Encoded
Covert communication through variable type
Variable fonts store invisible data in the form of axis values that control how each letter renders. This project weaponizes that latent information to embed encrypted messages inside ordinary text, even in print.
A poster advertising a community garden. A flyer for a lost cat. To the human eye: mundane. To someone with the decoder: coordinates for a safe house, legal resources, emergency contacts.
CREATIVE DIRECTION • INTERACTION DESIGN • UI/UX • RESEARCH • SOCIAL JUSTICE
The Provocation
AI has ushered in an era of unprecedented panopticon surveillance. The same technology can enable resistance.
I trained a computer vision equipped machine learning model to detect variations in letterforms imperceptible to humans—tiny shifts along a font's axis spectrum that encode binary data. Each character carries 2 bits. A single sentence carries a hidden payload.
How It Works
Encode → The sender inputs a cover message and a secret message. The tool renders each letter with precise axis variations that encode the hidden data, outputs a portable SVG.
Distribute → The encoded text lives on posters, flyers, signage—physical media in public space. No digital trail. No interception point.
Decode → The recipient photographs the text. The model reads the axis variations, reconstructs the hidden message. 128-bit encryption ensures only those with the key can unlock it.
The In Group Signal
The system requires priming. The sender tells their network: “look for posters mentioning a full moon._ This shared knowledge is the first lock. The encryption key is the second. Without both, the message is invisible—even if you know the system exists.
At Present
Developed as part of my masters thesis at NYU ITP/IMA, with research conducted at NYU Shanghai, Berlin, and New York.
With the ever-changing landscape of machine learning and computer vision, I’m continuing to develop and refine the accuracy of the tool.
Phase 1: Encrypt
The tool runs entirely offline which means no network trail, no interception point
Phase 2: Distribute
Encoded messages travel as physical media. Posters, flyers, signage in public space.
Phase 3: Discover
The in-group knows what to look for. A photograph captures the payload.
Phase 4: Decrypt
The model reads the axis variations and reconstructs the hidden message.