From Hand to Hierarchy
Used Programs: Adobe Photoshop, Figma
This project explores handwriting as a unique form of information design, investigating the relationship between personal writing habits and visual communication. Through a three-stage transformation process, I examine how individual note-taking reveals not only content but also cognitive hierarchies and organizational patterns.
The project transforms personal handwriting into three distinct visual representations: the original handwritten notes, abstracted trajectory artwork that captures the gestural essence of writing, and a refined information hierarchy diagram that distills the core structure of knowledge organization. This methodology reveals how personal notation systems can be decoded and redesigned as systematic visual communication.
Research
To capture diverse handwriting patterns and organizational strategies, I collected handwritten samples from friends across various professional backgrounds. This collection includes both work-related notes and personal writings, revealing how context and purpose influence notation systems. By gathering samples from different professions—ranging from creative fields to technical disciplines—the project examines how occupational demands and individual habits shape information recording methods.
Handwriting represents an intersection between personal expression and information organization. Unlike standardized typography, handwritten notes contain implicit visual hierarchies through size variation, spacing, underlining, and spatial positioning. These unconscious design decisions reflect the writer's cognitive process and perceived importance of information.
https://kr.pinterest.com/pin/292804413252027907/
Methodology
This process transforms subjective, personal notation into objective design systems, bridging individual expression and universal communication principles.