Typeface Design in Context

I have been looking at how my typeface could be used as a brand and how this would look in the context of a modern cafe. 

I wanted to use the words ‘Cafe Ad’ with the ‘AD’ standing for Art Deco. 

I have created mock ups which show how the typeface could be used in context of a cafe. 

 

This shows how the font would be used in the context of a brand which would be influenced by Art Deco design. 

 

I created this mock up to show how the cafe would look and that the Art Deco brand could be used in a modern cafe which uses the traditional Art Deco design of structure and also shows the creative modern cafe design. 

 

Final Typeface Design

 

This is my final typeface design which both reflects the traditional Art Deco design and also uses a modern inspiration. After the first few drafts, I decided that the typeface would have to be simplified in order to keep the sophisticated style of the Art Deco design. 

This typeface would fit in the context of a modern cafe as it shows the Art Deco style with the organised letters which show the structure, however it also fits the modern context with the slight edits to the letters. 

I created the typeface by using  image trace and vectors from the original typeface design and editing the lines to create the modern Art Deco font. 

I am happy with the typeface and I think that this design works well with the cafe context. 

Broadway

I have been researching typefaces which are similar and found that ‘Broadway’. 

 

The Broadway font was first released in 1929 and is an example of the roaring 20’s and a form of Art Deco. 

“Thick black strokes on the left half of characters such as the ‘B’ and ‘O’ make the letterforms abstract and ornamental. Where thick and thin strokes meet, the letterforms feature angles rather than curves, similar to the way Art Deco treats natural forms.”

(Microsoft)

This is an example of how Broadway is a variation of an Art Deco typeface and uses the thick and thin strokes and the angles which are both in the Art Deco style. 

I will also be using some aspects of the Art Deco style and like Broadway, I will be creating new aspects to have a modern design. 

I have been looking at my first drafts of type and have decided that the different versions of the original typeface did not fit the context of a modern cafe.

 

I have therefore been looking at different ways to edit the text in order for the intention of the text to keep the style of Art Deco, while also using a different style of the modern type. This was the 3rd draft:

 

With this draft, I edited the structure of the Art Deco type so that the very familiar style of the style was different and a more exciting, modern design. However, when looking at this type in context to a modern cafe, it did not look right and therefore, I wanted to experiment with this and find a style which would work. 

 

I wanted to create a type which both showed the stylish design of the Art Deco and also looking at the modern type influences. I used vectors in order to experiment with a style which would fit this well. The curved lettering on the letter B is a modern style which is not something which is not Art Deco. 

I have show with these drafts that I want the Art Deco style to be very clear from the structure, however I also want there to be a the modern quirkiness.  

I had a look at a few original Art Deco fonts and I wanted to have a go at creating my own version of a traditional Art Deco type face. 

 

I used this type as an example for creating an original typeface on Illustrator and a starting point for creating a modern Art Deco type. 

 

This was the first attempt at a traditional Art Deco type, using Illustrator to create a simple letter which I could then experiment with a modern interpretation. I wanted to get an idea of how I could first create a simple letter and then I could experiment with different types of design. 

 

I then had a look at changing the curvature of the letters and how they could be used to change the very structured style of Art Deco and experiment with the different techniques. I like the way in which the Art Deco design is familiar, but there is a more relaxed style. 

 

 

This was an experiment with how to change the Art Deco style and the stretching of the letters and how this could be used in a modern typeface. I like the way that the letters are in a way that represents a different style of design but the Art deco is still familiar. 

I then wanted to see what the style of type would be if I created a typeface that does not involve the structure of Art Deco at all and shows a very experimental and modern style of design. 

I like this approach to creating the modern Art deco style by starting with the Art Deco design and then editing it to see how this could be a contemporary design.