Open for work

I am currently working on my own designs, with the goal of starting my own small foundry. But in the mean time, the chimney has to keep smoking. So I am open for work. Maybe some of you might need an extra pair of hands for smaller or bigger projects ?

A small introduction
I studied at Royal Art Academy in The Hague (KABK). Over the years I have had the privilege of participating in some challenging and stimulating projects. I have worked and collaborated with a variety of type foundries and designers. From small independent designers up to the bigger players in the field. Type foundries such as The Enschedé Font Foundry, Monotype, Bold Monday, DJR, Google and Type Network. My experience ranges from large and complex assignments to small-scale projects. I have also taught typography a few years at the Willem de Kooning Academy and the St. Joost Academy.


Due to some NDA projects I can’t show some projects, but here is an outtake of typefaces I have been working on:

Macula
Macula is a retail typeface that is being sold by Bold Monday. Macula can be described as the ‘impossible typeface’ for its design is based on the concept of optical illu­sions. Those were extensively explored in the 1930’s by Swedish artist Oscar Reutersvärd, and simultaneously made very famous by dutch artist M.C. Escher. 
Macula at Bold Monday

Montserrat
The Google Fonts team approached me to evaluate and expand the Montserrat typeface. This initiative resulted in a thorough redesign of the design. In collaboration with Julieta Ulanovsky, Sol Matas and Juan Pablo del Peral.
Montserrat on GF

Crimson Pro
It started as a correcting job of the popular Crimson Text, designed by Sebastian Kosh. During the initial process, it was decided to develop Crimson Pro as a stand alone redesign of crimson text.
Crimson Pro on GF

Livvic
A corporate brand typeface for an English insurance company LV, emphasizing and reinforcing its Fair Human Policy while also conveying reliability and empathy.
Livvic on GF

Radio Canada
Introduced and designed UCAS (Unified Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics), with the aim of providing indigenous communities in Canada a platform to voice their opinions, preserve, modernize, and honor their culture. This work couldn’t have been done without the research and help from Kevin King from Typotheque.
Radio Canada on GF

Nunito and Nunito Sans
I have expanded Nunito and Nunito Sans into a variable font together with a team of talented type designers (Barbara Bigosińska, Sabina Chipară, and Jasper Terra). We developed a design space which now contains five axis: Weight, Optical size, Width, Slant and x-height. 
Nunito and Nunito Sans on GF


My primary strength as a designer lies in my ability to think critically and push boundaries within the given assignment and context. I strive to empathize with diverse perspectives during the design process, without letting my personal taste and preferences dominate, but rather focus on the needs and objectives of the project and the client.

Over the years, I have learned to work both as part of a team –within a larger process– and independently in various roles and with different responsibilities. These experiences have taught me the importance of working toward a common goal and how valuable different perspectives can be. Teamwork is not just about dividing tasks but also about complementing and supporting each other to find creative solutions together. The synergy of diverse talents and expertise allows challenges to be approached from multiple angles, ensuring optimal performance within the given requirements.

Experienced in the following scripts:

– Latin Extended

– Vietnamese

– Greek 

If you have any questions or need more information, feel free to email or call me. I can send you a portfolio with a lot more projects and nice designs.

Best regards,
Jacques Le Bailly