Thomas Bouville

1987, Thiais, France

How did you get involved with typeface design? What led you to this practice?
Initially, I studied Graphic Design at the École supérieure d’arts appliqués of Bourgogne, and then at the École européenne supérieure d’art of Brittany. After that I chose to specialize in Typeface Design and decided to pursue my training at the École supérieure d’art et de design of Amiens and then in the Atelier national de recherche typographique (ANRT).

What influences you? Are there typeface designers whose work you appreciate in particular?
On one hand, I would say that I am attracted to projects which question the objectivity of the typographic form. Kai Bernau’s Neutral or Kris Sowersby’s Untitled highlight precisely one of the paradoxes of Typeface Design: the creation of a new form which appears to be “transparent”.
On the other hand, I have a real admiration for all of the typographic creations of the 18th century. I appreciate the typographic color of these transitional designs that I find to be very particular. Among the punch-cutters for whom I have a real admiration, I could mention Jacques-François Rosart, Philippe Grandjean, Joann Michael Fleischman and Pierre-Simon Fournier the younger.
As a graphic designer, I am also interested in more experimental projects which question the limits of the typographic sign by subjecting them to systems of construction. Karl Nawrot’s various experiments to do with the creation of normographs or the generative project Sign-generator by studio Norm are notable examples of this.

In your opinion, what is the point of creating a new typeface when so many already exist?
Most of the time, I begin to design a typeface in the context of a Graphic Design project that I’m working on, where I haven’t been able to find what I’m looking for in existing type families. And so I create my own tools. As each project has a quite particular context, this naturally leads me to quite specific typographic forms.
In other cases, my Type Design projects begin with a concept for a family of typefaces. My attention is not necessarily focused on the design of a style, but more-so on the relationships that exist, and on the tensions that emerge from the confrontation of the latter within the same layout.
It is through the assertion of these relationships that, little by little, I manage to define my different designs.

Is it really possible to create something new in the field of typeface design?
I am convinced that this is the case, as developments in technology and new uses of reading allow new needs to emerge. What’s more, the democratization of tools for creating typefaces leads new people – with different points of view – to tackle this design exercise. The possibility of being able to create a typeface relatively rapidly has changed its economy, and it is not rare to be in a position to create a customized font for a small scale graphic design project, whereas in the past this would have been quite an unrealistic endeavor.

How do you begin work on a new typeface? Do you have a particular process?
I don’t believe that there is any specific recipe to which I adhere.
Because, often, the need to create a new typeface arises in the context of the commission of a graphic design creation, it is in this back and forth between graphic language and type design that I feel most at ease.
What interests me most about type design corresponds to the creation of a particular optical appearance, of a reading experience in effect.

What is your relationship with the history of typography? What is your relationship with technology?
I am quite sensitive to the modern history of typography, where typography moves away from notions of ductus and appears as a construction. This concept obviously evokes the typography of the early 20th century designed by the avant-gardes, however the relationship with characters created in the 18th century also interests me greatly. I like the contradiction which emanates from a construction of utopian letters, on principle outside of any scriptural tradition, and yet still part of the linear history of typography. The graphic impact which is generated by the brutality of these characters is of particular interest to me.
In the context of my previous commissioned projects, up to this point technology has served as a tool to develop and accompany my work. I have more of a tendency to exploit and develop more experimental tools in the context of my personal research. The research project Re-typographe, which I began at ANRT, in partnership with a team of researchers in the field of applied mathematics, is an example of this. We sought to develop a semi-automatic tool for analysis of ancient books. The observation of historical documents through the prism of technology allows me to look at canonic typographical forms from a different angle.

Why have you chosen to distribute your characters and typefaces with 205TF?
The Kelvin family might appear atypical if one bases one’s point of view on the usual standards of development of contemporary typographical creations. The relationship that exists between the different styles of Kelvin is not a common one: it is not a question of variations of forms based on the same structure, but rather distinct designs which can only be considered to belong to the same family because they share similar values. It was then for me primordial to conserve the concept which serves as a basis for the construction of the Kelvin family, something that 205TF understood and supported.

Do you think that typography can save the world?
Typeface Design is intimately connected to language, which gives it a particular status. A typographic character can invest any type of domain and any type of medium where there is a message that needs to be spread. But the creation of new typefaces was often connected to much more ambitious projects. For example, the creation of Romain du Roi, at the end of the 17th century, was part of an editorial project which described the arts and trades of that time. This typeface family reflected the ideological and technological achievement of the intentions carried by the publication.
On a much more modest level I would say that typography is an expressive tool of language. Used judiciously, it allows one to specify a discourse and to convey one’s intentions, thus allowing a more precise communication between emitter and receiver of a message.

Do you teach? If so, where, and why does this role of transmission seem important to you?
I work in different schools (Ésad — Reims, Ésaab — Nevers, Ésal — Épinal) in the form of workshops. Depending on the curriculum and its goals, I propose interventions in typeface design or graphic design. As quickly as possible, I create hybrid projects where the question of typography is dealt with both on the level of the sign and of composition.

What type design project are you currently working on?
My days alternate between macroscopic and microscopic tasks. I am currently woking on a family of typefaces for the visual identity of a museum in Paris, while at the same time continuing to work on graphic design projects. I also set aside some time to consider and think about new typeface design projects.

