Christos Georgatos Graphic & Type Design Portfolio
Christos Georgatos is a graphic & type designer based in Athens, Greece.
Education: Bachelor in Graphic Design & Visual Communication from AKTO college, Athens in partneship with Middlesex University, England.
Degree Grade: 9,02
Final Project: Typeface design with insiration from the early Greek typefaces made in Venice after the fall of Constantinople.
Paper: Type & Feeling, a research paper on how typefaces affect us on subconcius level.
Languages: Greek Native, English Advanced.
Hi!My name is Christos and I am a graphic designer with a degree in the field. Over the past four years, I have been working in creative agencies located in Athens, gaining valuable experience and honing my design skills. Since a young age, I have had a passion for letters, starting with graffiti on the streets of Athens, which eventually led me to the world of graphic design. Through my education, I became interested in type design, which was further solidified by my bachelor’s final project where I created my first typeface. Despite some challenges due to my lack of experience, this project fueled my desire to learn more about typography and type design, including the use of software such as FontLab and Glyphs.
I am proud to say that my hard work and dedication to type design have been recognized, as my typeface “Paradoxa” was selected for publication in “New Aesthetic 2” by Sorry Press. This has confirmed to me that I am on the right path and continues to drive my passion for this field. In addition to type design, I also strive to incorporate my personal ideas, thoughts, and concerns about society and the environment into my designs. I view design as a tool to effect positive change and make a difference, even if my perspective is not the most informed or accurate. Thank you for taking the time to read about my background and experience. I look forward to the opportunity to further explore my passion for design.
A short bio for myself and my work!
PARADOXA 2 TYPOGRAPHY & EMOTION 3 CHECKOUT TOMORROW 4 PENTHESILEA 7 TADOMA RECORDS 8 POSTERS 9 36 DAYS OF TYPE 10 TYPE DESIGN 11 Drafts & Unfinished Projects 11 TABLE
CONTENTS This is not Political / 08:00 - 16:00 Explorations About
/ Nensha Metaxa / Typography
Rhino /
-
/
OF
the logo. / Etidorhpa
Museum / PIY
Neo
Humanist
Sticker Alphabet
I designed Paradoxa as my bachelor’s degree thesis in graphic design. My research started with an extensive study of the first Greek scripts produced in Venice during the Renaissance and after the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire. During that time, many typefaces were based on handwritten Greek language, which used numerous ligatures. However, this proved to be inadequate for printing, and a system based on the Latin alphabet started to replace it, resulting in the disappearance of most Greek ligatures.
Using this concept, I designed Paradoxa by collecting the most readable ligatures that are still usable today. While the reference fonts had a challenging design style to revive, I attempted to create a modern typeface that reflected my own aesthetic. The outcome of this research and design process is Paradoxa, a typeface that includes three styles (Regular, Bold, and Black Capitals) with Greek and Latin letters, archaic Greek letters, polytonic Greek, and over 100 ligatures and alternate letters that are essential to the typeface’s character.
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Παραδόξα
PARADOXA
Παραδόξα Specimen Book & Paradoxa Research Book
Παραδόξα Specimen Book — Spread
Paradoxa Research Book — Spread
Παραδόξα Specimen Book
Paradoxa Research Book
Paradoxa Phenomena
80,1,100,1,4,70,60,1 (archaic letters)
Word Specimen Envelope
