Typeface Design for Yellix

Circle meets square: geometric tension by design

Yellix is a mono-linear geometric sans-serif family by Displaay, created during a period of personal engagement with Paul Renner's early Futura sketches. It plays with tension between circular and square shapes; circles are punched into stems and terminals are strictly horizontal or vertical. Stylistic sets offer colder geometric alternates alongside softer options. Yellix is one of four members of the #ellix system, alongside Hellix, Gellix, and Fellix, each differentiated by how circles meet stems and by terminal angle.

Set in Yellix

Insights

Within the #ellix system, Yellix has horizontal/vertical terminals and circles punched into stems; Hellix (the original ancestor) also has punched circles but diagonal terminals; Gellix has orthogonal terminals with circles gracefully connected to stems; Fellix has gracefully connected circles and diagonal terminals.
Stylistic sets include strict geometric alternates for characters such as a, g, m, n, r, and t, giving users control over geometric rigidity.
The #ellix system cites Futura (1924–1932, Paul Renner), Super Grotesk (1930, Arno Drescher), Drescher Grotesk (2002, Arno Drescher and Nicolai Gogoll), and Johnston (1915, Edward Johnston) as explicit historical references.