Juliette Collin

1991, France

How did you get involved with typeface design? What led you to this practice?
After finishing my studies in Paris, I trained with Jean François Porchez, in order to concentrate mainly on typography and its applications. He taught me a very academic approach to type design and that was a real point of departure for me. Afterwards I decided to pursue my studies at the ECAL where I graduated in June 2017. While there I was lucky enough to be guided by renowned masters, such as François Rappo who taught me a lot and who helped me to have a keener eye, along with Kai Bernau and Matthieu Cortat.

What influences you? Are there typeface designers whose work you appreciate in particular?
All of the different professionals whom I met during my time studying in Lausanne were a source of inspiration at one time or another. Whether in the fields of photography, graphic design, or more specifically typography. The ECAL is in effect a highly enriching context where different disciplines intersect and overlap. We are very lucky to receive advice and guidance from people who are passionate about the work, coming from very different backgrounds, who nourish our thinking and help us to develop our practice. In general, I would say that I have a strong interest in type designers who are also graphic designers, like Christian Schwartz, Laurenz Brunner and Radim Pesko.

In your opinion, what is the point of creating a new typeface when so many already exist?
Typography is first and foremost a tool, with functionality and ergonomy being its two central pillars. Creating new typefaces allows new needs to be met, and allows us to provide our graphic design with a new identity. I don’t think that there is really any limit. I would even go so far as to say that it is important to develop one’s visual environment in line with one’s epoch. By renewing existing forms, one also renews the visual experience that reading can provide. Often, graphic designers know exactly what they are looking for but may sometimes opt for more intuitive choices.

Is it really possible to create something new in the field of typeface design?
It’s true, there are already a lot of typefaces available. But designers manage to create something new while being inspired by ancient forms. There are so many possibilities, there is so much left to explore! The typographic landscape that many describe as saturated forces designers to propose coherent projects with strong identities.

How do you begin work on a new typeface? Do you have a particular process?
In recent years I have been working essentially on revivals. The difference between the very precise trace of ink left by lead characters on vectorial drawing paper implies a complete deconstruction of the typeface in order to extract its essence. So it is essential for me to always see the printed version of my typeface, and to correct it by hand. I also try to consider all of the possible solutions, without modifying the original idea. For the Salmanazar typeface, the question of making it smoother was at the core of my process. I worked on a lot of versions before returning to my initial drawings. Ultimately, I chose to leave it with quite a rough appearance, with all of its imperfections and subtleties so that it could retain its quite sculpted appearance, and so that it would have a “taste”, a tone of grey different to what one usually finds.

What is your relationship with the history of typography? What is your relationship with technology?
Typography has its tradition, and always refers to a period of history. I believe that it is important to be aware of the context in which a typeface is created, to understand its origins and to attempt to know where its proportions come from, to understand the intentions behind it, etc. When one starts with an older model, one can find a wealth of information that will allow one to make one’s own interpretation. One discovers a multitude of subtleties that one might choose to emphasize, or not.
Digital tools are like any other tool. They allow for easy deconstruction and reconstruction, for the creation of variations – thanks to interpolations for example – to understand the impact of what one wishes to infuse them with. Today it is possible to “quickly” develop large families, even if I do think that it is more interesting to design and draw each style.

Why have you chosen to distribute your characters and typefaces with 205TF?
The Salmanazar typeface possesses a very strong identity. I don’t think that it would be at home in every kind of foundry. 205TF brings together independent designers with very different practices, but at the same time it continues to be a small foundry with a very precise selection. I think that Salmanazar really suits the catalogue. I would even go so far as to say that the project has been inspired by a French historical model and that I am really quite happy that it is distributed in France.

Do you think that typography can save the world?
I’m probably going to disappoint you here. I’m sure of it. But I will say that it enables communication, and that’s already pretty good!

Do you teach? If so, where, and why does this role of transmission seem important to you?
After my Master, the ECAL gave me the opportunity to do a six month residency in Hong Kong, where I gave conferences, organized workshops and worked with students in a design school. It was a very rich experience which allowed me to broaden my vision and to experience a new way of doing things, through the prism of the culture and heritage of a country. In addition to being very stimulating, it was a real challenge to teach as I had barely left school. I returned to France recently, and am certainly not objective enough, but what I can say is that sharing my experience and knowledge over there was a real pleasure.

What type design project are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on a customized version of a typeface for an Italian magazine that I started while still a student. Also I’ve taken charge of the development of an existing project. It is a little known Didot that proposes a particularly interesting version in terms of legibility.

Matthieu Cortat

1982, Delémont, Swiss

How did you get involved with typeface design? What led you to this practise?
During my studies in Visual Communication at the Ecal in Lausanne, I was introduced to typeface design by François Rappo, as well as in workshops with Norm and Underware. It was there that I was lucky enough to meet Hans-Jurg Hunziker who convinced me to persevere along this path, and who spoke to me of the Atelier National de Recherche Typographique, in Nancy, where I pursued my education. Once my studies were finished, I moved to Lyon, carrying out both my work as a typeface designer and as a mediator, then scientific advisor in the Museum of Print and Graphic Communication (Musée de l’Imprimerie et de la Communication graphique) in Lyon.

