aspects independently.

TIMELINE OF PAST EDUCATION, JOBS & PROJECTS

June

Feb

2001 - 2006

National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, India

Student Projects :

Conservation strategies for the Whale-sharks in Gujarat

A study of the visual language of Gujarati fishermen
De-constructing design a film questioning design education
Baravu, standardizing the Tulu script (on-going work)

2005

J Walter Thompson, Bangalore

Internship

Feb

Sep

2001 - 2006
Paid Internship


Projects :

Erkadi Medical Systems

Graphic designer
Branding & marketing collateral
UI, UX design for high-end medical equipments
Short films
Market research

Sep

Oct

2006 - 2007

Independent Designer

Projects :

Brand architecture
Consultant - Market research and ethnographic study
Branding & marketing collateral

Oct

Feb

2007 - 2009
Full-Time Job

India Foundation for the Arts

(In-house graphic designer)

Projects :

Creating a visual language for IFA without making it seem rigid

Assisting commissioned artists
Branding & Marketing collateral
Editorial design
Annual reports

Mar

Sep

2009 - 2009

Independent Designer
I took time off from my regular career to pursue my private passion for the
documentation and refinement of the Tigalari script. I also started studying other
similar scripts like Grantha and Malayalam.

Other Projects : Editorial design

Illustration

Branding & Marketing collateral
Oct

Mar

2009 - 2011
Full-Time Job

Idiom Design and Consultancy,

Senior graphic designer

Projects : Annual report design

Theatre festival branding & communications
Editorial design


Short films - story boarding, editing


Documentary film

Illustration

Branding & marketing collateral

Conducted several workshops
Mar

Oct

2011 - 2012

Independent Designer
I took time off from a regular career to pursue my passion of researching the Tulu
script. After having a good understanding of the phonetics and the requirements for a
standardised Tigalari script, my main focus here was to analyse how this written script
would translate into a typeface and the consequences thereof.

Other Projects : Type Design Consulting

User Interface, User experience & Visual Design

Communications materials for various NGOs and theatre groups
Oct

Aug

2012 - 2013

Full-Time Job

Moonraft Innovation Labs

Design Lead

Projects :

Dashboard IA, UI, UX design

App architecture and design
Branding & marketing collateral

Sep

Oct

2013 - 2014

University of Reading, UK
M A Typeface design

(Ref. Page 2 for details)

Nov

Oct

2014 - 2015

Independent Designer

Type design consulting

Akaya typeface
Unicode proposals for Kannada and Tigalari
Paper manuscript conservation and digitisation
Research on the history of Indian printing
I'm studying Kannada epigraphy at Sahitya Parishat, Bangalore
Besides this, I've been teaching scuba diving (part-time : November-March)