Permea (Experimental Program for Mediation and Education through Art) is a master’s program created by the Consorci de Museus de la Comunitat Valenciana together with the University of Valencia. It addresses in a holistic and experimental way the knowledge involved in the creation of artistic mediation projects, both in the institutional spaces of art and education as well as in other social contexts.

The visual identity had to reflect the character of the master’s degree; less childish and festive and more theoretical and intellectual. To achieve this, we proposed a contemporary set of elements that invites students to intervene in it through images that are generated during the course and that do not require large resources in production.

The identity is structured through a single typeface: Oblong Sans, a friendly grotesque that through a subtle inverted contrast and other unusual details, manages to offer the right space for experimentation and play, while offering a contemporary image. In addition, in order to communicate the idea of dialogue, some typography is arranged as if it were a conversation.

On the other hand, the identity makes use of transparency in several applications. Texts and images from a different nature are mixed with color masses seeking to enhance and take advantage of the program’s name, as well as reinforcing the ideas of exchange and transmission that work as an allegory of mediation and education.

Cēna Atelier has released volume 2 of their exclusive collection of recipes gathered in something in between a cookbook and a food magazine. The recipes, which are presented in the four chapters breakfast, aperitif, dinner and dessert, are carefully selected, seasonal and easy to prepare – without complicated cooking methods or exclusive ingredients.

Cēna – måltider att minnas vol 2 (“Cēna – meals to remember volume 2”) was designed by Josephine Johansson, with styling by Linda Berlin and photos by Lennart Weibull.

See also the post about the first volume on Fonts In Use.

Johanna Kramer’s Mondjournal (“moon journal”) is a structured journal centered around a physical, mental, and spiritual relationship to the phases of the moon. Etherial settings of tracked-out Study pair with the straightforward voice of Brandon Grotesque. Design by Zoe Ugne of Studio Zo, Edinburgh.

Nel paese delle ultime cose expands the artistic researches born in the residency spaces of Manifattura Tabacchifi for the second edition of SUPERBLAST, an international call conceived and promoted by NAM (Not A Museum) and this year inspired by the theme of “the trace”. In the land of the last things forms of life, desire and resistance proliferate among the ruins. Six authors, who accompanied the development of each art project, put into words their different visions of the contemporary condition.

The contributions by Irene Adorni, Angela Balzano, Ivan Carozzi, Giulia Crispiani, Federico Di Vita, Roberto Fassone, Beatrice Favaretto, Matteo Grilli, Lorenzo Lunghi, MRZB, Davide Sgambaro, and Laura Tripaldi thus restore a necessary intermingling of critical thought and artistic work; Caterina Taurelli Salimbeni's preface and Caterina Molteni's afterword investigate how support for artistic practice and the device of residency can make it possible.

The catalog (in Italian, 16×24 cm, 160 pages) was published (and designed?) by Nero Editions. The design uses two typefaces from Ethan Nakache: Sprat and Nuances, both stretched just like the sans serif headlines which are set in Univers Condensed. The regular width of Univers is used for body copy.

After four years of developing brand concepts for others, the Rotterdam designer Emily van Vught launched her own brand in 2021 called the Spirited Garden. It all began with her training as a bach flower therapist. “I didn’t know where it would lead, but one thing I felt was that it was the right path,” van Vught recalls, and now she shares the “magic of flowers” with others.

“Spirited Garden is where Mother Nature and design meet,” says the founder. “I want to make flower essences more accessible, without hocus-pocus, but presented in a down-to-earth and contemporary way.” Spirited Garden’s essences, sprays and rollers are intended to support people in challenging moments, “from a broken heart to a boost in creativity or self-confidence”. The names of the products range from Creative Juice, Focus Zone, Here I Am! to Flower Power. The odourless essences are for oral consumption, one drop under the tongue four times a day. Rollers and sprays are used externally and release a beautiful flowery fragrance. Emily also creates flower essences that are specifically tailored to the individual needs of her customers.

The presentation of the products products is both emotional and factual. The animated illustrations are eye-catching: The remedy bottles are arranged like flower vases in which colourful blossoms dance. The typography is informal and clear but without being clinical. Lyrical headlines, set in the extravagant Nikolai, stimulate the imagination. While small print, set in Pangea, provides transparent information. Product-specific quotes (“I’m bringing sexy back…”) are set in Nikolai Italic.

“What I like about Pangea is not only its appearance and legibility, but also the story behind the typeface. A quarter of the designer’s royalties go to climate protection, which for me closes the loop to my natural products.” explains Emily on her choice of Pangea. Whereas “the quirky Nikolai brings an edgy twist to my brand. She’s feisty, bold and quite far from the visual clichés in mental health or holistic medicine marketing.”

