Feed

Type

Course

Know-how

Years

2006 2022
Raphaela Haefliger – Aligna

TYPE DESIGN

Raphaela Haefliger – Aligna

with Kai Bernau, Alice Savoie

Aligna is a typeface that aims to improve the typographic composition of web pages. Thanks to a combination of variable axes, it fills up the white space without recognising it. It balances the two pitfalls that are distorted characters and irregular composition and provides a regular text grey. Aligna can be combined with an algorithm that distributes the blank space of the line. During research for this project, a parametric font was created to evaluate the respective influence of different aspects of type design. Aligna gathers and combines the ideal value for each element combined on one variable font axis.

Giacomo Bastianelli – Quarto

TYPE DESIGN

Giacomo Bastianelli – Quarto

with Matthieu Cortat, Irene Vlachou

Unlike the more traditional five-lined musical stave, a graphic score is a different way of notating a piece of music. Originally called “eye music,” it first appeared in its modern form in the 1950s, when notation became more and more influenced by a dialogue with painting, installations, and performativity. These conceptions required a new language and a unique reading of what it is to be musical. Quarto aims to revisit the idea of graphic scores in a contemporary tone, connecting MIDI technology with variable fonts and producing an experience that could take the form of an interactive/synesthetic performance or a piece of printed visual music with its own autonomy, independent of sound.

Sergei Rasskazov – Entro

TYPE DESIGN

Sergei Rasskazov – Entro

with Kai Bernau, Alice Savoie

Entro: A font family for posters and web that combines modern digital technologies and pays tribute to traditional analogue letterpress wood type techniques. Entro Press: A wood type modular system for Letterpress that brings variable features from digital to analogue. Entro Text: A font with soft rounded shapes in variable format, from light to black, for texts and captions. Latin, Cyrillic and Greek supported. Entro Brutal: Geometric typeface without optical compensations that gives brutal charm to text. Entro Py: A series of experimental variable fonts inspired by the specificities of entropy, handcrafted and code-generated with Python.

Alexandre Lescieux – Radiolar

TYPE DESIGN

Alexandre Lescieux – Radiolar

with Alice Savoie, Matthieu Cortat

Radiolar was inspired by Heinrich Jost’s Jost Mediaeval (1927), which marked a turning point in typography, as geometrically constructed sans serif typefaces started appearing, namely Erbar (1926), Kabel (1927), and Futura, which was published under Jost’s own direction by Bauer. Jost Antiqua seems to be the first serif typeface to go down this utopian path of elementary typography. How does one synthesise the geometric and the organic in typography? Radiolar, named after the spherical marine micro-organisms whose skeletons are made up of highly detailed spicules, attempts to answer this question. Its forms have the intense warmth of calligraphy and the utopia of rationality through geometry, oscillating between complexity and simplicity.

Samira Schneuwly – Lyga

TYPE DESIGN

Samira Schneuwly – Lyga

with Kai Bernau, Alice Savoie

Lyga is a restrained and balanced serif typeface family with heavily angled italics to emphasise individual words, short paragraphs or brief headlines. Designed as a utilitarian text font, it is well suited for small sizes where its even and harmonious text colour comes into effect. Lyga draws from a source originally designed as a lead typeface in the late 19th century. Elzévir Turlot was found in the Caractères de Labeurs de l’Imprimerie A. Rey specimen and was carefully interpreted in order to create a design that supports present-day text settings, while retaining the spirit and charm of its original appearance. Lyga comes in six weights with corresponding italics.

Dominik Bissem – Rivale

TYPE DESIGN

Dominik Bissem – Rivale

with Kai Bernau, Alice Savoie

Rivale Serif and Rivale Grotesk are the main typefaces in this family. Both styles are designed to be used at the same time, while retaining their own character. The structure is not mathematically based on the same skeleton, the optical impression stands in the foreground and reflects the concept of the system: as homogeneous as necessary and as independent as possible. Throughout the design process both styles constantly influenced one another, and the system grew organically. Serif and Grotesk come in five weights – light, regular, medium, bold, and dark – with matching italics. The presentation attempts to show the typefaces in a realistic terrain and contrasts them with the author’s own paintings.

