Amilia can be characterized as sophisticated, jumpy in mood, and artsy.
In order to translate these traits into typography I decided for Amilia to go with a sans serif. Especially through the “International Style” established during the 50s–60s of the last century sans typefaces (in particular Helvetica) tend to be ascribed a universal and international appeal. The “Global Style”—a term coined by Jeffrey Keedy [Keedy, 2001, p. 37–42] —revived that grid- and Helvetica-based style in the last decade and rededicated it from global business into a signature suijet of the art and cultural industry. In that regard I thought it fitting to use these associations with Amilia. With that being said, Helvetica with its static and balanced shapes seemed too cold for Amilia. That’s why I opted to go with a type design based on the American form principle or gothic sans as described by Lilo Schäfer. [Schäfer, 2019, p. 68] I personally found gothic sans often harbored a certain quirkiness that relieved them of the stiffness that is inherent to grotesque sans typefaces. I picked this form principle because the high contrast would mirror the somewhat jumpy temperament of Amilia. Additionally I thought a form principle that is inherently American without the imperial undertones of homogenized global business would underline her interest in the wider world.
Font Variations
Angry: I just don’t want to be here.
Pondering: I’m not sure.
Joking: You don’t say.
Eline embodies the type of person that kept a very open mind towards the wider world, while still being firmly rooted and satisfied with living in only a small part of this wider world.
I decided to design a serif typeface for her as serifs are often associated with tradition. This is especially true for serif typefaces not based on the modern form principle. The problem with many modern form principle based fonts is that they are better suited for headlines, as their high stroke contrasts become tiering to read in bulk text. I still went with a modern serif design and adjusted the contrast to be more easy on the eye. This reduced contrast also fit well with Eline as she is not a high-fashion minded person—an association modern serifs often create. I also wanted to show that while Eline is traditional in regards to staying in the town she grew up in, she also retains an edge that bares traditionalism. I decided to show this in the shape of the serifs. Different to the “bowled” serifs of the transitional or humanist form principle I added a kind of wedge-shape. I also retained the flat-stroked serifs typical of the modern serif, but combined them with the aforementioned wedge angles.
Font Variations
Angry: Just make up your mind.
Pondering: I thought you’d be happy coming here.
Joking: Seem’s someone is still holding a grudge.