Mar 12

Odesta

Posted in: Ondrej Jób, Typefaces of 2013, Urtd

I hate this typeface.

I hate it because I wish I had drawn it myself. But I didn’t. And even if I had, who is to say whose would be better? It doesn’t matter, because this is excellent, and there is no need to even try.

When in conversation with people who know nothing about fonts, once they find out about my job, they in­vari­ably ask what my favorite typeface is. I’ve always found that question to be awkward. It’s difficult to answer when one makes, but rarely uses, the thing under discussion. I feel like an asshole saying, “I like the one that I made for this well-known, high-end client” — it’s self-absorbed and pretentious. I appre­ciate a high-quality typeface, of course, but I’m not a graphic designer, so I have no reason to license one. In answer to this question, I usually just give the name of a typeface I admire to keep the conversation flowing.

But this… this is a typeface I want. And that is an incredibly rare thing. This captures what I would want for myself so perfectly (without me even knowing that until I saw it), that I have been thinking about it. In fact, I don’t want anyone else to have it. I want perpet­ual exclusivity. I know that’s silly (and expensive), and that Ondrej can’t agree to that now that Odesta is out there. I take solace in knowing that now everyone else can license it and put it on everything BECAUSE THEY SHOULD PUT IT ON EVERYTHING.

More specifically, I love Odesta’s perfectly round ball terminals. (I often make them in my own sketches.) They lend themselves well to the pochoir/stencil effect, but this is also a script, which is lovely. It has some beautiful curves. The ‘M’. The ‘k’. The ‘r’… Especially the ‘r’. I make an ‘r’ like that in my hand­writing just because I love the shape so much. And, oh yes, that high contrast. So elegant! All of these ele­ments together should be a total mess, but here, they come together quite nicely. There is a bit of stiffness to it, but I know where it comes from, and I forgive it. What Ondrej pulled off here is pretty amazing.

Odesta is a little bit bonkers, and that’s why I love it. I could never truly hate it.

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Jan 25

Doko

Posted in: Ondrej Jób, Typefaces of 2011, Urtd

Doko’s name was generated automatically. Designer Ondrej Jób was only sure of how the name should sound, and – based on a small number of variables – he wrote a Python script that finally created the name he was looking for.

This is not the only thing that makes Doko unique. Doko’s features are drawn from various fields of inspiration, including comics and cartoons, illustration, and hand-lettering. The letter proportions (big head on a small body) are a direct reference to cartoon characters. In the italic styles, especially in the decorative swash caps, the nod to brush lettering is clearly visible.

As this project was started in the Type & Media master program at KABK in The Hague, Jób created extensive documentation where he states the goal of designing a serif typeface, but also plans to “have some fun” along the way. He clearly succeeded. Doko is, indeed, a serif typeface, and every letter is witness of the fun Ondrej must have had drawing it – the vigor they carry in their curves is quite evident.

Doko is a fresh take on the classic four-style type family model – pairing a Book and a Bold weight with their matching italics. Being a deliberate decision, this reduction is nice. For constructing a basic typographic hierarchy, Doko will go a long way.

Doko comes with a host of typographic niceties, such as the mentioned titling capitals, different figure styles, and a load of ligatures. Additionally, many alternate characters exist, emphasizing the playful nature of the family. By design, Doko is suited for many applications. One such fertile field is editorial design, where short paragraphs of text are combined with big headlines that can show off its illustrative features. Doko is also an excellent choice for packaging, especially if the appetizing swash caps are used. (Who wouldn’t love Doko Cereal, Chocolate, or Cream?)

Tânia Raposo is a freelance designer, dividing her time between Portugal and the US. She got her graphic design education from ESAD.CR Caldas da Rainha, and a master’s degree in typeface design from Type & Media at KABK Den Haag. Tânia has shared her passion in workshops and lectures on type design and lettering in Portugal, Germany, and the UK.

Frank Grießhammer studied Communication Design at HBKsaar in Saarbrücken, Germany and at ISIA Firenze, Italy. He received a master’s degree in typeface design from Type & Media at KABK Den Haag in 2010. After working for FontShop International in Berlin, he joined the Adobe Type Team in 2011.


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