Brief
Language changes every day, especially street language, where words pop up and disappear quickly. Those that appear will be used constantly (where the actual meaning may be subjected to interpretation) and those that go away will be forgotten almost immediately. How can we collect, document, explain, and preserve these words in a way that would appeal to Malaysians?
Solution
For a multi-racial, multi-lingual country like Malaysia, slang words play an important role in unifying the people. But these slang words crop up far too fast for traditional dictionaries to keep up with. We wanted a place where Malaysians can learn what the words mean, and something that we can update constantly. We decided to present MySlangBank as a visual dictionary, using Instagram as a platform.
Each posting was designed differently, to suit the word featured. Inspiration would come from childhood memories, local folklore, and Malaysian elements. We not only wanted to explain the word, but we wanted it to be presented in a way that is truly Malaysian. When viewed as a grid, MySlangBank is an explosion of colour and chaos, much like the slang words used.
More to come. To be continued.