Is there something specific about your approach to typeface design?
Thanks to my work in the Museum of Print and Graphic Communication, most of my typefaces are anchored in history. This doesn't make them revivals however, as I take a lot of liberties with regard to the models from which I begin my work. Let's say that I try, for each creation, to bring a contemporary feel to an atmosphere, a style drawn from the history of Typography. Sometimes it is a matter of revisiting a classic; other times of rediscovering a lost typeface; often it is a nod to a reference.

What influences you? Are there typeface designers whose work you appreciate in particular?
I don't really have any idols. I have a certain appetite for the British (Johnston, Gill and, slightly closer to home, Paul Barnes) and the French (Mandel, Mendoza, Jou) for questions of style. When it comes to questions of finishing and a certain rigour in development however, I am firmly on the side of the Swiss, Frutiger, Miedinger, the Optimo and Lineto foundries, for example. The American and Dutch typographers are somewhat a mystery to me. I would place myself nearer to typeface designers that are “sculptors” as opposed to “calligraphers”.

If you could only choose one typeface, which one would it be?
For what use exactly? Choosing a single typeface is like choosing a single food, a single garment. The choice of a typeface depends on the context. For a body text, let's say a book, I'd lean of course towards my last born, Helvetius, that will be soon available through 205tf.

In your opinion, what is the point of creating a new typeface when so many already exist?
Ask fashion designers why they launch collections every season? Or car manufacturers why they release new models every year? Or furniture creators? Architects? Musicians?

Is it really possible to create something new in the field of type design?
No. In the sense that, a letter must, at a moment or another, be even just slightly legible. The reader must then be in a position to recognise it. And to recognise it, it has to resemble something that already exists. So then, to create something completely new, one would have to create a new writing.

How do you begin work on a new typeface? Do you have a particular process?
No, not really. It could be a question of historical models, intentionally badly scanned so that I can leave a lot of room for interpretation. Or, in the case of a commissioned typeface, a sketch provided by a graphic designer. More often than not, I scribble a few far from perfect sketches to clarify what I am looking for, and then design directly on a computer.

What is your relationship with the history of typography? What is your relationship with technology?
I've already spoken about my relationship with history. I'm up to my neck in it. I know too much to just naively create fonts and imagine that they are revolutionary; and not enough to not get excited when I come across a specimen that I've never seen before.

Why have you chosen to distribute your characters and typefaces with 205TF?
Beyond the shared infrastructure that allows a greater functionality that would be complicated to put in place for an isolated designer, there is the choice of the catalogue: few typefaces, but well chosen, with high standards, designs, spacings and kernings all being verified by a number of people.
While the “great foundries” have catalogues that seem to go on forever, and look like supermarkets, 205TF is a gourmet food store: a more refined choice, and filled with quality.

Do you think that typography can save the world?
Let's not put that much weight on the shoulders of typography.

You teach at the ecal. Why does this role of transmission seem important to you?
What typeface designer doesn't want to see the general level of publications (on paper or screen) improved? And for that, people need to be trained, they need to have their minds opened and their vision educated. This requires time, patience and energy. Like all things that are worth doing.

What type design project are you currently working on?
I have never really been satisfied with the Gill and its different digital adaptations: too thin, too marked by their era; and, in general, by the humanistic lineals that are often too mannered. So I am working on a character in this style, with a very strong “bold” and sober italics.

Thierry Fétiveau

1987, La Roche-sur-Yon, France

How did you get involved with typeface design? What led you to this practice?
I have been interested in calligraphy for a very long time, and practice it as an amateur. I began studying graphic design in Nantes where I had the opportunity to see the exhibition by the Type Directors Club and to attend the conferences that accompanied the event. I found Jean-François Porchez’s conference particularly striking as, at the time, I wasn’t really aware how important typography and the profession of type designer was. You could call it love at first sight really. In my final year, I did an internship with Typofonderie and my degree project was the creation of the Andersen typeface. This allowed me to combine my interest for typography, and my relationship with reading and teaching that I had experimented with as a primary school teacher. The project was quite well received, and led to me studying in the post graduate program, “Typographie et langage” at the ESAD in Amiens. I developed the Latin/Arabic typeface, Batutah.
Following that I worked as a freelance designer for a while and then in Lille with Ateliers 59, a studio that specializes in visual identity and signage. Currently, I live in Nantes where I work with the Collectif Sans Sherif as a freelance type designer and teacher.

What influences you? Are there typeface designers whose work you appreciate in particular?
Many things inspire me. I follow the work of contemporary graphic designers like Kris Sowersby, Underware, Nikola Djurek, Kristyan Sarkis... I’m also have a strong interest for historical sources: specimens, posters, magazines… I’m interested in vernacular lettering, which I also collect. I always try to have one foot in the past and the other in the present.

In your opinion, what is the point of creating a new typeface when so many already exist?
This questions comes up regularly with the people that I bump into who don’t work in the creative fields. I often answer with a different question: “Why create new clothes, new cars, new music?” For the same reasons: because people’s tastes evolve over time, according to geographical locations and trends. Software and Opentype code allow us to do things that were previously impossible, such as the principle of interpolation. New needs also arise and new uses appear. There is also the development of systems of writing other than Latin, such as Cyrillic, Arabic and Hebrew and Devanagari which all possess great potential.