Krayna, a land of gentle hills, lakes, woods, and meadows extending between Greater Poland and Pomerania. People who came to first settle in the region—some twenty-five hundred years ago—might appreciate the local flora. Perhaps they would rub the seeds, leaves, and flowers in the palm of their hands to better connect with nature. More than two millennia later, machine presses could serve to extract the plants’ rich contents. And now, Krayna takes advantage of today’s technology to benefit best from what invariably grows in our very surroundings.

Nature was here long before mankind. Out of deep respect and admiration for Her, Krayna provides vegan skincare cosmetics: sustainable, cruelty-free, 100% plant-based. Sharing this affection for the natural, we complemented the brand with considerate yet powerful design.

Nature speaks for Herself. That’s why we adopted a minimum-interference approach, reflected—or rather seen through—all over Krayna’s packaging. The containers are transparent and based on carefully selected methods: screen-printed white ink celebrates the tone of oil, allowing it to shine, and there are no plastic labels, naturally. Instead, what accompanies the ecologically friendlier glass and aluminium is only FSC©- and PEFC©-certified papers, conforming to strict environmental criteria. At the same time, embossing means minimised application of refined coatings, for an even more conscious and self-aware production.

Nature is wiser than our representations of it, too. Accordingly, taking the minimalist mindset a step further, we decided to leave out illustration, CGI, or photography altogether, in favour of type alone. Being a genuinely abstract invention, typography has been put to good use as it communicates the product’s core: the ingredients, set in an above-average size these obviously deserve.

The two main typefaces starring in Krayna’s new designs were chosen to express its essence decidedly yet tenderly. Confidence is certainly one virtue of Canela (by Miguel Reyes / Commercial Type), which covers most area on the bottles and boxes as it was applied, in different magnitudes, to product designations, volumes, as well as ingredients and directions for use. The same, near-serif flaring gives the letters grace and elegance—qualities that also emanate from the brand’s humble attitude. The distinctive K added to adorn each container hints at the lettering employed by Krayna in the past, and it makes a subtle statement: rendered through the Polish-made font Telecom Light (by Jan Estrada-Osmycki), the initial is breathing green with its leaf- or stem-like ascending diagonal. The Krayna logo is based on Lulo Clean.

UK edition by Thames & Hudson/Andre Deutsch

In 1969, Kurt Weidemann had served his first four years as professor at the Stuttgart Academy, working under his former teacher Walter Brudi. This book titled Book Jackets & Record Sleeves. An International Survey is a compendium of Weidemann’s favorite designs from these two fields. On 165 pages, he presents 427 b/w illustrations, of works by Willy Fleckhaus, Pierre Mendell, Rudolph de Harak, Seymour Chwast, Paul Rand, Wim Crouwel, Kurt Wirth, S. Neil Fujita, Heinz Edelmann, Hannes Jähn, Crosby/Fletcher/Forbes, Bob Gill, F.H.K. Henrion, Ellen Raskin, Milton Glaser, Imre Reiner, Erwin Poell, Robert Massin, Yūsaku Kamekura, Leo Lionni, Saul Bass, John Berg, Holger Matthies, Günther Kieser, Reid Miles, Andy Warhol, and many others, including Weidemann himself. (Apparently he didn’t go to great lengths to include more women designers.)

There are at least three different editions, all in 1969, and all with text in English, German, and French; by Frederick A. Praeger, New York; by Thames & Hudson/Andre Deutsch, London; and by Verlag Gerd Hatje, Stuttgart. The latter has a trilingual title, Buchumschläge & Schallplattenhüllen / Book Jackets & Record Sleeves / Jaquettes de Livres & Couvertures de Disques. The typeface chosen for the dust jacket is Torino, used in all caps, and combined with a minimalist illustration of three books and a record.

On this day, Kurt Weidemann (1922–2011) would have celebrated his 100th birthday. Typographische Gesellschaft München has published a congratulatory blog post and announced a publication titled 100KW, initiated by Olaf Leu and realized by Horst Moser, with contributions by Silvia Werfel, Susanne Zippel, Erik Spiekermann and others. A pdf version (German) is already available.

UK edition by Thames & Hudson/Andre Deutsch

German edition by Verlag Gerd Hatje

Hardback edition by Avid Reader Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. The white words in Salter appear to be embossed.

Salter (2021) is the second release in Sharp Type’s ongoing series of explorations of 20th century book jacket calligraphy. Just like Ogg Display (2013, 2019), it’s informed by designs by Oscar Ogg (1909–1971). As its name suggests, it additionally takes cues from another big gun active in the same period, George Salter (1897–1967). Salter’s influence is particularly notable in the lowercase Italic construction. You can read more about the typeface design and the lettering that inspired it on Sharp Type’s website.

