In an academic task we challenged to rethink one of the most ingrained legacy systems- The English Alphabet.
One of the earliest systems we inculcate but don’t question- Why is the alphabet in the sequence that it is?
To make the case for a new sequence, we began with looking at the dawn of visual communication with cave paintings. People have drawn and communicated stories through images and symbols. This a unifying phenomenon as seen in some of the oldest cave paintings around the world such as the Magura Cave, Bulgaria from 6300 BC- 3000 BC and Bhimbhetka Caves, India from 13,000 BC to 12,700 BC.
Step 1- Look at the past.
Simple forms and shapes have been seen throughout prehistoric societies.
The Latin Alphabet has evolved from the ancient Proto Sinaitic, the Phoenician, and the Greek scripts into its modern form.
The Latin script or ‘Alphabet’ is the most widely used writing system in the world and is usually associated with children and early learning.
When we look at the letter 'B' we don't see its various strokes, we automatically associate it with a specific sound. But those associations aren't yet embedded in the minds of new learners. Universally early learners are trained to write letters stroke by stroke- Breaking each letter down into basic lines and curves.
Step 2- Examine how the alphabet is taught and rethink the audience.
Although the alphabet reminds us of children, there are over 5 million ELLS (English Language Learners) including thousands of adolescents and adults learning English as a second language in the U.S alone.
As a group, the ELLs speak nearly 150 languages (Baird, 2015) and the scripts they are familiar with like Korean and Arabic are also created in a way where forms evolve and grow from simple shapes to more complex and embellished forms.
Introducing the alphabet reordered
Structural reordering based by visual similarity & flow for greater ease of learning by writing.
In this sequence the letters seem to grow from simple straight lines to diagonals and curves.
