How one can discover the precise font design associate
Typography is part of a series of touch points with which a brand can define and express itself. However, according to Jean-Baptiste Levée, CEO of Production Type, it is much more than just a tool: in the right hands, it is one of the basic materials of a brand.
"I've often heard that type can be good or interesting, but rarely both," says Levée. “It's relatively easy to have a very expressive font, just as it's easy to make a lot of noise with a lot of musical instruments. You want a quieter voice after a while. "
Levée draws parallels with the fashion industry: “You need outfits for everyday use that are durable but define your style over the long term,” he explains. "On the other hand, you sometimes need a very eye-catching outfit for a particular occasion, like a cocktail dress."
His metaphor extends to the investment you're making: "You can pick up your clothes at a fast fashion store: it's cheap, you wear it once and throw it away. Or visit an independent boutique designer to order." to buy something carefully worked out that will last a while. "
Do it for the right reasons
When it comes to brand differentiation, there is great value in creating something individual to make the market stand out. However, Levée believes that the custom type has only recently moved up the list of options for many brands. “Until 10 to 15 years ago, it was reserved for larger brands, and only they could see and verify the benefits. Now emerging or small brands can also access it. "
A combination of increasingly accessible and affordable tools and an increasing number of drawing skills has certainly increased the amount of bespoke fonts on the market, but Levée believes this doesn't necessarily correlate with quality. "There's a snowflake effect," he says. "Everyone seems different, but they look kind of the same."
"A lot of the brands we speak with intend to have a design edge that reflects their leadership position in a particular sector," explains Levée. "This is especially true for luxury and fashion brands."
When you're talking about a six-figure budget, it can be more efficient to get a one-time deal rather than thinking about it again
In addition to creative differentiation, there are two other advantages for a brand that invests in bespoke products. The second is the simplicity of a standalone one-time deal that bypasses the persistent problems of contracts and liability issues. Finally, there are the technical advantages of not having to manage a portfolio of licensed fonts in an organization, or having to deal with version control, missing files, and other frustrations.
"At some point, buying a retained license with restrictions is no longer interesting and efficient for the brand," emphasizes Levée. "When you're talking about a six-figure budget, it can be more efficient to get a one-time deal rather than thinking about it again."
Start working together early
Levée recommends starting a bespoke collaboration on the pitch stage to determine exactly what is needed as soon as possible. “We use mood boards and reference materials to quote,” he explains. "In this way we all bring our best: the agency brings in the strategy and we bring in our expertise from the start."
It is important that you choose your battles. Production Type actively discourages customers from investing in a fully bespoke typeface when a middle ground solution gets the job done. We first show them our existing fonts that could solve the job, ”he explains. “Custom fonts are expensive and can be a long process. Renaming a font after a brand and tweaking some characters can solve 80 percent of your challenges. "
Custom type is expensive and can be a long process. Renaming a font after a brand and tweaking some characters can solve 80 percent of your challenges
That ethos of focus where it matters extends to the extent of the bespoke script. “I usually say as many styles as necessary, but as few as possible,” explains Levée. "If you are trying to make a very loud display font, it can work in conjunction with another font that can speak softer in a single style."
For entry-level budgets and medium-sized budgets and ambitions, anywhere from four to ten styles are usually sufficient, says Levée. “It depends on the brand and the capabilities of the agency the brand hires,” he says. For most designers, Levée believes that six styles – from light to black – are sufficient to address branding, printing, advertising, and other key touchpoints.
Look at every point of contact
Larger brands with a range of B2B and B2C applications may require a larger family of 10 to 20 styles. "It's important for a magazine or daily newspaper," adds Levée. "Your typographic palette needs to be flexible, versatile and allow for last-minute changes."
Production Type worked with Paris-based studio Yorgo & Co to create a custom typeface for Liberation, a French daily newspaper known for its creativity. The new design required a versatile font that could cover the entire canvas of the publication – and there was nothing suitable on the market.
"Jean-Baptiste helped convince the customer that this is a serious problem that is worth spending money on," recalls Yorgo & Co founder Yorgo Tloupas. "He had very compelling arguments, particularly about the price they would have to pay to buy a font given the number of visits to their website. And the font definitely helped maintain a coherent global identity for Liberation . "
For a magazine or daily newspaper, this is vital. Your typographic palette needs to be flexible, eclectic and allow for last-minute changes
Customized typeface can be crucial in weaving personality through any brand communication. “A brand area often falls apart in the final stages of customer interaction,” emphasizes Levée. "If this is planned intelligently, the type should be retained in every interaction: e.g. shipping confirmation emails or questionnaires after the purchase."
For example, the collaboration between Production Type and the design consultancy Sylvain on a custom font for the Women & # 39; s National Basketball Association (WNBA) had to cover a wide range of applications. Sylvain's original intention had been to build a system based on existing fonts from female designers – but there was nothing suitable on the market. The agency reached out to type designer Hélène Marian and Production Type for something bespoke.
A brand territory often falls apart in the final stages of customer interaction. If planned intelligently, type should remain in every interaction
“The family of types we've put together is bold and expressive – inspired by the dynamism of the game, the strength and character of its players, and the brand's optimistic and bold ethos,” explains Alain Sylvain, founder and CEO of Sylvain. "It brings a unique perspective to sports typography that the league can own and identify in the culture."
Display font WNBA Varsity adorns player jerseys, while WNBA Normal is the text font for workhorses in six weights. Meanwhile, WNBA Condensed and WNBA Extended, each with three weights, give the campaign work more clout.
Crossing creative boundaries
While many designers have problems with overusing certain font styles such as geometric sans serif, Levée is more concerned with a lack of imagination in general. "Instead of being proud of what they do, some brands act like this shy teenage boy in the playground who wants to be invisible," he says. "This is devastating for the visual richness of the landscape in which we live. We fight against brand laziness and brand shyness."
“Nobody will tell you that they want to go away. They will tell you exactly the opposite, ”continues Levée. "But when they give you references, it's transparent. They just want to taste like water. No specific water, just tap water."
Nobody will tell you that they want to go away. They will tell you the exact opposite. However, when they give you references, it is transparent
The tailor-made font by Production Type for the luxury conglomerate Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) defies a well-known trap for B2B corporate branding: neutrality and boredom. “B2B enterprise applications are usually not the tastiest,” Levée emphasizes. Although its products have world famous identities of their own, LVMH is not consumer driven.
In collaboration with Cake Design and the “culturally knowledgeable people” on the customer side, the foundry explored the roots of the French visual vocabulary and culminated in an elegant serif based on five centuries of typographic history.
The aim of Production Type is to create “a useful type with an edge,” as Levée puts it. “Technical quality should be taken for granted these days, but our fonts are never boring,” he concludes. "We are right at the top when it comes to design."