Is it really possible to create something new in the field of typeface design?
If that wasn’t the case I wouldn’t be involved in this profession! Yes, it is possible to create new typographic forms. Indeed this is where the interest of the profession lies: managing to create new forms while at the same time taking into account a certain tradition, proportions, reading habits and the presence of typefaces which already possess striking and innovative qualities.

How do you begin work on a new typeface? Do you have a particular process?
When I start designing a new typeface – whether it be a “retail” project, or even a “custom” one – I set out a brief containing the project expectations at the very start: number of thicknesses or weights, set of characters, functions, uses, styles, universes, references… The more detailed this brief is, the easier it is for me to know where I’m headed. This is followed by a phase of research with drawing and then, quite quickly, I begin using software to design a couple of glyphs. In my case I use the word “vaphosie” which doesn’t mean anything but which is useful as it provides the key characteristics which will help me to develop the rest of the alphabet. I do a number of tests, advancing in steps, and once I feel that the design is stable I develop the whole typeface.

What is your relationship with the history of typography? What is your relationship with technology?
Whether we like it or not, typography originates in a context, in a specific period and this is also the case with very contemporary typefaces. For me, the history of typography is important as it allows us to understand the origin of the forms, and it is also a huge source of inspiration. It is also difficult to avoid technology that allows one to work in a more rapid and efficient way. The technological aspect of our professions develops quickly. This is one aspect of the profession which stimulates me.

Why have you chosen to distribute your characters and typefaces with 205TF?
I have followed the evolution of 205TF since its creation and was already well aware of the work of Bureau 205 and their strong interest for typography. I was already convinced of the high quality and serious nature of the project. My first typeface, Lewis is distributed on Myfonts who are simply distributors. I was looking for a structure which chose quality typefaces and which worked closely with creators. 205TF is a great fit.

Do you think that typography can save the world?
Absolutely! As a wise man once said: no typography, no salvation! On a more serious note, while it may not save the world, typography can, at its level, attempt to improve things a little. For example, the Balkan Sans typeface is composed on two levels, an upper one and a lower one, simultaneously presenting Latin and Cyrillic letters in an attempt to reconcile a Serbian population that has diverse influences running through it. Eco-font consumes less ink thanks to the empty areas inside the lines of the letters. The Homeless project fonts propose typefaces that are inspired by writing done by homeless people, and the proceeds from the sale of this typeface go to an association which works with homeless people. Beyond these projects, the development of typefaces or systems of writing that are in the danger of disappearing seems of primary importance to me as this helps the survival and transmission of languages.

Do you teach? If so, where, and why does this role of transmission seem important to you?
I work in the ECV Nantes and at E-Art Sup Nantes. In addition to that, I animate workshops and conferences. This role of transmission seems important to me as typography is a discipline that students – and thus future professionals – will be faced with on a daily basis whether it be for print of digital media. I try to pass on to students not only my know-how in relation to typeface design but also my knowledge of other subjects like the Opentype functions or how user licenses for typefaces function for example.

What type design project are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on a number of projects: the development of the Latin/Arabic typeface Batutah that I created when I was a student, the development of a lineal in a number of thicknesses for the Latin and the Cyrillic and finally a commission for a festival: a titling typeface inspired by the Art Deco movement.

Roxane Gataud

1991, France

How did you get involved with typeface design? What led you to this practice?
I passed my baccalaureate in Applied Arts in 2008 before studying Graphic Design at the École Estienne. It was later while I was studying at the École supérieure des Arts appliqués de Bourgogne (ESAAB), in Nevers that something clicked for me with typeface design. Up until that point I took real pleasure in using typefaces but had never felt the need to design one myself. For my degree I knew exactly what kind of typeface I wanted to work with, but it was impossible to find something that suited me in the meagre library of typefaces in my possession at the time. This drove me to study typeface design! So I joined the “Typographie & Langage” post graduate programme in the École supérieure d'Art et Design (Ésad) in Amiens, where I had previously graduated with honours, in February of 2014. I designed the Bely, my first original typeface that is currently distributed by TypeTogether.

Since then I have lived and worked in Paris as an independent Type Designer. In 2016 I received the Catalyst Award, given by the American association SOTA, that each year awards a young designer with a promising future for their accomplishments in the field of Typography. I have worked with different international and French foundries and I am currently actively working with 205TF. When I am not helping other designers, I work on my own creations.

Is there something specific about your approach to typeface design?
I became interested in Typography as the result of a graphic design need. The question of the use of the characters that I design is thus fundamental in my practice. I leave a lot of room for formal experimentation and experimentation. This is often the pretext for the development of a new project. In reality, I've only been designing typefaces for a short time and still consider myself a beginner. The multitude of styles that I haven't explored yet are like new playgrounds to me. I still haven't found one particular approach!

What influences you? Are there typeface designers whose work you appreciate in particular?
There are so many things that inspire me and that influence my work. I was lucky enough to collaborate with different designers, and each of their unique practices have enriched my practice and allowed me to develop my own way of working. A lecture, an exchange or even a type specimen from the beginning of the century can be of great inspiration to me. I nonetheless admit to being very sensitive to the typographic creations of designers that also have a Graphic Design practice, such as Gareth Hague or Radim Pesko, to name only two.

