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Weekly Design Inspiration #16 - Bespoke Typography

This is my Weekly Design Inspiration, this is a space where I share some design work that has either inspired me or caught my attention for its execution or concept. The things I feature on here can include (but not limited to) branding, web design, app design, illustration, typography, video games or anything that shows creativity in a unique way.



Recently we have seen a noticeable shift in logo design, specifically when it comes to word marks and typography. Large companies have been rebranding long standing iconic identities in place of what can be described as plain, safe and boring typography. This shift might be down to current trends, a lean towards digital applications, ease of use or a mixture of all these points. The issue is that with more household name brands becoming more safe and boring with their logos and typography, this will encourage a wave of designs that follow suit. With this ‘Helveticization’ of brands its a massive shame to not see many big businesses be bold with their font selection, there are so many talented typographers out there that I feel their potential is being wasted. Obviously I understand that the likes of Mastercard aren’t going to use some beautiful bespoke typography for their logo, but I do feel there is a place for hand-crafted type in the mainstream.


In this post I would like to highlight a number of designers that have exceptional skills when it comes to typography, calligraphy and bespoke type.


Here is an example of exquisite handmade typography including calligraphy, brush strokes, illustration and more. Emanuelle's attention to detail is phenomenal and the pieces created are beautiful.


This style of typography is really impressive, it blends 3D lettering, textures, calligraphy, colour and so much depth. Each piece has so much character and energy and are all so unique.


This is a slightly more digital approach to things but definitely conveys style, interest and skill in the outcomes. There is also a mix of traditional style type with amazing detail.


Hopefully this showcase gives an idea of the potential of bespoke type and how it can be used in various ways to convey character, emotion and generally more appealing than your standard fonts. Near the end of last year myself and my girlfriend took up calligraphy and although it is challenging I'm really enjoying the amount of expression and freedom this medium gives you. Hopefully I will have some decent type to show in future when I'm a bit more confident in my lettering skills.


 

What Have I Been Listening To This Week?


While She Sleeps - Good Grief


While She Sleeps are back with a new album 'So What?' and with it comes the same passion and velocity of their previous work. One thing you can count of with While She Sleeps is consistency and power and this single is no exception.




 

Honorable Mentions


As part of my Weekly Design Inspiration I also like to share some bits and pieces that I have seen which have inspired me in the last week. I have captioned each image with some info and relevant links so you can find out more.




Last week I discussed the over saturation of vector-gradient illustrations and touched on how this style can be innovated on and improved upon. This video created by Yeah Haus is a perfect example of how to do this style correctly. It is stunning and generally a joy to watch.




This website for Kikk festival is such a pleasure to scroll through and explore. The overlays used in this are really interesting and encourage the user to explore and check out the site.


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