For Vladimir, the debut novel by Julia May Jonas, Rodrigo Corral used Salter Italic (with its oversized descending caps) for the title, and paired it with the Roman for the author’s name. Salter’s carefully crafted curves are contrasted with barely legible handwriting for “A Novel”. It’s satisfying to see a typeface with roots in book jacket calligraphy from New York come full circle on a book jacket design from New York!

Art direction by Alison Forner.

Trade paperback edition, Pan Macmillan

Advance Reader’s Edition, August 2021

On 20 November, artist Rory Pilgrim played a concert with singers Delcan Rowe John and Robyn Haddon at Amsterdam’s Tempel. For the invite, designer Elisabeth Klement selected a typeface that, with its flowing cursive shapes and details like the undulating leg of R, is a good match for the aquatic theme of the title.

The stand-alone italic with the discreet horizontal contrast is the work of Céline Hurka. Shown in July 2021, Lilian was made for a friend of the type designer, photographer Clara-Lilian Berger. As of November 2022, it is unreleased.

Hurka is a 2020 graduate from the KABK’s Type and Media program. She has already released a number of diverse typefaces, including Alfarn (2018–2022, created as part of Adobe’s Hidden Treasures of the Bauhaus Dessau project), WT Zaft² (2021, a collaboration with Jacob Wise), and Dark Academia (2022, a set of bonkers foliate initials, made available for free).

More info about the concert:

Taking place in the remarkable space of Tempel, a former theosophical temple and now an important community space for culture, the concert will feature live versions of songs from Pilgrim’s new film RAFTS, accompanied by harp and piano. Created over three years with residents of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham (U.K), RAFTS was originally commissioned for the Serpentine exhibition Radio Ballads to explore stories of support in our everyday lives.

RAFTS is being exhibited as part of Pilgrim’s solo exhibition at andriesse-eyck galerie (29 October – 17 December 2022).

Chercher l’or du temps (“Searching for the Gold of Time”) is a publication that accompanies the exhibition of the same name shown until January 29, 2023 at Musée LaM in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France.

The exhibition proposes a cross-reading of Surrealism and art brut, through 400 works and documents of artists, intellectuals, creators and self-taught creators. The Almanach de l’Art Brut, an important but unfinished editorial project of André Breton and Jean Dubuffet in 1948, is the source of this exhibition.

The catalog’s layout draws inspiration from the aesthetics of almanacs: grid, collage, nets, typography. Contents, opening sections, authors’ texts, focus, image books, appendices: the grid unfolds and redefines itself according to the type of page.

Picaflor, the titling typeface designed by Ariel Martín Pérez (Tunera Type Foundry), was chosen for the elegance of its design, subtly revisiting the didones, and the richness of its glyphs with organic allure. It is supported by Basier (Atipo) and Trade Gothic (Linotype).

Le régime parfait is the first novel by writer and researcher Estelle Benazet Heugenhauser, published by Rotolux Press in 2022. Through an interior monologue and with a cruel sense of humor, the book builds up the portrait of a woman, Madame Perez, who, waiting for her children to come home, remembers scenes from her past.

The book was designed by Léna Araguas and Alaric Garnier and typeset in Berthe (Abyme, 2018). The cover lettering, screenprinted in olive green, is a bespoke, slightly heavier version of Deberny & Peignot’s Caractères Latins Étroits, drawn by the book’s designers.

In my graduation project at École Supérieure des Arts Visuels de Marrakech (ESAVM), I initiated a study exploring the profound story of mapmaking and cartography, introducing Up-side Down.

The first part of the project is a bilingual Arabic and English book, featuring three major subjects. The first one explores a brief understanding of the impact of cartography on our lives and its political power; the second part accentuates the north and south’s pre-12th-century history, the Arab Golden Age, studying a number of Islamic maps and manuscripts and revealing how the Arabs used to see the north; and the last section of the book covers the attempts of representing the world on a two-dimensional surface using the map projections, transferring the spherical network of parallels and meridians of the globe into a flat surface, these attempts had various intentions and some of them have deceptively represented the world in order to draw a contrast between religions and races.

The book is a paperback double-sided halves bound together with one part rotated 180° relative to the other (also known as the dos–à–dos binding), serving the script direction of each language, and emphasizing the Up-side Down notion.

On the second part of the project comes the posters, following the third chapter of the book, featuring a set of three parodical map projections that have been grimly distorted to accentuate the subject.

The digital calligraphy that I used is in Naskh script, composed with a design software for Arabic calligraphy called eMashq.com. The font used for the Arabic body text is Nassim Arabic. For the English texts I paired Kessler and JJannon.

See more images on my Behance and Instagram accounts.

“The Commons Revolution and the Law” is a book about new land issues in Africa, America, and Europe, published in French by Édition science et bien commun.