If you could only choose one typeface, which one would it be?
That's such a difficult question! Probably the Times, so that I could continue to read books without destroying my retina.

Is it really possible to create something new in the field of type design?
There's so much left to explore! There's a lot of room to invent new forms and new families.

How do you begin work on a new typeface? Do you have a particular process?
A lot of my work is based on intuition. I quickly draw my ideas on paper. Sketches are for me a way of quickly creating the basis for a new idea. Nevertheless, my sketches are not at all refined! It's more a matter of structures and diagrams. I move on quickly from vectorial drawings and try to make all of this “work”. Then there is a lot of back and forth between screen and paper. The documenting stage comes before or after, depending on the projects.

What is your relationship with the history of typography? What is your relationship with technology?
The two are inseparable. Good knowledge of both domains seems important to me in the understanding and production of contemporary characters.

Do you think that typography can save the world?
If only...

What type design project are you currently working on?
I really have too many ongoing projects. Hopefully I'll be able to find enough time to push these experiments towards more defined families of characters and characters that will be available shortly!

Damien Gautier

1971, Beaune, France

How did you get involved with typeface design? What led you to this practise?
I fell into typography when I was already grown up, having finished some training in the field of science, a little by accident, by love... I studied in the typeface creation studio in the Estienne school, run by Franck Jalleau and Michel Derre among others.

What influences you? Are there typeface designers whose work you appreciate in particular?
I like to take characters that have been drawn or designed by non-specialists as a source of inspiration. I pay particular attention to vernacular typographic signs that we all come across daily but don't really take in on any conscious level. They are often awkward, but can sometimes display real ingenuity.
Gerard Unger's characters were a real revelation for me when I began. With the Swift I discovered a design driven by an approach that allowed one to achieve radical characters, rid of any useless frills. With his other characters, I realised that history and contemporary creation could go hand in hand

In your opinion, what is the point of creating a new typeface when so many already exist?
I'll answer your question with one of my own! What is the point of a designer creating another model of chair? It will have a seat, four legs and a back like every other chair before it, and yet it is hard for you to imagine having four chairs in your dining room that clash with the rest of your home.
It is exactly the same thing when it comes to typeface design. Sometimes you feel the need for a specific character that is perfectly adapted to your needs or desires! So you design and draw it!

Is it really possible to create something new in the field of type design?
I never think in those terms when I draw and design a character. I draw the character that I need in my role as a Graphic Designer. Then, I imagine that if I find it suitable (because I always use my typefaces before making them commercially available), it could also be of interest to other designers.

How do you begin work on a new typeface? Do you have a particular process?
That depends. Sometimes I start work on a new typeface because I need it for a specific project. Its design is then driven by the use that will be made of it. I work constantly until I can make the first tests and then verify the result. I rework the design until I obtain a result that satisfies me. At other times, I feel the need to start a new project having discovered a typographic sign that inspires me and gives me a glimpse of a potentially interesting character.
At that moment, I draw my first signs. I look for a logic of forms and I am attentive to each sign. I often need time to do this and come back to the work at different moments. So, with that in mind, I am usually working on a number of characters at the same time. Sometimes I give up. However, once I am convinced by my design of the letter a, nothing can stop me!

What is your relationship with the history of typography? What is your relationship with technology?
History and technology are inseparable. Though the creation of a digital typeface is currently quite a technical endeavour, typeface design can not be done without a careful look at earlier forms. Typeface design is far from being the simple result of a technical process. It must be inspired!

Why have you chosen to distribute your characters and typefaces with 205TF?
Because I absolutely believe in the efficiency of a stringent distribution and prefer that my typefaces be part of a thoughtful selection rather than finding themselves lost among thousands of other typefaces.

Do you think that typography can save the world?
If we consider that typography is people speaking, exchanging and working together, then yes I dream that it can at the very least make the world a better place.

You teach at l'école des Beaux-Arts de Lyon. Why does this role of transmission seem important to you?
The apprenticeship of type design has brought me a lot in terms of my practise as a designer. I like the idea that the time dedicated to teaching can help students in their future practise by giving them a greater visual acuity with regard to the forms that they are handling. Also, teaching, allows one to move away from the commission/ project rhythm, and to step back from a pace that can sometimes be alienating, while discovering emerging personalities and universes in the process of becoming, and by helping them to structure their projects.

What type design project are you currently working on?
I really like long projects! So I have been working with the Plaak typeface, adding lower case letters to it. With its 24 styles I have my work cut out for me! I am also continuing my thinking on the numerous family of Maax. After the Maax, Maax Mono and Maax Rounded, soon the Maax Raw, a raw lineal in three styles.

Thomas Huot-Marchand

1977, Dôle, France

How did you get involved with typeface design? What led you to this practise?
I was a student at the School of Fine Arts of Besançon, where I discovered typography. I was self taught when it came to typeface design, using Fontographer, I threw myself into the design of Garaje, a typeface that I presented for my Fine Arts diploma. At that time it was a family of twenty or so fonts, that nourished my thinking around the geometrisation of the typographic sign, in vernacular inscriptions and in the European avant-gardes. Just after that I entered the ANRT, in 2001 – 2002, where I could dive fully into typeface design, by drawing and designing the lowercase M, a character for very small type sizes.

