Contour Code is a system that encodes text in compositions of 2D geometric shapes.

I had two goals in designing this system: first, to produce beautiful abstractions along the lines of Alexander Calder and Ellsworth Kelly, and second, to make a code flexible enough that any possible set of geometric shapes can be “read” as text. To achieve these goals, I designed a procedure for converting between compositions of shapes and strings of characters. In this design process, I aimed to maximize the beauty of the shapes, the elegance of the algorithm, and the system’s ease of use. Contour Code is the result of a conversation between these three values.

Gallery

“If you present me with unconsciousness, I will respond with consciousness.” (a quote from my mom)

The two compositions on the left both say “shape.”
The top right says “yes”; the bottom right says “the end.”

Instructions

To read a composition, shapes are traced to produce a sequence of straight, concave, and convex sides, and that sequence is interpreted as letters using a system like Morse Code. This video explains the basics:

The complete encoding referenced in the video is shown below. A is convex–concave; B is concave–straight–convex–convex; etc.

I have also experimented with several other options for encodings, which use three sides for every character rather than the variable number of sides in the encoding above. One of those newer encodings is used to spell the “unconsciousness” piece above. (When I decide which I prefer I’ll add it to this page.)

This document describes how to order the shapes and sides when reading them.

Contour Code was included in the juried exhibition Quasi: Experimental Writing Systems at ArtCenter College of Design.