You might be wondering how John Moore found himself in the position to speak to us about ambigrams in such a casual setting. Now, allow us to shed some light on the matter. It seems that the Andalusian Association of Designers (may God bless them) discovered that the person who has the title of king of ambigrams was vacationing in our country, and they did not allow him to go. Yes, this was a complete abduction in the middle of the holidays; yet, there are some events in life that simply cannot be missed!
The afternoon was filled with nonstop fun for all of us. Txus Marcano got things moving in the right direction by getting the engines warmed up first. He explained to us how, after the invention of the printing press, calligraphers were forced to step up their game in order to compete. Imagine for a moment that someone has unexpectedly developed a computer that can complete your tasks considerably more quickly than you can… What measures will you take to counteract that? Try to compete with the virtuosity of something that was crafted by hand!
And after a brief period of time spent with Txus, ambigrams! It was now John Moore’s time to speak. This Venezuelan man is considered a pioneer in the field of ambigram research. His Andalusian ancestry comes from his grandfather’s side. He is quite interested in the study of how images are perceived and are of the opinion that ambiguity possesses a certain allure. He began his career penning essays about typography and is the author of the book “Signo de identidad,” which he published (Sign of identity). It is essential to point out that John is a jokester since he has spent his entire life in the design industry. Not only can he boast an incredible skill for lettering, but he also has an excellent sense of humor. He has a brutal talent for lettering.
John Moore places himself firmly within the ranks of those who subscribe to the school of imperfection and vulgarity.
John sees the ambigram as a symbol for the change from analog to digital forms of communication. It is the pinnacle of typographic achievement. These words pack more of a “punch” than typical words due to the fact that they may be read from more than one angle. Moore argues that ambigrams are appealing and, most importantly, easy to remember, which is why brands that are constructed using ambigrams have that certain something extra. You’re going to end up having your ‘ass twisted’ once we show you how things can be interpreted in two different ways. There is no way around the fact that we are unable to deny it. John shared a lot of information with us regarding the history of the ambigram; however, the most valuable information that he provided was instruction on how we might work some of the ambigram’s magic on our own. So, here we go with it!
Ornamentation consists of everything that is not lettering
Certain graphemes are not recognized by us as constituting a part of the letter itself. John says that the purpose of these components is to act as adornment. When we read, for example, our brains will ignore certain details if they do not correspond to how each letter is perceived by our relatively little brains. Therefore, in the event that something does not fit when you turn your word, remove the ornament!
If you are unable to comprehend the language, then you are unable to comprehend the ambigram
How many times have we heard that being able to communicate in multiple languages is essential in this life? What sound advice our parents gave us! How are you supposed to understand what the ambigram is trying to tell you if you don’t even know what it says? Although it may seem like an obvious piece of advice, remembering it is nevertheless very important. Even if the ambigram is perfect, we won’t be able to solve it since we won’t know what the word is.
Our memories cloud our judgment and hinder us from seeing things as they really are.
The human eye stops us from viewing things in an objective manner, and our memories might mislead us at times. When you are confronted with your own ambigram, you need to be aware of the fact that you will unwittingly participate in your own deception. It is difficult to fight against the perspective of things due to the fact that our mind looks for the significance of what it sees, regardless of the method. According to John, ambigrams include a paradox that can be summarized as “the deceiver, deceived.”
The letters can be seen by both the figure and the background at the same time.
How many times have we been exposed to the concept of Gestalt! You probably wouldn’t think that in a field that is so inextricably related to perception, we could avoid talking about it again, but you’d be wrong. In point of fact, John places a strong emphasis on the significance of the figure-background notion when it comes to the design of ambigrams. The use of adequate amounts of white space is essential to the production of a text that is easily readable. The letter “C” refers not just to its shape but also to the space that it leaves behind. When the meaning of the word is flipped around, a certain aspect of its context may be necessary for it to be comprehended when read in the opposite manner as well.
The top portion of the letters contains a greater amount of information.
Although this is a pretty technical piece of advice, it is nonetheless important to keep in mind. The majority of the type information is stored in the upper half of the letters. When writing a word, it is possible that if you cover the lower half of the word, you will be able to read it normally, but if you cover the upper part of the word… Chungo. If we are going to sacrifice a portion of the letter, it should be the bottom one, so that we can make the most of the ambigram. If you look at it this way, we may utilize it as a weapon of the ambigram.
Shift your focus and dwell on the first half of your word.
According to John, the advantage of ambigrams is that once you get the hang of them, you’ve already accomplished the majority of the labor involved in solving them! 😀 The fact of the matter is that if we saw it in this manner, we would be in compliance with the maxim of the law of minimum effort. Pay close attention to the initial half of your sentence. The phrase “mirror, mirror” is going to make you feel a little bit like Snow White, but the truth of the matter is that if you can get the first half to fit… Successful completion of the mission!
Have patience, but don’t be a fool about it.
This is one of the most helpful bits of guidance that John has given to all of us. There are times when all you can do is keep trying to find a solution to an impossible problem. Since the beginning of the year, he has experimented in numerous ways with various drafts of his work. It goes without saying that you need to be persistent and patient in order to keep your word, but despite this, you shouldn’t panic. If, after a reasonable amount of time spent working on it, you determine that it is not successful… Put an end to it and move on! Above all else, health should take priority.
Get out your notebook and give it a shot.
Indeed, this is where things get tough… You already have the keys in your possession; now it is time for you to take up the pencil and turn your head in the opposite direction. Not to mention the notebook. We haven’t divulged this information to you just yet, but now is the time when we must disclose that John claimed that creating ambigrams is an effective treatment for constipation. Mr. Sleepless recognized an “inspirational vein” in that location, and while he was delivering his presentation, he carved out an “eyehole” in the wall, in addition to placing a little notebook in the restroom.
No matter how you look at it, it’s not a terrible choice for a word to round out the piece, is it?