Laura Zsófia Csocsán – Neureal

TYPE DESIGN

Laura Zsófia Csocsán – Neureal

with Kai Bernau, Marie Lusa

The book Neureal features an exploration of AI software that was tested on a series of images. Glitches and the software’s “residues” expose the neural filter’s activity, which colourises black and white photographs. The visual material highlights different scenarios in relation to our technology-influenced, everyday lives, shown in contrast with images of flowers and nature. They ultimately construct an alternate reality created by the programme. Neureal Display is a reverse-contrast sans, accompanied by a Mono version designed for small sizes. Initial drawings based on visual distortions were extrapolated, generating new ideas with mathematical calculations. The final typeface consists of these revised and redrawn shapes as a result of this back-and-forth experimentation with the software.

Joana Siniavskaja – Parallel I-IV

TYPE DESIGN

Joana Siniavskaja – Parallel I-IV

with Kai Bernau, Alice Savoie

Parallel I–IV is a text typeface composed of four cuts – text, italic, cursive italic and a back slant. Primarily drawn for print application, the family contains an optically corrected screen cut. The typeface provides the possibility to create a typographical hierarchy using a single weight, pointing to new ways of highlighting in print and web environments. The project came from a desire to design a dynamic typeface with strong character in long running text both in screen and print mediums. While creating unique shapes for contemporary use, the design is inspired by Transitional typefaces with a look at various Baroque and Modern typefaces. Remaining functional in small sizes, the typeface retains its qualities throughout the cuts and is suitable for title sizes as well.

Karima Deghayli – Yameen and Meel

TYPE DESIGN

Karima Deghayli – Yameen and Meel

with Alice Savoie, Irene Vlachou

As the world becomes increasingly connected, the need for multiscript type families grows significantly. Yameen is a variable multiscript typeface covering Arabic and Latin. Designed for text, its weights range from regular to bold. The Arabic was inspired by Naskh calligraphy, retaining in its outlines the character of the Qalam. The Latin forms present the same sharp aesthetic taken from the parallel pen offering a calligraphic interpretation of old-style typefaces. Preserving both scripts’ authenticity, Yameen is designed for harmonious bilingual typesetting. Meel is an Arabic display font inspired by various sources: from vintage music albums to vernacular Beirut type. Exploring the Ruqaa style, its boldness excels in large sizes and its flowing character merges the tool and the digital.

Charly Derouault – Europa

TYPE DESIGN

Charly Derouault – Europa

with Kai Bernau, Alice Savoie

Europa is a multi-script typeface that builds on the history of European Grotesque typography. Its forms are inherited from Akzidenz Grotesk but developed through a more subtle contrast. The typeface is stable, contemporary. Applied to a utopian project, i.e., the creation of a new pan-European motorway network born under the agreement of all the countries on the continent, the three scripts which compose Europa were drawn jointly, the design of each script significantly influencing the design of the others. Envisaged as an additional or alternative solution to the European motorway signage, the typographic system is completed by a less contrasted, more condensed and rationalised signage body.

Sam Fagnart – Mirai Toshi

TYPE DESIGN

Sam Fagnart – Mirai Toshi

with Irene Vlachou, Alice Savoie

Inspired by archival documents and the graphic design culture of the late 60s and early 70s, Mirai Toshi (The City of the Future) is a visual experimentation in type design which gave birth to two typefaces, Nisego and Metago. Stemming from the module-driven architecture of the Metabolist movement, Metago is a display typeface with a pixel-like quality, but whose strokes and elements are linked together in a heavily constructed yet organic structure. Alongside it stands Nisego, designed with the 70s Japanese Grotesk typefaces in mind, with its rationalised yet calligraphic shapes. The Latin version of Nisego consists of three text cuts, with matching italics, complemented by six all-purpose cuts, from the versatile Medium to the more display-oriented Black.