Paradoxa — Typeset αι αν αξ απ αρ ας αυ αλ αλλ γα γγ γε γη γι γλ γν γο γρ γυ γχ γω γκ δα δε δη δι δο δρ δυ ει εκ ελ ελλ εν εξ ερ εσ ετ ευ ζ ην θα θε θη θι θλ θυ θν θρ θο ιν κα κη κι κλ κο κν κρ λα λο λλ μα μη μι μν μο μυ μω ουσ π πα πε πι πλ πο πρ πύ πω πν πτ πτ ρα ρι ρο ρω ς σα σβ σε ση σθ σκ σι σμ σο σπ σσ στ συ σφ σχ σω τα τε τη τι το τρ τυ τω τα τε τη τι το τω τ υς φι φο χα χη χθ χι χρ χω ψε ψη ψι ψυ ψω ψώ και αι αν αξ απ αρ ας αυ αλ αλλ γα γγ γε γη γι γλ γν γο γρ γυ γχ γω γκ δα δε δη δι δο δρ δυ ει εκ ελ ελλ εν εξ ερ εσ ετ ευ ζ ην θα θε θη θι θλ θυ θν θρ θο ιν κα κη κι κλ κο κν κρ λα λο λλ μα μη μι μν μο μυ μω ουσ π πα πε πι πλ πο πρ πύ πω πν πτ πτ ρα ρι ρο ρω ς σα σβ σε ση σθ σκ σι σμ σο σπ σσ στ συ σφ σχ σω τα τε τη τι το τρ τυ τω τα τε τη τι το τω τ υς φι φο χα χη χθ χι χρ χω ψε ψη ψι ψυ ψω ψώ και PARADOXA REGULAR DISCRETIONARY LIGATURES PARADOXA BOLD DISCRETIONARY LIGATURES
Paradoxa — Typeset Α Β Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω α β γ δ ε ζ η θ ι κ λ μ ν ο π ρ σ τ υ φ χ ψ ω 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) - = + [ { } ] \ | / ? . > , < A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Ϙ ϙ Ϛ ϛ Ϝ ϝ Ϟ ϟ Ϡ ϡ † ‡ ‰ ₣ ₤ ₧ € ℓ ™ ℮ ∂ ∏ ∑ √ ∞ ∫ ≈ ≠ ◊ ∕ ~ ¡ ¢ £ ¤ ¥ ¦ § © « ® ± ¶ » ¼ ½ ¾ ¿ Þ ß ἃ ἄ ἆ Ἅ Ἆ ἒ ἕ Ἔ Ἒ ἠ ἡ ἤ Ἣ Ἥ ἲ ἳ Ἰ Ἵ ὀ ὄ Ὂ ὑ ὗ Ὓ Ὕ ὢ ὦ Ὢ Ὣ Ὦ ᾆ ᾋ ᾔ ᾜ ᾣ ᾮ ῤ ῥ Ῥ ᾱ Â Å Æ Ç Ê Ë Í Ï Ð Ñ Ó Ô Ø ä â æ ç ê î ï ð ñ ô ö ø ü ý þ ÿ Ā ā Ą ą Ĉ Ċ ċ č Ď ď đ ĕ Ė ę Ĝ ĝ Ğ ğ Ġ ġ ģ Ĥ ĥ ħ Ĩ Ī ī ĭ Į į ı IJ ij ĵ Ķ ķ Ĺ Ļ Ľ ľ Ŀ ŀ Ł ł Ņ ņ Ň Ŋ ŋ ō Ŏ Ő ő Œ œ Ŕ ŕ Ř ś Ŝ ş Š Ţ Ť ť ŧ Ũ ũ Ŭ ų Ŵ Ŷ Ź ź ż ſ ƒ ș Ț Basic Character Set — Greek & Latin Archaic Letters Symbols & Mathematical Symbols Greek Extended Latin Extended
TYPOGRAPHY & EMOTION
For my Bachelor’s research paper, I aimed to delve into the theory of typography and its impact on us. My study began with a review of key milestones in the history of letters and writing up to the present, followed by an examination of various typeface styles and their functions. I then explored the basics of visual perception and semiotics and their connection to typography, highlighting how form and perception, in combination with memories and experiences, shape the viewer’s emotional response.
Building on this foundation, I conducted a review of existing studies that tested viewers’ reactions to different fonts types. I found that the results varied, as expected, given the large number of fonts, their similarities, and the subjectivity of people. However, I gained valuable insights into the effects that a typeface can have on individuals.
In conclusion, I scoured the web and uncovered various tools and resources for graphic designers to aid in font selection and combination, as well as more efficient methods for font categorization beyond genre.
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CHECKOUT TOMORROW
In 2022, AKTO art & design college celebrated its 50th anniversary, and to commemorate this milestone, an art show was organized with the participation of selected former students. Despite the occasion, the show’s theme did not relate to the anniversary, so in consultation with the headmaster of graphic design at AKTO, we decided to embrace the political issues that affect us and the rest of the world and integrate them into graphic design to present them.
To promote the art show, we created two 1x2 meter posters using mixed media and techniques. These posters showcase different styles coming together to form one organic and unrestricted entity without any prior planning.
As a team, we also decided to present an art piece related to the war in Ukraine. We developed the phrase “0 Days Without War” (Greek: 0 ΜΗΔΕΝ
and each of us created a letter using any medium of our choice. The phrase was inspired by the need for people to count days for things we do and brag about them, such as “I have gone 10 days without eating meat.” If someone were to count the days without war in the world, they would be stuck at zero. Sadly, as history teaches us, this is not only true of the war in Ukraine but of humanity as a whole.
