It’s a known fact FontFont is a great type foundry. Erik Spiekermann did a lot of work there. They are responsible for faces tons of people see everyday. If you are ever in München you’ve seen their faces. You just probably never even realized that there was so much type design happening right in front of you. Spiekermann did the Nokia typeface used my millions on their old Nokias. Anyways, today we are looking at a post on FontFonter about the creation of their new face ‘Tundra’
A line of text is like a silhouette on the horizon. Closer inspection reveals the detail, the trees, bushes, rocks; details that, though only vaguely perceivable from afar, create both rhythm and variation. The beauty of this landscape is born of both regularity and variety.
In this post Ludwig Übele talks about his work on FF Tundra and all the humanistic aspects of it. He also discusses the legibility and all the decisions to be made there. How strong will it be? Will it look forceful or meek? Will it be legible at small sizes or display only? How will it become more dense?
Of course reading is much more complex than these very simple considerations. Why a typeface is legible, why it appears fresh or lively is much more complicated and difficult to specify. Rhythm can’t be reduced to a fence pattern. And to create harmonious letterforms it’s much better to follow your own feeling for forms rather than follow rules.