Is there something specific about your approach to typeface design?
A number of things are very important to me. To never move too far away from Graphic Design and to never lose sight of the way that typefaces are used: my activity as a designer provides me with a lot of pretexts to create characters, whether I am requested to do so or not. It is a way for me to appropriate the commission, and to add an element of typographic investigation to it.
As to the design itself, there are probably forms that we find from one character to another: nonetheless, I enjoy trying a new ways of designing for each character: not only another formal register, but testing another process. This is what stimulates me most.

What are your influences? The references and typeface designers whose work you particularly appreciate?
Graphic Designers have certainly marked me the most (like Experimental Jetset, Norm); when it comes to typeface designers, I admire the variety of drawings and designs of Carter or Frutiger, and the creations of Henrik Kuebel, for example.

If you had to choose only one typeface, which one would it be?
That's an extremely difficult question, and life would be incredibly sad with only one single typeface. If I had to give an answer I'd go with Akzidenz Grotesk Bold, old school.

In your opinion, what is the point of creating a new typeface when so many already exist?
Do we ask this question when speaking of painting or photography? There are indeed quite a few in existence, but I don't believe that any limit exists.

Is it really possible to create something new in the field of type design?
Of course, there are so many things to explore, everywhere: in history, technology, the writings of the world...

How do you begin work on a new typeface? Do you have a particular process?
I try to avoid following the same recipe each time, and adapt my methodology to the character that I intend to develop.

What is your relationship with the history of typography? What is your relationship with technology?
I am nourished, like most of us, by historical forms, but I try not to dive too deeply into them as it can very quickly have a paralysing effect. To quote Carter, I try to look at history for what it can nourish in the present and not for nostalgic reasons. As for technology, I am very interested in it: excellent tools are available to us today, and we have a relatively unprecedented capacity to adapt those tools to our needs. I am not a beast when it comes to development, far from it, but the whole field interests me greatly. Here too, as with history, we have to be careful not to confuse the means with the ends.

Why have you chosen to distribute your characters and typefaces with 205TF?
I have always worked independently, and even if I had been in possession of a foundry since 2007, the distribution of my characters has never been of interest to me, and I have no time to take care of it anyway. My friendship with the people behind the project, and the format that 205TF proposes suits me perfectly, I didn't hesitate for a second.

Do you think that typography can save the world?
Absolutely.

You teach at l'ANRT (Atelier national de recherche typographique, Nancy). Why does this role of transmission seem important to you?
I have always been a full time teacher, and I find it very important for my own equilibrium. I like interacting with students, working with my colleagues, organising things and doing research. These different activities (type design, Graphic Design, teaching) complement and nourish one another and I find this very stimulating.

What type design project are you currently working on?
A custom typeface for a huge hotel in Las Vegas that was commissioned by an agency. Class, American style! Its a glyphic serif; I've never designed one before and it's been very pleasant so far.

Yoann Minet

1988, Tulle, France

How did you get involved with typeface design? What led you to this practice?
I designed a typeface for the first time in 2010, during an exchange with the University of Laval in Quebec. My timetable gave me the time to develop a project under the watchful eye of René Lemieux, Director of the Graphic Communication programme. Then, to quickly summarise my path, I studied at the École de communication visuelle of Bordeaux, then at the Typographic creation studio in the École Estienne; I worked at the Typography Cabinet with Ludovic Balland; in the Production Type foundry, founded by Jean-Baptiste Levée; then finally in 2015, I created a Graphic Design studio, Bureau Brut, with Julia Joffre and Camille Prandi. I also think that certain encounters have been very important in my training, I'm thinking of Hugo Anglade, Nicolas Oulès, Simon Masse and many others.

Is there something specific about your approach to typeface design?
I am not totally convinced that there is, because I don't have only one approach. Effectively, my approach varies according to the projects, the commissions, or just because I saw something in a street one morning. I think that the best way to renew one's practice is not to restrict oneself to a type of form or indeed to search for the perfect form. I consider that a drawing or design done at a particular moment represents that moment, and if I work on it again a month later I'll end up taking it in a different direction. This allows me to have an open mind with regard to my approach to typeface design.

What influences you? Are there typeface designers whose work you appreciate in particular?
The very first book that helped me to discover Typography was Fonts & Logo by Doyald Young. The author analyses the Sabon, a typeface that has remained one of my references for a very long time. The work of Roger Excoffon and the Olive foundry constantly comes to mind, I feel very close to his approach and his forms. But I also think that for me the most important influences come from encounters.

If you could only choose one typeface, which one would it be?
Such a choice seems impossible to me, a typeface in itself is not a big deal, it is the use that turns it into a finished object. But, if I absolutely had to choose, I would take the Vendôme from the Olive foundry because it continues to delight me, in its design, its details, its grey, its rhythm.

Is it really possible to create something new in the field of type design?
Typography is a game with rules and conventions. There is no absolute form, only canons established over time and the importance of their uses. As a designer I always try to position myself with regard to these conventions and these canons, to upset them, to go beyond them and to develop them.

