Type Designer
“I love that familiarity with Kuhlman’s oeuvre is not a prerequisite to use the font—the style has a raw communicative power that takes on a whole new life in the hands of contemporary designers.”
I have gone out of my way to make sure that Gimlet’s charm doesn’t detract from its usefulness as an all-purpose serif.
Steven Heller’s Daily Heller column spotlights the revival of Roy Kuhlman’s distinctive hand-lettered style through a new typeface designed by Steven Brower, Craig Welsh, and David Jonathan Ross. The Kuhlman font, released through Ross’s Font of the Month Club, has already been adopted by major brands and cultural institutions. The article explores the typeface’s origins, aesthetic influences, and its unexpected popularity among contemporary designers.
BP&O features Cotton’s brand identity for Eternal Research, a Los Angeles-based music technology company founded by Alexandra Fierra. The identity fuses Victorian ornamentation with generative, audioreactive design to reflect the brand’s experimental instruments like the Demon Box. The project showcases an elaborate typographic system and richly gothic art direction that challenges the minimalist norms of the synth industry.
Pentagram partner Samar Maakaroun created the identity for Together for Palestine, a charity initiative led by Brian Eno and others to raise humanitarian funds for Palestine. The design uses the visual language of petitions and the symbolism of the key to evoke home, hope, and collective action. Combining Nickel Gothic Variable and a custom typeface called Ceasefire, the restrained identity rejects design flourishes in favor of reflection and urgency.
ZAINA, a Paris and Barcelona-based studio, created a bilingual identity for Mir’a, a cultural association promoting MENA artists. The design cleverly unites Arabic and Latin scripts through shared punctuation, using Forma DJR typefaces to achieve visual harmony. The project challenges traditional calligraphic norms, embracing a modern typographic approach to reflect Mir’a’s cross-cultural mission.
BP&O’s feature by Emily Gosling explores Studio Marcus Kraft’s new identity for Klangwelt Toggenburg, a Swiss cultural organisation devoted to sound and nature. The rebrand introduces a custom typeface, Klangwelt Regular, derived from Forma DJR, and a restrained monochrome palette with yellow accents. The identity extends across signage, digital, and sonic branding, reflecting the region’s acoustic and architectural heritage.
BP&O’s feature by Emily Gosling explores Nihilo’s branding and packaging design for tequila brand Casa Malka. The agency developed a holistic identity encompassing strategy, packaging, structural bottle design, illustration, and 3D art direction in collaboration with CG artist Haruko Hayakawa. The result is a refined, gender-neutral, and minimalist brand world that balances restraint with sensuality.
Saint-Urbain developed a nostalgic, cinema-inspired brand identity and packaging for Can-Tini, a ready-to-drink espresso martini brand. Drawing from 1960s aesthetics and Wes Anderson’s cinematic style, the design features a custom cursive logomark, retro typography, and a warm orange-and-green palette. The result blends vintage charm with contemporary sophistication.
Brighton-based studio UnitedUs created a bold new identity for Farmyard Frozen, the frozen meal range from Norwich restaurant Farmyard. The rebrand uses electric neon colors, custom typography, and playful copy to challenge the dull image of frozen food. The project also extended to rebranding the restaurant itself, uniting both sides of the business under one expressive visual language.
Zware Jongens created a bold and eclectic brand identity for GIGI, a new Italian restaurant in Ghent that merges nightlife and dining culture. The design combines Roslindale and Saa Series typefaces, a floral logomark, and a vibrant yet elegant color palette inspired by the restaurant’s interior concept. Founder Filip Janssen describes the identity as 'eclectic, sexy, bold but elegant,' reflecting the restaurant’s lively and unapologetic character.
TRY Design developed a vibrant and playful rebrand for Godfisk, a Norwegian Seafood Council initiative aimed at encouraging fish consumption in Norway. Drawing inspiration from cookbooks and sticky notes, the identity features custom stencilled typography, lively colours, and approachable photography that reflects everyday kitchen life.