Stefan Fitze – Remo & Rhea

TYPE DESIGN

Stefan Fitze – Remo & Rhea

with Alice Savoie, Matthieu Cortat

Remo & Rhea is a typeface family based on the proportions of Roman square capitals as found in the inscription on the tomb of the children of Sextus Pompeius Justus (2nd century AD) on the Via Appia in Rome. Linked by their common origin – an apocryphal sketch of the development of Roman Type – Remo Sans and Rhea Serif intrinsically evolved into a set of two emancipated yet related typefaces, expanding the notion of the traditional type family. Consisting of a sans serif (Remo) and a serif typeface (Rhea) with a typewriter complement, the family is explicitly built for text-heavy and typographically complex environments, offering a wide range of possibilities for contemporary typesetting.

Amélie Gallay – Phaedon

TYPE DESIGN

Amélie Gallay – Phaedon

with Matthieu Cortat, Alice Savoie

Phaedon is an elegant typeface family based on Ancien Romain, an Elzevir metal type issued by the French type foundry Deberny & Cie around 1880–1890. Driven by the desire to keep the nobility and fragility of the original, Phaedon’s lighter weights are a faithful reinterpretation of Ancien Romain while the bolder weights are personal interpretations. A text style compliments the family. With its four display weights, matching italics, and a text style, Phaedon is intended for contemporary use and stands out with its highly contrasted, slightly condensed and delicate attributes.

Maël Bächtold – Milkshake

TYPE DESIGN

Maël Bächtold – Milkshake

with Matthieu Cortat, Kai Bernau

Milkshake is a typeface family which was initiated by anemoia (nostalgia felt for a period in the past that was not lived) for the 70s. The music, the freedom, the vibes, and mostly the aesthetics in terms of type and graphic design of that period strongly influenced the direction of the project. Milkshake is divided into two sub-families. The first one, Milkshake Display is the spine of the project: its voluptuous curves and generous drops combined with sharp edges give it a dynamic look while its alternates and swashes exaggerate its flow and funkiness. To add a contemporary touch and versatility, the family is complemented by text cuts, which are much calmer, friendlier and more stable, suited for longer lines in small sizes.

Chiachi Chao – Kleisch

TYPE DESIGN

Chiachi Chao – Kleisch

with Kai Bernau, Alice Savoie

Bi-scriptual type design is a challenge for graphic designers, even more so in a world of cross-cultural exchange. Kleisch is a Latin serif typeface designed to work with Chinese Ming-style fonts. It is a synthesis of baroque and neo-classical typography, as the types of Nicholas Kis, Christoffel van Dijck or Johann Michael Fleischmann have a similar stroke construction to CJK (Chinese-Korean-Japanese) Ming-style typefaces. Kleisch does not match with a specific font. However, as a variable font, it offers adjustable axes (weight and contrast) to adapt with different Ming typefaces.

Marcel Saidov – Semantik

TYPE DESIGN

Marcel Saidov – Semantik

with Kai Bernau, Alice Savoie

Mention Très bien Semantik is a typeface family which resulted from research into typefaces for telephone directories and which revisits the “heavy-top” emphasis to increase legibility. Semantik is loosely based on Ladislas Mandel’s Nordica and Colorado, as well as Roger Excoffon’s Antique Olive . The project explores the technical aspects and stylistic elements of typefaces for telephone directories in a screen-based environment, improving legibility in the contexts of both continuous reading on screen and reading while scrolling. The typeface adapts to various screen environments as a variable font with a responsive axis, and adjusts to the dimensions of your computer or mobile device. Semantik contains in total 30 separate styles and includes five weights and italics for desktop, mobile and list versions.

Paul Christ – Microcosm of Proportion

TYPE DESIGN

Paul Christ – Microcosm of Proportion

with Kai Bernau, Marie Lusa

“Cosmos, noun. The universe, especially when it is thought of as an ordered system.” Inspired by spiritual movements such as the Theosophical Society or the vegetarian colony of Monte Verità, this project explores the influence of geometry, numbers and systems on the arts and design. The result is a book consisting of three parts that reflect the development of the project. It begins with the presentation of the research material and continues with a practical exploration of geometrical figures and their proportions. The third chapter applies my insights on the development of a proportional system which forms the base of the typeface family used throughout the book.