How do you begin work on a new typeface? Do you have a particular process?
One must really find the “right music”. Afterwards I draw without references, without models because I prefer to trust what I have in mind, the forms that I have remembered. I only document my work once the project has been started. This allows me to analyse and understand what is intuitive and what is referring to something else.

What is your relationship with the history of typography? What is your relationship with
technology?
I think that it is important to know the major events in the history of typography to be able to understand certain forms and certain movements, but I am not a specialist or historian. I am closer to the amateur, the observer. It is also important to master one's tool (drawing) to avoid being “dominated” by it.

Nonetheless, I pay very close attention so that history and technology don't become a vector for creation as such. The technical challenge can be stimulating and attractive but it shouldn't overpower the design itself. In other words I attempt to be as accurate as possible with regard to commissions or particular uses.

Why have you chosen to distribute your characters and typefaces with 205TF?
The quality of the publications made by bureau 205 can only be a sign of good things to come for 205TF. I am certain that my typefaces are in good hands. What's more, there is an important panel of creators that are embarking on this adventure, and so it is an honour for me to count myself among this gathering of French contemporary creators.

Do you think that typography can save the world?
In as much that music can't save the world but can make it less grim.

Sandrine Nugue

1985, Lyon, France

How did you get involved with typeface design? What led you to this practice?
In 2011 I was preparing my degree in graphic design in the école des arts décoratifs de Strasbourg (which has since become the Haute école d’art du Rhin). I had developed a passion for the mechanics of reading thanks to research done by Stanislas Dehaene. Discovering the developments and transformations of our system of reading and writing led me to design a first typeface for use in film subtitles. At the time I was totally self taught. By a stroke of luck, Barbara Dennys was president of the panel who judged my degree. This led to my participation in the “Typographie & Langage” post-graduate program at the Ésad in Amiens where I was delighted to learn how to design typefaces. Ganeau, a family of latins designed in various optical sizes, is the result of that month of learning. I have been working as a freelance graphic and type designer, two disciplines which are closely connected in my practice, since 2013. My strong interest for systems of writing took shape while I was working on Infini, a free to use typeface family which I designed for the Cnap in 2014.

What influences you? Are there typeface designers whose work you appreciate in particular?
During my time as a post-graduate student I was attracted to the generous typographic forms of Roger Excoffon, José Mendoza y Almeida and Ladislas Mandel (my teacher, Sébastien Morlighem played a vital role in my discovery of these three designers). At the same time, I am fascinated by very straightforward, very terse designs, similar to the typefaces of Rudolf Koch, or Berthold Wolpe with his Albertus or even Louis Oppenheim with Fanfare, and of course Vendôme by François Ganeau.

In your opinion, what is the point of creating a new typeface when so many already exist?
When responding to a graphic design commission, I do my best to design a typeface which is made to measure, whether it be for a visual identity, for signage or a logotype… Typeface design is a means which allows one to accurately respond to the needs of the commission. They are tools that I design and the notion of “made to measure” is very important to me. I try to be as precise as possible and typefaces contribute to this. Each project is specific in nature and may require its own character.

Is it really possible to create something new in the field of typeface design?
This is one of the main motivating factors in type design, how to juggle the existing with the new. Clearly we are not starting from scratch. Forms which influence matters of legibility exist, each medium and use come with their own set of restrictions. To this can be added our stylistic references. I try not to look too much at my preferred typefaces out of a fear that I might try to redesign them, I keep my distance from them so as to avoid copying them.
What I love more than anything else about typeface design is the question of nuances. Tiny modifications can totally transform a text and the possibilities are endless!

How do you begin work on a new typeface? Do you have a particular process?
When beginning too design a typeface, I pay close attention to the commission while analyzing its context. Then I seek to formalize all of this through new forms – those most adapted to each project – rather than beginning with an existing typeface. The first steps are always drawn by hand and then quickly digitized. I like taking my time when doing research and testing, but sometimes a sense of urgency does give rise to interesting surprises.

What is your relationship with the history of typography? What is your relationship with technology?
A knowledge of the history of typography seems essential to me for both understanding the typefaces which surround us and for creating new ones. History is a source of inspiration and provides a base which allows me to create a framework. It also allows me to play with appropriate references. I am currently questioning type classification by developing a typeface intended to be unclassifiable, which will at the very least represent the intersection of a number of references.
Technology has developed greatly in recent decades. We are lucky because it allows us to be both efficient and productive. I try to consider it as being helpful, and it is indeed precious, while at the same time keeping it at arm’s length in order to avoid it structuring my projects. It is, first and foremost, a tool in the service of design.


Why have you chosen to distribute your characters and typefaces with 205TF?
From my time as a student, I have followed and admired the designs produced by Bureau 205. In their capacity as graphic designers they have a healthy awareness of the needs and desires of their fellow graphic designers. By opening the 205TF type foundry, they are daring to propose a catalog which is quite unlike anything found in the more traditional models. Various different kinds of typefaces can find a home. Injurial for example, a display typeface composed solely of capitals.

Do you think that typography can save the world?
Typography is a tool for communication that can help people to gain a better understanding of the world. A sufficiently admirable vocation for its frail shoulders.

