Contemporary type designers in Chicago
Hi gang,
I'm looking for contemporary type designers/foundries based/born in Chicago, with an eye toward potentially licensing their work for a very civic-minded client in that city. So far, I've compiled the following list. Any others I should be aware of?
Thanks!
Foundries/Distributors
Avondale Type Co.
I'm looking for contemporary type designers/foundries based/born in Chicago, with an eye toward potentially licensing their work for a very civic-minded client in that city. So far, I've compiled the following list. Any others I should be aware of?
Thanks!
Foundries/Distributors
Avondale Type Co.
Okay Type (Jackson Cavanaugh)
Ascender (Terrance Weinzierl)
T26
Designers
Patric King
Jim Ford
Ascender (Terrance Weinzierl)
T26
Designers
Patric King
Jim Ford
0
Comments
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Why must be Chicago?
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"... for a very civic-minded client in that city."
The client's mission is promoting the work of Chicagoans in a particular field. Choosing a typeface with Chicago roots would dovetail nicely with that mission.
It's part of the initial exploration process. I'm not going to limit myself to "Chicago type" if the available options don't match the requirements/message/mood of the project.2 -
TipografiaRamis (Ramiz Guseynov)Marc Oxborrow said:
I'm looking for contemporary type designers/foundries based/born in Chicago, with an eye toward potentially licensing their work for a very civic-minded client in that city.1 -
Jackson is wonderful but slow. Still worth talking to. Be open to an existing typeface or a modification of an existing typeface. You wont regret it.1
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This sort of geographic specificity rarely makes sense... but in this case it does seem to (assuming the selected typeface doesn't evoke another geographic location more) so: all things being equal, from your list I would recommend Terrance Weinzierl.
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Thanks, @Maxim Zhukov -- I added Tipografia Ramis to the list.@JoyceKetterer: This would definitely involve licensing an existing face. The schedule and budget don't allow for custom typeface development.0
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BTW there's also our @george_thompson (No Bodoni) and you might ask Armin Vit for refs.0
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I was born in the Windy City.
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Duly noted, @NickCurtis!0
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Not just Patric and Jim, I would add the core of Thirst/Thirstype at the time, especially Rick Valicenti. Not those which were not Chicago-based, obviously, but I believe you truly must contact Rick.Marc Oxborrow said:
Designers
Patric King
Jim Ford
https://3st.com/
https://3st.com/about/studio/rick-valicenti
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Cris Hernández — he doesn't have any type published at the moment but he's a great designer from Chicago!
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Thanks for continuing flow of suggestions, folks.0
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You're welcome.0
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I was also born in Chicago and both Filmotype and Lettering Inc have strong roots in Chicago.3
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I wouldn’t expect to qualify for this thing, but fwiw my family has Chicago roots. My parents met in Chicago. I was born in nearby South Bend, IN, because my dad had left Chicago to go to grad school there. He and his family are originally from Chicago, and I spent many summers in the area. Indeed, I also started fifth grade there. (Give or take a year, my recollection is a bit fuzzy on that point.)2
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The hits keep coming!0
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I’ve had quite a few layovers at O’Hare!5
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Well I actually like my pizza thick.1
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Right! Already implied in my Thirst/Thirstype suggestion as well. Greg designed Commerce with Rick Valicenti, which was one of the earliest Thirstype releases. Also: Bodega and Clicker, among the most distinctive early 1990s typefaces not depending on "post-structural" reflections.Stephen Coles said:3 -
BTW, I should've pointed this out before, but as we speak there's a type conference going on in and concerning Chicago!
https://www.typemag.org/typetales/
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Man, that looks like a great conference!1
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hi marc—I actually just began releasing a family that you may be able to use that’s specifically made to speak about being chicagoan. it’s OFL licensed. look for big shoulders on google fonts, or fork it from my github, username xotypeco.or call if you want to talk about something different.
if I’m not right for you, 100% advocate calling rick at thirst or jackson or cris hernandez. all are wonderful. barry deck also has deep roots here and recently started making type again; his site is barrydeck.com.2 -
Good to see pushback against the false notion that a typeface cannot evoke a place (or nation).
@Patric King Concerning the Big Shoulders typeface, I'm curious whether it was commissioned by the city of Chicago, or a sort of spontaneous project.0 -
there is a brand standards project in progress and making its way through the government, and that is why this was made. additionally, the point was to make a freely available collection any chicagoan could use, hence its existence on google fonts.Hrant H. Papazian said:
@Patric King Concerning the Big Shoulders typeface, I'm curious whether it was commissioned by the city of Chicago, or a sort of spontaneous project.
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Hi Marc. I grew up in the Chicago area from age 2 through 24, but was born in Iowa and currently live in Florida. Not sure if I just disqualified myself, but a Chicago type project sounds like fun.1
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Congrats to @Patric King on the unveiling of the Chicago Design System, featuring his Big Shoulders Display and Text typefaces.1
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{Nevermind, posted in a better place.}0
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I realized recently that I never posted the completed project that prompted this thread.
The client was Cedille Records, a non-profit record label that focuses solely on classical music in Chicago. They nurture emerging talent and provide a place for established artists to realize their passion projects.
They asked my firm to redesign their website, and responded favorably to the idea of using type that had a Chicago connection.
We used a single weight of Harriet Display (Okay Type) for headlines; Big Shoulders (Patric King) for subheads, slugs and the like; and Miramonte Pro (Steve Matteson) for body text, intros, etc.
We're pleased with the results and, more importantly, so is the client.
https://www.cedillerecords.org
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Thanks for sharing.
To me using a libre font for branding is counter-productive.1
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