Alberto Malossi – Beaujon

TYPE DESIGN

Alberto Malossi – Beaujon

with Kai Bernau, Alice Savoie

Beaujon is a typeface family consisting of five weights and five corresponding italics. Primarily designed for contemporary text setting, its origins can be traced to Pierre Simon Fournier’s contrast model (1764) and landmark Dutch baroque types, such as the ones by Nicholas Kis (1690). Beaujon leverages its influences liberally and quite unsystematically, striving to build tension among rather organic gestures and an intrinsically digital construction. This essential discrepancy gives Beaujon a peculiar effervescence in both running text and larger, more flamboyant display usage.

Benedetta Bovani – Acquerino

TYPE DESIGN

Benedetta Bovani – Acquerino

with Marie Lusa, Kai Bernau

Acquerino is a family project that revolves around the Acquerino Nature Reserve in Tuscany, Italy. Growing up near the place, the idea for this project was born out of the curiosity and affection that both me and my brother have for it. We felt the need to create something that reflected our thoughts and emotions about such a place while at the same time letting people know about it. Bringing together our knowledge, memories and skills we designed two books. The first book is a travel guide that aims to inform the reader about the reserve: from the flora to the fauna, hiking itineraries and nearby villages. The second one is an album where we collected words and photographs that reflect on the value of nature and of memory. Two specific typefaces were also designed for the books.

Nicolas Bernklau – Resial / Strength in Fragility

TYPE DESIGN

Nicolas Bernklau – Resial / Strength in Fragility

with Kai Bernau, Marie Lusa

Strength in Fragility is a dialogue between fashion (Anna Deller-Yee, RCA) and type design (Nicolas Bernklau, ECAL). To find the intersections of the two design fields, shapes are explored and brought to life: from 2D to 3D, shape to object, printable to wearable. A publication showcases a common shape pool made up of type letterings as a foundation for the development of fashion silhouettes, woven materials and prints around themes of individuality, strength and vulnerability. To enhance the feeling of the project, the accompanying sans serif typeface family Resial was designed. Resial balances the functionality of condensed Swiss/German typefaces from the early 20th century and idiosyncrasies found while researching Latin typefaces in the Japanese graphic context.

Excerpts from Master Type Design theses

TYPE DESIGN

Excerpts from Master Type Design theses

with Anniina Koivu, Roland Früh, Wayne Daly

Simona Alina Andone – Leisure Time

TYPE DESIGN

Simona Alina Andone – Leisure Time

with Kai Bernau, Marie Lusa

Free time. Did it exist in the past? Does it still exist? What implication does it have for society? Nowadays, the distinction between leisure and work is more subtle, calling into question the true meaning and importance of free time. The topic was widely discussed during the 13th Triennale di Milano in 1964. Through the appropriation of archival iconography and a fictional dialogue with essays from 1964 and nowadays, the editorial project aims to highlight the ambiguity between past and present in their connection to free time. Cordusio is a typeface family designed as part of the editorial project. Inspired by 1960s Italian type design, with an added contemporary touch, it is available in Display and Text, with slanted italic for both cuts.

Anne Seseke – Machine like Man

TYPE DESIGN

Anne Seseke – Machine like Man

with Marie Lusa, Kai Bernau

This publication focuses on the link between humans and machines through the lens of the keyboard – a visual story of the evolution of the keyboard over the years, alongside its user. The curated text and images, playing on scales, give us insight into this discreet object which has become an essential part of our  daily lives: the architecture of the keys, the act of typing, the choreography of the hands, the notion of pocket-size and handheld objects, and the constant evolution of our idea of the office. The content is supported by a bespoke font, inspired by early computer printing techniques. I played with a dot matrix grid to create a more human typeface, resulting in a family of four styles: MLM Dot, Vector, Pixel and Italic.

