> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://lang.gitbook.io/en/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://lang.gitbook.io/en/conlangs/how-to-make-a-conscript/start-here.md).

# Start Here

This is the path that I followed.

You can do what you want!

These are the steps that I would recommend.

## Conscripts

### Phonology

* learn the IPA
* learn phonetics & phonemics
* learn phonotactics

### Scripts

* learn a bunch of foreign scripts — greek, cyrillic, hangul, abjad, syllabics (kana), ideographs, etc
* understand the construction of those scripts
* write those scripts ***by hand***&#x20;
* write another language in those scripts
* customise those scripts to sensibly transcribe another language

### Your script

* create a visually-similar script from scratch
* consider how the letters, shapes and sounds relate to each other
* consider ease of writing — imagine that millions of people will have to write it

### Typing

* plan how to type the script on a computer
  * ease of typing common key sequences
  * which fingers, which hands
  * balance between logical composition and quickness of typing
  * make it easy for typers to correct mistakes
* ***the design of your typing method influences the structure of your font design.***

### Fonts (Typefaces)

* design a font&#x20;
  * Windows: **FontLab** (or FontForge, but it's buggy and crashes a lot)
  * MacOS: **Glyphs**
  * Linux: **FontForge** but it's buggy and crashes a lot

### Keyboard layout

* make a keyboard layout for your computer
