“Man, WhatsApp is like a black hole sometimes! 😂” u/HauntingAnywhere87

This research examines our relationship with instant messaging, taking as its starting point a shared experience common to the everyday use of these tools.

First, it focuses on the writing strategies adopted by instant messaging users in order to divert or subvert the normative character of system fonts. The aim is to explore the untapped possibilities offered by typographic tools, as well as the forms of writing that can emerge from them.

Beyond the act of writing a simple message, it is important to consider how conversations are displayed. To question these forms, this project proposes to explore alternative typographic systems that allow the traces of our exchanges to be navigated differently. What kind of interface could be designed to make readable a journey spanning several years, held in the palm of one’s hand?