Antonio D’Elisiis – Hierax Antiqua

TYPE DESIGN

Antonio D’Elisiis – Hierax Antiqua

with Kai Bernau, Alice Savoie

Hierax Antiqua is a contemporary typeface family composed of 24 styles with text and display cut, suitable for editorial publication and identity projects. The typeface is inspired by an ancient book printed in Venice around 1750, with various punches cut in different periods (1550 – 1780). Hence the aim of the project is to capture the spirit of Renaissance and Baroque types by analysing the works of Nicolas Jenson, Francesco Griffo, Claude Garamont, Pierre Haultin, Robert Granjon, Hendrik van den Keere, Christoffel van Dijck, Nicholas Kis, Simon de Colines, Guillaume Le Bé, Pierre-Simon Fournier le Jeune and Giambattista Bodoni. Hierax Antiqua aims to crystallise this era with an added contemporary feel through rigorous digital design.

Romain Tronchin – Supertifo

TYPE DESIGN

Romain Tronchin – Supertifo

with Kai Bernau, Marie Lusa

Supertifo is a typeface family of five styles inspired by the lettering on the banners of ultras. Born at the beginning of the 1970s in the Years of Lead in Italy, ultras were inspired by communist groups to support their club with banners, chants and smoke bombs, taking this passion to the extreme. At the same time, a group of scientists called the Club of Rome published an alarming report about the future of the planet. This report did not have the expected impact and 50 years later the situation is more than worrying. What would have happened if the Club of Rome had been supported by a group of ultras, like a football club?

Lucile Billot – Parallax LCG

TYPE DESIGN

Lucile Billot – Parallax LCG

with Matthieu Cortat, Kai Bernau

This multi-script typeface family covers Latin, Greek and Cyrillic, balanced to be typeset side by side in a homogeneous way. Designed for text purposes, it includes several weights and italics for each script, and the sharpness of the drawing (its “digitality”) is made to match contemporary writings.  *The hand, the pencil; then the broad pen, the nodes, the handles.* Reflected in the shapes is a tension between a tool-based approach (through instrokes/outstrokes and calligraphic features) and an outline-based one. The calligraphic “frontline” (as G. Noordzij calls it) sometimes breaks and each contour, each line, is thought of as an autonomous shape. Both approaches play a crisp choreography, resulting in a scalable typeface that works at several sizes.

Benoît Brun – Karak

TYPE DESIGN

Benoît Brun – Karak

by Benoît Brun

“A first cut into the sheet… There’s no turning back now. It’s like choreography. I draw a curve, turn the sheet and continue in the opposite direction. Wow! An interplay of characters and counters appears as if I was creating the yin and yang sign! Well, let me continue back to my first cut. Hmm on reflection, this ‘a’ looks like a large fellow leaning forward and looking at his belly…” "Karak" is a typeface composed of five styles, which are the result of original material experimentation. It is a journey that recalls the innocence and creative impulse of our youthful days. hello@benoitbrun.com www.benoitbrun.com

João Varela – Liquid Lettering

TYPE DESIGN

João Varela – Liquid Lettering

by João Varela

Just like liquids acquire the shape of their containers, in lettering the type aims to adapt to the scale and form of the final surface. Lettering artists achieve this by changing the weight, width and details of letters, and balancing style and legibility. joaoistyping@gmail.com https://www.joaoistyping.com

Arthur Schwarz – Snake Family

TYPE DESIGN

Arthur Schwarz – Snake Family

by Arthur Schwarz

“Snake” is a typeface family that includes a formal script (“Boa”), a display script (“Mamba”) and a contrasted grotesque (“Cobra”). “Boa” is a contemporary legible script that features strong typographic details in addition to soft and smooth curves. “Mamba” has few curves and many sharp and angular strokes and is freely inspired by the “Princess Script” design drawn by the Barnhart brothers in Chicago in 1887. Its fast and aggressive aesthetic is enhanced by its tight angle and lack of curves. “Cobra” is a strict and rigorous contrasted grotesque for large-size display use. contact@arthurschwarz.ch https://arthurschwarz.ch

