Bionic Reading, A New Reading Method That Stresses Letters Within Words to Let the Brain Fill in the Rest

Bionic Reading

Swiss typographic designer Renato Casutt has developed Bionic Reading, a new reading method that artificially emphasizes important letters of a written word and lets the brain fill in the rest. This method allows for deeper understanding with less concentration.

Bionic Reading is a new method facilitating the reading process by guiding the eyes through text with artificial fixation points. As a result, the reader is only focusing on the highlighted initial letters and lets the brain center complete the word. In a digital world dominated by shallow forms of reading, Bionic Reading aims to encourage a more in-depth reading and understanding of written content.

The program is highly customizable for individual readers and is made up of three different components: Fixation – defining expression of letter combinations, Saccades – defining Fixation points, and Opacity – the visibility of personal Fixation.

Bionic Reading is a reading system that supports the reading flow. The eye is guided through the text by means of typographic highlights. With the interplay of “Fixation” and “Saccade” visual stimuli can be transferred to the text, which decisively change the typeface. …Everyone is different. The Bionic Reading reading mode can be individually adapted to the needs of all readers. This flexibility allows Bionic Reading to provide maximum customization for all users.

The Bionic Reading API can be downloaded for immediate use.

via Boing Boing

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.