Is this your first typeface?
Yes it is.
What inspired you to create FF Kievit?
I love letterforms. It’s probably why I became a graphic designer. Ever since I was a kid, I loved to look at
logotypes on the side of buildings, trucks, trains etc. I think my inspiration for Kievit was also that I was looking for another sans serif typeface that would
combine modernism and tradition (I mean tradition in the sense of maintaining humanistic elements found in old-style lettering).
Did you have any clear objectives in mind before you began?
Yes I did. To develop a sans serif that was great for legibility, but keeping it as simple as possible. I wanted to
stay away from creating something as simplified as Helvetica or Frutiger. Kievit is a little
closer to the humanistic side of lettering.
What were some of the challenges you faced with taking on the design of another humanistic
san serif typeface (or any typeface for that matter)?
I had to learn Fontagrapher and figure out the best way to draw characters. But asking enough questions and knowing
the right people helped me tremendously. During the process I gathered a lot of info on old-style lettering and looked at the execution of many different serif
typefaces. One of the biggest challenges is overcoming time…designing a text face is a very time consuming process and takes a lot out of you. Once you overcome
this process, it becomes a rather focused and deliberate experience.
What are some of FF Kievit’s influences?
Frutiger and Syntax were sans serifs that influenced me. They seem to have the same goal in mind, especially
Syntax. The serifs, I felt influenced me the most, I really looked at the proportions and structures of many different old-style faces and used that to
influence what I call the ‘skeleton’ for Kievit. I like to think of Kievit having an old-style skeletal structure with the meat, flesh
and nervous system of a modernist.
Did you design this typeface to work onscreen as well as print?
No. When I designed Kievit, I was not thinking about the web. I was more concerned in developing a very legible sans
serif textface.
Are there any plans to make condensed or extended versions of FF Kievit?
One day, but it’s in the future for sure, because I have three other typefaces I want to develop.
Typeface design, from what I understand, is not your day job. How long did the whole process
take from conception to finished product?
Kievit started in 1995 in school and continued until 2001 when it was finished for a client that wanted to use
it as their corporate typeface.
Can we expect more typefaces from you in the future?
Absolutely, I’m currently working on a typeface called Puritan that may be finished by this summer (I hope).
Thanks much Mike+
Method
Fontfont |