Jinhee Kim – Unal

TYPE DESIGN

Jinhee Kim – Unal

by Jinhee Kim

Built in Southeast France between 1973 and 2008, the Unal House, made of sculpted white plaster “bubbles”, was developed by Joël Unal according to his own vision of architecture. Its peculiar aesthetics and atmosphere are translated into “Unal”, a project that aims to transcribe these volumes in a sensitive and speculative way. The letterforms are based on the contrast between the spaces of the Unal House and the geometrical harshness of my room, where I developed the project during the lockdown. The drawing method was inspired by folded paper, generating designs that combined curves with straight lines. hello.jinheekim@gmail.com https://jinheekim.com

Sean Kuhnke – Carte Antique

TYPE DESIGN

Sean Kuhnke – Carte Antique

by Sean Kuhnke

“Carte Antique” is a dysfunctional font family based on the eccentric lettering on French school maps produced in Paris between 1880 and 1970. The earliest maps of this period featured toponyms that were engraved in reverse directly onto zinc plates. The workflow eventually changed, with the text later being lettered in ink and then used to expose specifically primed zinc plates. Regardless of the exact process, these maps share a similar root in the topographic models of the Baton typeface. The new family is applied to a mapping of Lausanne, from the perspective of skateboarders. seankuhnke@gmail.com http://www.seankuhnke.com

Nayoung Kim – The Form Between Dog and Wolf

TYPE DESIGN

Nayoung Kim – The Form Between Dog and Wolf

by Nayoung Kim

This project raises the fundamental question of the relationship between what (we think) we see and what (we think) we know about the reading process and type design. By revealing ambiguous “grey areas” that lie halfway between two characters, it ironically questions what makes an “a” an “a”, a “b” a “b”, etc. Hence, a single “grey” character can be used to represent several letters at the same time, demonstrating the gradual abstraction of the letterforms and putting us in a position where we are no longer sure about what we are reading and what we know. doodlerkim@gmail.com https://nayokim.com

Sophie Wietlisbach – Typewriter Trio

TYPE DESIGN

Sophie Wietlisbach – Typewriter Trio

with Kai Bernau, Alice Savoie

“Typewriter Trio” is a free interpretation of three typewriter fonts, which keeps the unit system imposed by the mechanics of the machine: “Plakat” and “Advocate” are monospaced while “Thesis” is proportional, based on a finer unit. This project connects to my dissertation about three Swiss manufacturers who specialised in the production of fonts for typewriters between 1941 and 1997: Caractères SA, Setag and Novatype. The digital reinterpretations offer contemporary versions of the fonts adapted for modern use. info@sophiewietlisbach.ch https://www.sophiewietlisbach.ch

Weichi He – Photonic

TYPE DESIGN

Weichi He – Photonic

with Kai Bernau, Alice Savoie

"Photonic" is a serif typeface, resulting from the study and interpretation of the iconic “Cooper Black” originally released in 1922. The project re-imagines the blurry/rounded and heavy classic as a rational and constructed typeface. It further expands on how it would look as an extremely thin and delicate font (“Photonic White”), and how the interpolation in between can deliver a subtle and nuanced cut suitable for continuous reading (“Photonic Grey”). These explorations reveal unexpected structures in its letterforms, with quirks and traits unique to each cut, yet preserving overall consistency. Weichi.he@gmail.com https://www.weichi.works

Janis Gildein – How to Hide, Being Present,

TYPE DESIGN

Janis Gildein – How to Hide, Being Present,

with Julia Born, Alice Savoie

Published between 1943 and 1967, “Der Kreis” was one of the first gay magazines in Switzerland, whose network grew internationally. As an editorial platform it developed a position and a visual language for the gay community. A contemporary look at the magazine raises questions about the origins of queer culture and its relationship with notions of visibility, i.e. being recognisable while remaining hidden. hello@janisgildein.de http://janisgildein.de