Do you teach? If so, where, and why does this role of transmission seem important to you?
I have been teaching, regularly or occasionally, in various different schools at different levels for around five years now. I also run workshops for children and provide training for graphic designers. Thanks to these different activities I can share and transmit my passion for typography and type design, and also introduce people to the major issues in the field today. I am constantly concerned with questions of transmission and discovery. I do my best not to approach things in a traditional way, and often I use play in my work. If one does not take pleasure in one is doing, one cannot learn.

What type design project are you currently working on?
I am currently designing a type family for the université de Sciences-Po Saint-Germain-en-Laye. They have also asked me to design their visual identity.

Alice Savoie

France

How did you get involved with typeface design? What led you to this practise?
After a Baccalaureate in Applied Arts followed by a degree in visual communication at the Ésaa Duperré in Paris, my initiation to typography really began at the École Estienne. There I learned the basics in calligraphy and typeface design with Franck Jalleau, Michel Derre, Margaret Gray... Previously I had been lucky enough to meet teachers who were passionate about typography, like Hervé Aracil at Duperré, who had already transmitted their enthusiasm for the subject to me.
I then continued my education in the UK, with a Master in Typeface Design at the University of Reading, graduating in 2007. I then worked as a Typeface Designer for Monotype for a number of years before starting my own practice in 2010. I also embarked on historical research with a PhD at the University of Reading, which I completed in 2014.

What influences you? Are there typeface designers whose work you appreciate in particular?
My influences are quite diverse. I like to draw on historical sources (with a sweet spot for type specimens from French foundries from the end of the 19th century). I am instinctively drawn to typefaces that tell a story, that create a unique vibration. Cyrus Highsmith, Laura Meseguer, Alejandro Lo Celso and Frantisek Storm are among the contemporary typeface designers that I admire for example. They have the common trait of developing a singular typographic style, each one in a very different tone but always with great mastery.

In your opinion, what is the point of creating a new typeface when so many already exist?
Typeface designers often use the analogy of the chair, or the garment, to justify the fact of designing new typefaces: there are already many type families in existence, some more classical, some more fashionable; some tend to be functional and others are more ornamental, archetypal or unique… But like for any design object, it is always necessary to renew existing forms in order to respond to the needs and the spirit of a time. Moving beyond this analogy, typefaces are fundamental tools for communication, and in that respect they have to respond to certain technical requirements and cultural needs, which are constantly evolving. It is therefore up to the type designer to identify these evolutions, in order to propose meaningful typographical tools to users.

How do you begin work on a new typeface? Do you have a particular process?
Generally the process depends on the nature of the project. My design process varies depending whether it is a third party commission or a self-initiated project. A lot of my personal work is inspired by historical forms, or find qn origin in handwriting. I generally have a need to appropriate these forms and to bring them to maturity through drawing by hand, although digitization does arrive very early on in my process. Both approaches nourish each other in parallel. I generally work on the development of “the DNA” of a typeface, by developing a restricted set of letters, this way I can explore different leads before settling on the most convincing one to then extend my set of letters.

What is your relationship with the history of typography? What is your relationship with technology?
Having embarked on a PhD in type history with a subject that takes a very close interest in the development of 20th century typesetting technologies, these two topics are definitely at the heart of my preoccupations. Understanding where letterforms, and the typographical tools that we manipulate, come from, is for me an essential element of my type design practice. This has allowed me to develop a critical point of view regarding the design processes that we put into place. It is not a matter of a logic of “recycling” of typographical forms, but rather to put different eras into perspective so as to better understand the context in which we practice typeface design today.

Do you think that typography can save the world?
Typography remains an essential tool for communication and the circulation of knowledge, and in this it seems that it has an important role to play in our societies. It may not save the world, but it can certainly allow the world to communicate more easily. Projects such as Noto, run by Google or “Missing Scripts” that we are developing at the ANRT in partnership with the Universities of Mainz and Berkeley are moving in that direction. This seems to me to be a good start.

You teach at Atelier national de recherche typographique and Écal in Lausanne. Why does this role of transmission seem important to you?
Art schools provide an extremely rich and stimulating environment. The students arrive with their personalities, their intuitions, their curiosity and their experiences, and it is extremely stimulating to work with them. I think that my idea of teaching becomes tangible more-so in the exchanges rather than in transmission as such, even though, of course, I do accompany the students, sometimes guiding them and sharing my experience and my skills with them, particularly in typeface design.
The ANRT is a particular case as we have been developing a number of research projects in typography in partnership with laboratories that operate in very different fields such as linguistics, computer sciences, egyptology… These projects have a prospective dimension and lead us to answering questions that we haven't necessarily been faced with before now, and to developing specific ways of working. This research dimension implies that we are all constantly learning, whether speaking of our students or the teaching staff. It is a privileged work environment for the researcher and typeface designer that I am.

What type design project are you currently working on?
I am working on a new typeface family loosely inspired by Linotype’s legibility group, a series of metal typefaces from the Twentieth century that was aimed at newspaper composition. But right now a significant part of my time is occupied by a research project entitled ‘Women in Type’, which is a historical study of women’s contribution to typographical drawing offices. This is a research project based at the University of Reading, and there are three of us in the team: Prof. Fiona Ross, Dr. Helena Lekka, and myself.