Perception of Temporal Typography

Computer techniques allow for the design of temporally presented text on computer displays. This paper describes an experiment which looks at the differences between the rhythms of spoken speech and tempos which may be more appropriate for reading. These are compared in the context of several designs which use a variety of graphic techniques to indicate speaker and stress in the text. The results of this study indicate that spoken tempos do not confer any advantage in reading speed or perceived quality. And, while richer designs do not increase or decrease reading speed, they do improve the reported quality of the communication.