Sascha Bente – Rhetorik

TYPE DESIGN

Sascha Bente – Rhetorik

with Kai Bernau, Alice Savoie

“Rhetorik” is a typeface family consisting of 16 weights. Its subliminal structure is based on a calligraphic model by Giovanni Francesco Cresci (16th century), the origins of which can be found in Walter Tiemann’s “Orpheus” font (1926) and in Otl Aicher’s “Rotis” (1988). While Tiemann serves as a form-giving source, Aicher’s theory of “Rotis” is the decisive reference for “Rhetorik’s” family structure. hello@saschabente.com http://www.saschabente.com

Raphaël de la Morinerie – Constellation

TYPE DESIGN

Raphaël de la Morinerie – Constellation

by Raphaël de la Morinerie

“Constellation” is a typographic family. Through this design project, I offer my formal view on so-called text fonts. I have defined it thanks to two complementary axes: weight and expressiveness. raphaeldelamo@gmail.com http://www.raphaeldelamorinerie.fr

Jin Lee Kyung – No one has yet seen a letter as it really is

TYPE DESIGN

Jin Lee Kyung – No one has yet seen a letter as it really is

with Julia Born

No one has yet seen a letter as it really is. When the letters have volume and are seen in different perspectives, new form and meanings arise. The letters started with sculptures and were flattened again from different angles. This transition from a three-dimensional construction to a two-dimensional surface enriches the letter’s architectural potential. The resulting shapes are defined by the behaviour of each material.

Benedek Takács – Miniatűr Utópia

TYPE DESIGN

Benedek Takács – Miniatűr Utópia

with Kai Bernau, Julia Born, Roland Früh

Miniatűr Utópia is a modular travelling exhibition introducing Hungarian miniature books made during the Soviet era in Hungary. The project goes hand in hand with a detailed research that includes interviews with members of the miniature book society.

Federico Paviani – Pathos. Diploma Project by Federico Paviani

TYPE DESIGN

Federico Paviani – Pathos. Diploma Project by Federico Paviani

by Federico Paviani

Pathos is a typeface resulting from the interpretation of an Old Style American  model and in particular from the Ronaldson Old-Style. Its gentle contrast and its wide proportions give shape to an haptic feeling. It is carrying a classic charme in its text patterns, that is evolving into a contemporary and metallic taste as soon as it is displayed in big sizes. Its identity investigates the contrast between the mass-usage aspect of the original model and its timeless shapes. It is developed in a small family composed of three roman cuts: regular, bold and narrow black and their italic partners.

Ondřej Báchor – Kolektiv. Diploma Project by Ondřej Báchor

TYPE DESIGN

Ondřej Báchor – Kolektiv. Diploma Project by Ondřej Báchor

by Ondřej Báchor

Kolektiv is a high contrasted transitional serif typeface that comes in 8 cuts  including Italics. Intended as a book typeface, it is suitable in small sizes where its smooth ductus creates an organic text structure, as well as for headline sizes where it excels in its elegant style of drawing. It’s a digital interpretation of a design by the same name drawn in 1952 by a collective of Czech authors. As a Czech designer, Kolektiv is my personal statement of what I consider Czech character in typography to be. The process of designing helped me to shape my own style and apply it to the typeface.

Eliott Grunewald – Epoxy. Diploma Project by Eliott Grunewald

TYPE DESIGN

Eliott Grunewald – Epoxy. Diploma Project by Eliott Grunewald

with Kai Bernau, Radim Pesko

EPOXY is project based on the experimentation of a new tool, using the relation  between type and space, to present a serie of 3D typographic elements. The elements are then included in differents spaces, they are defined in 4 dimensions, the x and y axes but also a third dimension: the space, and the fourth: the time. Each shape and “lettering” is designed in a lot of different steps, from the structure, to the sculpture, the texture and then the animation in a particular space. The video in VR refers to the idea of a specimen, to display and show the typographic shapes.

