Typeface Design for Proto Grotesk

Clunkiness as a design virtue

Proto Grotesk is a typeface revival drawn from an early German sans serif originally used for catalog text. It revisits an era when quirks and eccentricities in utilitarian type were accepted rather than refined away. The design sits at intersections of opposing influences—Egyptian and Modern, round and edged, sans and slab—yet maintains a stable, grounded presence throughout.

Set in Proto Grotesk