GT Planar has details that only appear when you slant it. The moment the type tilts, extra forms come out that emphasise its character – you can feel that the typographer knows exactly how it should move.
We chose to make music the foundation. Phion needed a visual system they could expand with every concert, so they’d remain recognisable to their audiences while still giving each show a unique image.
It always starts with the music, not the layout.
Before we design anything, we ask what the piece feels like – calm or restless? Does it build slowly or hit you right away? A restless piece bends the letters hard and breaks the word apart; a calm piece stays open and quiet.
The brief was clear. They wanted to reach the audience every cultural organisation is chasing: the creative omnivore.
GT Planar has details that only appear when you slant it.
It always starts with the music, not the layout.
We wanted to avoid the idea that an orchestra is about classical music, and instead emphasise the timelessness of great composition, in music and in type.
Amsterdam-based Studio Thonik created a flexible typographic identity for the travelling Phion Symphony Orchestra. Built with Grilli Type’s GT Planar, the system uses the typeface’s variable slant axis to echo a conductor’s baton and adapt the visual expression to the mood of each concert.
Amsterdam-based studio thonik created a dynamic, typographic identity for the Phion Symphony Orchestra that visually moves with the music. Using GT Planar from Grilli Type, the system adapts to each concert’s rhythm and emotion, replacing static photography with expressive, kinetic letterforms. The project extends across identity, website, and campaign materials, reflecting the orchestra’s itinerant and contemporary character.