Render a word, then select a letter above to adjust it.
SPLICE
A Typeface Found in Human Protein Structures
What if we could preserve information inside the body itself? Splice is a 3D typeface in which every character is a real human protein structure sourced from AlphaFold, an open-source database of computationally predicted molecular models. Every structure in your body is shaped by proteins: tiny, three-dimensional machines that perform important roles throughout your body. Through AlphaFold, we can finally see the complex geometry that makes us who we are. Each letter of Splice was manually identified by searching AlphaFold and rotating protein models until a legible letterform emerged.
Splice sits at the intersection of science and design, so its namesake reflects that. In the body, to splice is a step in transcribing RNA into proteins. In science, to splice is to edit DNA or sequences. In design, to splice is to combine forms into something new. In each context, splicing is a method of working with parts to produce new outcomes.
The human body has been translated into language. What are you going to say?
How it works +
Type to see protein structures appear. Toggle between Regular and Bold weight. Press Play to hear the amino acid sequences sonified. Hover over a letter to see which protein it is.
How sonification works +
Every protein is a chain of amino acids — the building blocks that give it its shape and function. There are 20 standard amino acids, each represented by a single letter.
In Splice, each amino acid is assigned a unique frequency, ascending from G (Glycine) at 130.81 Hz — a low C — up to R (Arginine) at 440 Hz — concert A. The 20 amino acids map across roughly two octaves.
Frequency Map
When you press Play, each protein sequence plays from left to right — one amino acid per note, 110 milliseconds apart. Each note is two slightly detuned sine waves layered together, filtered through a low-pass and dissolved into a long reverb tail. Every fourth note adds a sub-tone one octave below.
Purpose +
A project by graphic designer Tori Watson, who is not a scientist in any capacity. She’s interested in design projects that democratize knowledge – how we can feel closer to our physical bodies and to data. Splice is a response to the political pressure that is targeting research. By encoding language into the molecular structures that already exist inside you, scientific data feels personal and intuitive. It has always belonged to you.
Typeface +
Splice is available as a downloadable typeface for personal and educational use.
The supporting typeface is Computer Modern, designed via Donald Knuth’s Metafont – built from mathematical parameters rather than drawn by hand, which echoes Splice’s methodology.