CcType is broadening the audience we can serve. We've made efforts with Seasoned to democratise our knowledge for students, and CcType looks to solve a similar challenge. How can we take our knowledge, taste, and experience from the last 10 years and make them available to more people at a lower cost? The world is deserving of better design, and we have a responsibility to deliver on that, even if it's in a minimal or marginal way.
This, simply put, was about approaching the project with a level of realism. We asked ourselves, what was one thing we could do exceptionally well? Whilst we have a host of headline typefaces, experiments and works in progress, these didn't feel like the deeply refined and considered work we want to put into culture. We're approaching this project with a build-in public mentality.
Our typography work with clients is about making something unique and exclusive to them, a typeface that reflects their DNA and unique perspective as a brand. Polkadot and Stack Overflow chose to share their typefaces with a broader audience as it was true to their business ambitions.
The response and usage of all of these typefaces within the Google Fonts ecosystem demonstrated a very strong demand, one that surprised us. When the market gives you a signal like this, the obvious answer is to follow it to its natural conclusion. We've got ambitions to continue to serve the creative community with further open-source projects in the future.
As creative businesses scale, headcounts grow, and clients are converted, retaining a culture of excellence often suffers. At Koto, we see every brief as an opportunity to produce our best work, to experiment and to learn, to see our craft not as a stationary standard but as a growing practice. CcType is one of many demonstrations of this attitude.
In gaming, a brand isn’t just a logo or a name; it’s the world players step into.
The strongest gaming brands grow, adapt, and evolve.
Branding in gaming isn’t about making things look pretty – it’s about making them feel real.
Koto has launched CcType, an affordable font foundry intended to make the agency's typography knowledge and craft accessible beyond major clients. It debuts with the CcTimeline typeface, with individual styles priced from £60 and no renewal fees. Co-founder and chief creative officer Jowey Roden frames the venture as an extension of Koto's free Seasoned learning hub and its prior open-source font releases through Google Fonts.
Koto has rebranded Stack Overflow to emphasize the enduring value of its developer community in an AI-dominated era. The new identity, centered on the concept of 'always in build,' uses modular design, a custom typeface, and a generative tool built with Claude to reflect the platform’s collaborative spirit. The rebrand was publicly tested and launched at major tech events, positioning Stack Overflow as a trusted source of human-verified knowledge.
Creative Boom’s November 2025 'Booms & Shakes' roundup highlights major agency appointments, client wins, and new ventures across the global creative industry. From GOOD Agency’s partnership with The Children’s Society to Koto’s new chairperson and Elmwood’s leadership expansion, the article captures a sector in motion. It also spotlights new studios, relocations, and independent launches that signal optimism and reinvention despite economic uncertainty.
The Brand Identity interviews Koto’s Chief Creative Officer, Jowey Roden, about the role and value of branding in the gaming industry. Roden discusses how gaming brands differ from other sectors by focusing on immersion, world-building, and emotional connection. He shares insights from Koto’s work with major titles like Call of Duty, League of Legends, and Seekers of Skyveil, emphasizing consistency, community, and longevity as key to successful gaming brands.
The Brand Identity interviews Koto’s new Chief Digital Officer, Tom Hostler, about his vision for integrating digital innovation within the global branding agency. Hostler discusses the evolving relationship between brand and digital experiences, the impact of AI on web design, and how Koto plans to embrace experimentation and R&D to strengthen its digital capabilities. The conversation highlights the agency’s ambition to lead in digital-first branding while maintaining a holistic approach to client outcomes.