The first thing that I did before I started was read parts of the book 'How to Create Typefaces' and also 'Stop Sealing Sheep & Find Out How Type Works'. I found these books to be incredibly useful into learning the process of font making as well as a history of fonts.
I then started thinking about what kind of font I wanted to design and set some rules for myself.
What kind of reading? Headings and small texts
How and where will the fonts be used? Poster/publication
By which means will they be reproduced? Sheet
I want - Delicate but powerful, connected but not too similar, strict grid and sans-serif typefaces and an emphasis on cleanliness, legibility and practicality.
I also know that I want to incorporate sound into the final design, so I asked my friend Paul if he could come up with a soundscape for the final font.
Fonts that I really like including details of what I like about each font such as shape, outline, design, structure. These fonts are a mix of serif and sans serif.
I realised that I want to make a sans serif font, so I researched more sans serif fonts.
Here is a list of songs that I really enjoy and little parts that I find interesting.
https://open.spotify.com/track/3ErefH0bwOGbpc8I2nbbom?si=f3b2c3e0612c4637
2:25-2:30 that woo woo woo sound mixed with the piano (?)
https://open.spotify.com/track/5jmSvq9DNh0UJfMaFeLe9J?si=extx0iRDTPqIDoO4bVzVeQ&dl_branch=1
00:00 - 00:50 the whoo whoo whoo vibrating sound over the thumping noise
https://open.spotify.com/track/0S9lwd7JF9878QQ6tuuIQg?si=48QKkh3PSqqbj7R54HyfAg&dl_branch=1
The really faint vibrating noise in background that gets louder and louder
https://open.spotify.com/track/1MlOSavrSOHjyhdkKEHYGR?si=CCtzxqgyS6-bkBWTDe9wHQ&dl_branch=1
The emptiness at the start
6:12 whistelling(a sharp but nice one)
https://open.spotify.com/track/2iYVrKhpFLziR53DDbvZ4o?si=tsmAHML6SPOXlVsLzXVNRw&dl_branch=1
00:26
Ahh vibration part
MAYBE something with Doppler effect
FutuR Type
In the book 'How To Create Typefaces' it is explained that you should always start with the letter 'n' as it forms many of the other letters such as the 'm', 'u', 'h' and 'r', and from there you can do the 'o' which makes up the 'e', 'c', 'b', 'd', 'p' and 'q', and then the 'v' which makes up 'w', 'y', 'x', 'x', 'z' and 'k'.
I took these sketches and digitised them on Glyphs.
While doing all of this, I realised something wasn't right and I wasn't happy with how it was looking. I felt as if it was boring and not experimental and idk just something wasn't right. So I went back to sketching.
I started fresh and wanted to go for more of a futuristic look while keeping my three rules in place. I also took down little notes next to the letters with details I liked and stuff I could improve on.
Two n's I liked but wasn't sure which one I preferred. But I know I really liked the shaped between the left side of the N and the curved part and wanted to keep that in future letters.
I moved on to a V, while trying to keep the shape that I liked of the 'n'. I found it hard to keep the same shape and started messy sketching whatever came to mind (second pic)
Two v's.
'n' and a 'v' next to each other
Starting to draw the 'O'. I realised that the font I am making was beginning to look like a monospaced font and I liked the direction it was going in. Obviously there is LOTS more work to do. And from reading the books, font design takes ages. But I am really loving the process.
Seeing what the 'n' 'o' and 'v' looks like. Also experimenting more.
In the end I went with a slanted 'o' shape. I don't know why but I liked it when I drew one and thought it makes the font look a bit different to an averaged monospaced 'o'
Using the same o in the p.
I started messing around with an 'a' and also an 'e'. With the e, I really tried to keep the dimensions the same.
Bottom e, second page to the left - I had the idea of having the counter shape the same as the 'o'
Carrying on with the 'e' a bit more and also started on the 'a'
I like the 'a' on the left, a lot more than the one on the right. I think I might have the little tail on all the descenders.
This is what I have so far. A lot of it doesn't match, but that is ok for now. I really like the 'a' and the 'b' and could see a potential font within them two letters.