Prozac(1997)

Prozac was an experiment to make a universal alphabet with as few shapes as possible. After much work we managed to generate the whole font using just six shapes which are flipped or rotated. The name Prozac comes from the aesthetic of the font. It looks like it was designed by scientists in a ‘utopian’ genetically engineered society. We also wanted to hint at the relationship between simplifying letterforms and the complexity of meaning conveyed through words.

The name comes from the drug Prozac, the pharmaceutical aesthetic of the letterforms linked with the name. I speculated that maybe simplified letterforms would result in simplified communication, similar in effect to taking a tranquilliser.

The name comes from the wonderful tranquilliser which the manufacturers claim has no harmful effects, it was a kind of pathetic joke about symplifying the instruments of language and meaning, do the letterforms we use affect the meaning of the words? Do phonetic alphabets create different modes of thought to picture based alphabets [for example the difference between western and chinese characters]. The name also comes from the shape of the letterfoms which seem to mirror tablets and capsule.

You can now buy Prozac Complete as part of the Super Future package which also includes Delux complete and Prototype complete.