---

Iopio Light (i)

-
Eco typographic system prototype
-
(Single font generator with patches version)
-
2000–2011
>

Around 2008, whilst working in architecture I discovered electroluminescent wire (EW); It’s cheap and has very low power usage.

In 2009, I was in Perth WA working in building maintenance and inspired me to create an object, something tangible and physical. I already had a font design but no context for it, so by bringing these ideas together I came up with Iopio Light and Iopio Stencil.

---

Materials

-
Canvas, eyelets
electroluminescent wire (EW)

Unrolled
 
-
This is an individual character with built in ties for portability. It unrolls to reveal character grid
>

What you see here now is a ‘base font generator’ to demonstrate the idea of the system.

Just like its sibling Iopio Stencil, Iopio Light was a personal response to eco design. Streamlining: I was fascinated by the real lack of overall eco design thinking at that time; doing more with less.

Originally designed for mainly large scale use, the Iopio Light format potentially contains all the basic structural information for every alphabetic character, including upper and lower case, numbers, punctuation and anything else may you need.

One key unique feature is that I wanted each character unit to connect together to make words, a bit like setting metal type.

The second is the attachable patches that allow the user to cover and uncover sections of the wire to in effect turn individual parts of the wire ‘on’ and ‘off’.

The bits that are turned ‘on’ or ‘exposed’ create the font character bit-by-bit just like pixels.

This prototype version is a two fonts system: Iopio Light and Iopio Light Micro. They all took forever to make, it’s a slow process but still intend to develop the whole concept further.

---

on and off patches
-
Attachable patches allow the user to cover and uncover sections of the wire to in effect turn individual parts of the wire ‘on’ and ‘off’
-
The bits that are turned ‘on’ or ‘exposed’ create the font character bit-by-bit just like pixels
>

An upper case ‘X’.

I love utlitarian design; jeans, military gear, working jackets, pockets etc so felt this needed to be practically and aesthetically driven by its functionality.

What I found was this analgue / digital paradox; something that could both futuristic and ancient at the same time. Although using very 20th century digital references, you could for example have made this 1000 / 2000 years ago but use coloured rope instead of the wire: Utilitarian medieval techno. This is why I was drawn to canvas as a material, it’s been around a very long time, it’s sustainable, it’s artistic and durable.

It could also be a post-apocalyptic design, by retaining ideas of material, structure and civilisation after society had potentially broken down.  

>>

Connectivity
-
Similar to the idea of how metal type letters sit together to create words, connecting these canvas units together acts in the same way in this prototype example
>

---

One idea of a full character set:
>

---

Alphabets
-
There’s potential for endless character variations and combinations
>

---

Use and benefits
>

---

Context Samples
>

---

Iopio Light Micro
prototype v1.0 (No Patch Version)
-

This version is defined by how you thread the wire to create each character. Each hole layout / set makes ONE CHARACTER ONLY. You then connect together to make words
-
(Some characters slightly differ from the patches version for this demo).
-
2009–2010
>

___

Iopio Light Caps
prototype v1.0 (NO Patch Version)
-

Same as the previous Micro verion, this version is defined by how you thread the wire. Each hole set / layout makes one character 
-
(Some characters slightly differ from the patches version for this demo)
-
2009–2010
>

___

Connectivity
-
These first prototypes were designed with pop buttons to connect with each other
>