Critique request: Clearly

Brian Dove

Hey y'all,

Last year I released a single weight of a flared typeface called Clearly. Since then I've been working to expand the family, starting with a weight axis. I'd love some feedback on the basic character set, particularly in terms of evenness of color, proportions, use/amount of contrast, and spacing. I have roughly kerned the lightest instance and done minimal amount of kerning on the darkest. The Light and Black are master instances, the rest are interpolated. Intended for display use.

A preview image and proof PDF are attached below. Any and all feedback is welcome and helpful! I have been staring at this for too long and it's time for some fresh eyes. Thanks in advance for your tips!

Craig Eliason

The diagonal terminals at the midline should overshoot more (for example /u and /y seem shorter than the other letters).

In bold I think the counters of /b/d/p/q should be wider. Perhaps /r's arm should have more weight in bold too (but don't make it any wider overall).

The bowls of capital /D/P/R lend character, but they may need more pushing points around to get to happier shapes. Whatever happens there should make some appearance in the /B too. 

/z is too wide in your bold master.

Lovely /c!

Jasper de Waard

S and s are leaning backwards. The whole thing is a bit quirky though, so maybe that's fine. I feel the same way about the angle of the cutoff in q.

PabloImpallari

The rounded top-left part of the /a does not match with all the other pointy shapes

Thomas Phinney

Agree, could look to the tops of /s and /r for an approach to the /a terminal
Also seems like the bottom of /a has a tad too much overshoot.

Brian Dove

Thanks for the feedback, all. Very helpful!

Pablo & Thomas, agreed on the /a. Having the terminal not be hooked like /c and /r was a deliberate choice at some point as to not overuse the hook motif, but I agree it feels off. Roughed out a hooked /a and I like quite a bit!