Published on March 30, 2026
Eleanor Yang’s Synthetic Nature transforms generative typography into a living system. Three typefaces respond to the body via webcams, touch, and p5.js, allowing for an interactive experience that blurs the lines between digital and physical realms.
Yang’s practice encompasses brand systems, motion design, and interactive design, all aimed at exploring how visual language can behave and respond. Synthetic Nature stands out as her most physical project to date, treating typography not as a static mark but as a responsive organism. Users can manipulate elements like grass and sponge, along with their own faces, to customize typographic assets, moving beyond traditional mouse and keyboard interaction. This project seeks to address a gap in tactile technology experiences, examining how physical presence can reshape a digital medium.
The installation is built around three unique typeface creatures. DNA type features clustered, branching units that mimic microscopic life forms. Mesh type exhibits a porous and sponge-like texture, while Data type resembles twisted wires akin to circuit board traces. Each typeface embodies a distinct material logic, contributing its own visual rhythm and structural identity to the overall composition.
Synthetic Nature unfolds through three interactive stages. The activation phase begins when a webcam detects proximity, causing the type to slow and shrink. In the subsequent evolution phase, touch sensors increase line length and density across the typography. A reset phase occurs when the space goes unoccupied, leading to a gentle shutdown of the installation. Utilizing p5.js, Cavalry, Spark AR, and Cinema 4D, the system allows for seamless communication between different programs, creating an engaging feedback loop.
Yang frames Synthetic Nature as a study in entanglement, aiming to visualize the relationship between digital typography and physical bodies present in the room. Her interest in the construction of organisms drives the project. As highlighted in a feature on It’s Nice That, Yang’s work pushes generative typography into speculative territories, challenging viewers to ponder what life forms may look like in a century when technologies increasingly feel like living entities rather than mere tools. Synthetic Nature explores this fascinating boundary, inviting users to engage with typography in a more organic and interactive way.
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