Try reading this - boost your memory!?

Of special interest for those of us with connections to publishing, editing, design etc: 

a new font has been created to help readers fix the information in their memories, and recall it more efficiently. Called sans forgetica, details and sample can be found here:

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2018/oct/04/font-of-all-knowledge-researchers-develop-typeface-they-say-can-boost-memory

I’m interested in your feedback. 


I meant to read it but I forgot.


FWIW, PeggyC found it quite easy to read. She’s waiting for the challenge of a typeface that’s constantly changing on the screen as we’re reading cheese 

I hope she doesn’t mind me sharing this comment here.


I found this font to be difficult to read and gave up after a few lines.  


I read it relatively-easily, although I did have to slow down to decipher the names.

The thought struck me, though, would left-handers - whose hand-writing tends to slope to the left anyway - find it easier to read that those who write with their right-hand?


@NoraCharles, I wonder how many students and busy adults will feel the same way? That touch of too-gimmicky added to the difficulty in legibility for many will probably turn them away. 

I was discussing with a Diversional Therapist on Friday, who suggested that for some of her people with perception challenges and risk of cognitive decline, practising to read this in very small passages, and doing other exercises such as tracing stencils to make greeting cards etc (so you get used to the letter shapes) and some quick word games might help. 

@marksieera's point on handedness is really good, too. There're a lot of assumptions in this design that don't see to be questioned, considering the home city is quite diverse and forward-thinking.


Cute name.

Key caveat: Banham, who has created about 20 fonts, said the typeface would be best used for short texts.

Looks ideal for stenciling.


@DaveSchmidt, that's meant for study notes and revision cards, rather than pages and pages of lecture notes and assignment research, prep research for theses etc. Their website explains more, although I did find it annoyingly laid out and broken into fields I wanted to know more about.  Aha!! When you download the software, it explains the best use is as a highlighter for key phrases and lines within reference and study material.

(In the end, I wrote directly to Banham and hope for responses maybe by end of week or month)


Yeah, the stencilling look immediately caught my eye. For some who are finding it hard to read, reversing colours (dark background, white characters) might be a good option. 


I just received a lovely reply from Steve Banham! 

He explains their research in its infancy, pretty much they've done the design and early trial phases. (I've been cheeky and pressed again on a couple of our questions) They're hoping to progress to peer-review stage and publish in academic journals in about six months. 

Meantime, note: Sans Forgetica was never designed to be used as a solution for learning disabilities such as dyslexia (I'm guessing you could add various vision impairments or print disabilities to that, too).  

I think I'll download the font, and work with it for a couple weeks, and see if it's easy to use. cheese



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