"ASL" is a abbreviation for American Sign Language. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, "ASL is a complete, natural language that has the same linguistic properties as spoken languages, with grammar that differs from English. ASL is expressed by movements of the hands and face. It is the primary language of many North Americans who are deaf and hard of hearing, and is used by many hearing people as well." (https://www.nidcd.nih.gov)
What is ASL spell?
ASL Spell is a game/practice application tool designed to help improve your fingerspelling cognition through practice of various speeds and lengths of words.
Process
Beginning plan:
Pictures taken for hand animation (fingerspelling the word "cat"):
App promotional video storyboard:
What is "fingerspelling"?
"Fingerspelling" is the representation of letters, and sometimes numbers, using only the hands.
Why is it important?
When learning sign language fingerspelling is a must. When asking someone "What's your name?" They will respond with "My name", and then they will fingerspell their name. Not only is it important for you to know how to fingerspell your name but also to give the names of others or to identify the name of a specific place. It's also equally important that you're able to understand what someone else is fingerspelling to you.
Research into ASL learning tools:
When developing a learning tool I knew I wanted to do it with sign language specifically. Prior to graphic design I was in school to become a ASL interpreter and took a lot of classes to learn the language. With most languages it's not only the vocabulary you have to master. With this project I took something I personally found to be struggling with when I was learning (being fingerspelling cognition) and wanted to create a learning tool that would make it easy and fun to practice this skill. With American Sign Language being a visual language I looked into learning tools that were already out there and asked myself what is working and what isn't. I found that when learning this language a book with pictures simply doesn't work. Yes, you may be able to get the idea of the sign, but specifics on where on the body it's signed, the movement of the sign, and facial features, if needed, is something a book can't do. To solve this problem a video or animation was needed so a person can see clearly how the sign is signed without any miscommunication or confusion.
Process
Method ideas and practice:
Chosen method:
After experimentation through various concepts of making and displaying the fingerspelled words, I found this hand-drawn animating version being the one best suited for my applications needs. ASL spell is essentially a animated infographic. This non binary black and white animation style allows for optimal learning and less distractions on details.
