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Final Major Project
Typography

Duye Li: Problems in English-Chinese Bilingual Typography

2nd May 2025
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As a Chinese graphic designer and typographer, I often work on bilingual designs combining Chinese and English. The structural differences, English being alphabetic and phonetic, Chinese logographic and hieroglyphic—make typographic harmony difficult. While English typography has well-established theories and tools, many don’t translate effectively to Chinese. This publication highlights key structural and aesthetic differences, explores why bilingual typography often struggles, and raises awareness of the challenges in achieving visual balance across both languages.