The cover typeface is Scorpio. This condensed design is based on lettering Michael Harvey drew for the card “The Sign of The Nudge” which was designed in collaboration with the concrete poet, Ian Hamilton Finlay. Harvey also used it on some of the many book jackets he designed. Andy Benedek turned into a digital font in 2015, two years after Harevy died. Scorpio is supported by Univers 67.

Spiegel und Licht is the German title of The Mirror & The Light. Published in 2020, it concludes Hilary Mantel’s trilogy of historical novels “charting the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, minister in the court of King Henry VIII, covering the last four years of his life, from 1536 until his death by execution in 1540.” It was translated to the German by Werner Löcher-Lawrence.

Shown here is the book club edition by Büchergilde Gutenberg. For the jacket and cover design, Münster-based studio Kosmos (Klaudia & Martin Denker) worked with Le Murmure (Velvetyne 2018). The three words of the title are set with one word per line, in force justified all caps, and impaled by a dagger. The weapon echoes the sharp details (like the G’s beard) found in Jérémy Landes’ serifless condensed typeface with selective high contrast. Le Murmure is supported by Arca Majora (Hanken Design Co., 2016), a geometric sans with pointed apexes by Alfredo Marco Pradil.

See also Falken, the second volume in the trilogy.

Hilary Mantel passed away this week at the ago of 70. Rest in peace.

Generative Gallery is an audio-visual project that explores the ways for digital art to go offline. Generative Gallery portfolio offers series of exhibitions, public talks and NFT drops. Most artists with whom the Generative Gallery works, speak about timeless problems using media that arrived in the past five years.

The task is similar to the one that Alexander Slobzheninov set himself while working on Grafier –  a typeface reinventing classic design in the digital age. The Generative Gallery website uses Grafier next to Factor A by Ilya Naumov –  a functional geometric sans serif typeface, although not without certain warmth which is achieved through its rounded forms. The project’s website was designed by Anna Nefiodkina.

See more images on our website, or read the article in Russian.

Visual identity for Alexander Matthews, a South African writer and editor based in California. His wide-ranging beat includes the environment, travel and culture.

Over Alexander’s more than decade-long writing career, he’s had many encounters with memorable characters – from charismatic politicians to provocative artists. An accomplished interviewer, he has quizzed Ruby Wax about mindfulness, discussed writing with Nobel Laureate Nadine Gordimer and Booker Prize winning author Alan Hollinghurst, and learnt from adventurer Sir Raunulph Fiennes about what it takes to survive the polar wastes.

The visual identity uses two typefaces from R-Typography – Flecha and Sul Sans . The two are merged in the monogram, creating a distinctive and ownable shape that reflects the duality between investigative reporting and personal writing.

Design and creative direction by Voodoo Voodoo / Catarina Pereira

Un été aux Coteaux is a program featuring summer activities for the inhabitants of the Coteaux neighborhood in Mulhouse, France.

The booklet for the 2020 edition was designed by me, Yann Gall, using the typefaces Savate (designed by Max Esnée of Collectif We.ch and distributed by Velvetyne) and Granville (designed by Jean-Baptiste Levée and distributed by Production Type). See also the booklet for the subsequent edition featuring the same typeface combination.

Freelance web designer and content curator Oliwia Baginska from Poland uses Before Paris Regular by Azuliq Type for her own visual identity. On her website, Montserrat serves as the main typeface for the content.

Artica Writings is a collection of essays on the theme of oceans, inspired by the UN’s Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, commissioned by Artica Svalbard:

We are very pleased to share a new printed version of the Artica Writings 2021 essay commissions.

Last year’s series looked to the ocean for inspiration, inviting writers, artists, poets and scientists to share their thoughts on our oceans. This limited edition publication has been designed by City Edition Studio, the book’s jacket is made from plastic recovered from the Andaman Sea in South East Asia, where fisherman are trained and paid to collect, sort, wash and shred plastic waste which is used to make book cloth.

The book is made from recycled paper and features a cloth wrap that is made from plastic recovered from the Andaman Sea. The typography reflects the sea’s depths by becoming darker as it gets further down the page through the use of variable font technology and JavaScript.

The body font is Capraia by Cast Foundry and the titles are set in Pyte Legacy Vulture by The Pyte Foundry.

Awaken the World is the debut studio album from WayV, the Chinese sub-unit of the South Korean boy band NCT. Designed by Studio Odd Hyphen, the album was released in two versions, both featuring Studio Feixen Sans Edgy Bold throughout the album artwork, packaging, and marketing media. The titles of the poster series are set in Neue Helvetica Black Extended. The few details with Chinese text are set in a yet unidentified typeface.

[More info on Discogs]