Malte Bentzen – Modern Gothic. Diploma Project by Malte Bentzen

TYPE DESIGN

Malte Bentzen – Modern Gothic. Diploma Project by Malte Bentzen

with François Rappo

From the dawn of the American gothic typefaces comes a new digital font family. Inspired by a type-specimen dated around 1890 from Chicago based foundry Barnhart Brothers & Spindler, a new digital version is created of the forgotten typeface Modern Gothic. The new version takes account the spirit and charm of the original source yet offers a new functional interpretation ready for a universal usage at different sizes. Modern Gothic comes in 5 weights, with corresponding italics.

Davide Tomatis – Metodo. Diploma Project by Davide Tomatis

TYPE DESIGN

Davide Tomatis – Metodo. Diploma Project by Davide Tomatis

by Davide Tomatis

Metodo is a typeface that takes inspiration from a dusty German grotesk with a  strong industrial look drawn at the beginning of the twentieth century. The main focus of the project was to keep the original rigidity and tension in its curves and at the same time to obtain a good texture on the page when used for running text. Although the source can lead back to a classical taste, the effort was to accomplish an image which doesn’t refer to a specific technology, giving Metodo a timeless rather than an outdated look. The typeface comes out in five weights, from light to heavy, with italics.

Kaj Lehmann – Zweikommasieben Magazine #17. Diploma Project by Kaj Lehmann,.

TYPE DESIGN

Kaj Lehmann – Zweikommasieben Magazine #17. Diploma Project by Kaj Lehmann,.

by Kaj Lehmann

For the latest issue of «zweikommasieben», Lehmann designed the magazine  and developed a typeface. The scotch modern style typeface is designed with very strict parameters: equalised, rhythmified spaces inside and in-between the letters, unit-based letter-widths and kerning values and an aggressive slanting angle amplifying the rather historic typeface with a synthesized, electronic flavour. The design of the Magazine ultimately became a reflection of pausing as in deceleration and acceleration. In this attempt to give form to time, there’s also the primordial-musical moment.

Type Bulletin #1

TYPE DESIGN

Type Bulletin #1

with MATD

Jacopo Aztori – Röma

TYPE DESIGN

Jacopo Aztori – Röma

with François Rappo

Röma synthesises and reinterprets the original Elzevir model, whose attraction is its elegant posture and its high-readability qualities. While its style has been historically and pragmatically exploited, Röma's generous rhythm and sophisticated details stand for higher quality print, shared across the four weights and matching italics. Ho to craft across the weights the muscularity of this living yet sober book typeface? The resulting sharp reading texture promotes the ergonomics of reading while adding value to the content.

Arve Båtevik – Otto

TYPE DESIGN

Arve Båtevik – Otto

with François Rappo

A research project examining the wave of geometric typefaces from the early 20th century; reconstructing twenty of them using a simplified grid, to see if it was possible to recreate their distinctive atmospheres, despite unifying the strokes, weights and matrixes.

Simon Mager – Rima, Diploma Project by Simon Mager

TYPE DESIGN

Simon Mager – Rima, Diploma Project by Simon Mager

by Simon Mager

Rima is a sans serif typeface formulating a contemporary approach to the classical grotesque genre and investigating the balance between the sober and the playful. With its compact proportions, Rima is conceived for continuous reading as well as for display use. Its subtly tapered stems and top-heavy build impose a particular look in larger sizes, while adding a more organic taste to the typical grotesque model, when set in text size. Each weight reveals an individual flavour, flavour at the same time maintaining an overall coherent look throughout the family.

Heejae Yang – Actual, Diploma Project by Heejae Yang

TYPE DESIGN

Heejae Yang – Actual, Diploma Project by Heejae Yang

by Heejae Yang

Actual is a sans serif font family inspired by the purity fo geometric shapes. One of the drawbacks of early geometric typefaces, such as those from the bauhaus, was their defective readability in small sizes due to the fact that they were made with a merely formal and conceptual approach. Whereas, if the fonts were revised, they could easily lose their original geometric character. The project aims to produce a typeface that works for body texts while still maintaining a geometric flavour. To achieve this, the optical corrections of the absolute geometric shapes were reduced to a minimum.

Filter