CHECKOUT TOMORROW
ΜΕΡΕΣ ΧΩΡΙΣ ΠΟΛΕΜΟ)
15 ΙΑΝ — 25 ΜΑΡ 2022
THIS IS NOT POLITICAL
For the art show, I created two pieces. In the first one, I aimed to combine calligraphy with politics. I gathered my dip nibs, pens, and markers and started writing everything that concerned me on paper, including every political issue I had heard about, what I saw in the news, and even fake news. After collecting a substantial amount of material, I decided to turn it into a fanzine. At this point, I began to worry whether this was a calligraphy or a political piece, and even if it was political, was I the right person to discuss these issues? I lacked the confidence to express my thoughts on sensitive topics from both sides. However, I realized that this was a political piece from the moment I started writing about these issues, and whatever I decided wouldn’t have much of an impact. I wanted to embrace this irony of me doubting myself and named the fanzine “This is not Political,” but with small letters, it reads “but everything is political.”
FULL PROJECT
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08:00 - 16:00 EXPLORATIONS
At the time of organizing the event, I was working as a prepress graphic designer in an offset printing factory, which had become a dead-end job. While I initially enjoyed learning about the printing workflow and expanding my technical design knowledge, I soon realized that the job was stifling my creativity. To counteract this, I began creating small square illustrations in my free time, exploring various themes and styles. Eventually, I amassed 40 to 50 files of these illustrations, and I knew that I needed to do something with them.
When the opportunity to participate in the show came up, I decided it was time to showcase my work and break free from the routine that had been holding me back. I selected the 12 best illustrations and arranged them in a 4x3 grid. Through this project, I hope to inspire others who also feel trapped in their daily routines to find their own way of escaping, even if it’s just for a little while.
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PENTHESILEA
The logo, font, fanzine, poster, and video all draw inspiration from Italo Calvino’s book, “Invisible Cities,” specifically the city of Penthesilia. This allegorical city lacks a defined beginning or end, making it difficult to discern whether or not one is inside its limits. I found a connection between this concept and old video games where players move continuously to the right. With this in mind, I designed the entire project’s identity around pixels. The font is based on a loose 4x6 grid that can support both Greek and Latin letters. There are plans to create a second font weight based on a 30x36 pixel grid. The Penthesilea font is a serif font, but the low resolution conceals its serifs. The larger the pixel grid, the more detail the font provides, as seen in the project’s logo.
FULL PROJECT
VIEW
36 PIXEL 30 PIXEL 4 PIXEL 4 PIXEL
TADOMA RECORDS
Tadoma is a small, independent Greek label that specializes in progressive rock. They asked me to design their first logo and the first two album covers and CD cases: Etidorhpa by Vault of Blossomed Ropes, Nensha by Nikos Fokas, and Arve Henriksen.
Regarding the logo: Tadoma is a communication method used by deaf-blind people that involves using their hands to feel the other person’s facial movements. Therefore, the hand was an essential element that I had to include. The figure of the hand was inspired by “The Creation of Adam.” Old label logos served as a starting point for inspiration, and I wanted to achieve a feeling-aesthetic similar to theirs. That’s why the logotype is in a rectangular shape with bold lines. In the end, the effect of the circles creating the mark was added to induce a vintage feel, and they also resembled a vinyl record. For the two CD cases, a custom trifold case was designed from scratch. We wanted to avoid using plastic cases for environmental reasons, and the case design was also meant to add to the premium quality of the product. In the long run, a custom vinyl case is also planned to be designed.
Etidorhpa (or, the End of the Earth: The Strange History of a Mysterious Being and the Account of a Remarkable Journey) is one of the first scifi books ever written, dating back to 1895. The keyboardist had one of the first-ever releases of the book from 1909, so the main inspiration came from some small illustrations in the book. Additionally, the CD logo is from the first page of the same book, which I digitized and edited in Illustrator. The artwork is a photo collage of close-up photos of rocks in a cave near Athens that an associate photographed, and then I edited them.
Nensha, also known as thoughtography, is the alleged ability to burn images onto photographic paper with one’s mind. With this concept in mind, I aimed to distress and blur the photos to the extent that the viewer can only vaguely discern their content. This effect was meant to evoke the impression that the musicians themselves had projected their images onto the paper, with each one overlapping and merging into the other.
POSTERS — METAXA
To celebrate 2500 years since the Battle of Salamis, the House of Metaxa, a Greek spirit drink with a long history and the warrior of Salamis as its logo, asked AKTO students to design a poster for this historic event. The concept was to modernize the Metaxa spirit logo while embracing Greek history and Metaxa’s own heritage. My poster represents the Greek sea with its colors and incorporates the unique amber color of Metaxa. In the center, the bottle of the spirit is hidden, appearing like a boat floating on the water. The original logo is featured alongside a new tribal-like version of the logo I designed, with sharp angles and points, to represent the idea that everything remains the same but rougher in some ways.
POSTERS — TYPOGRAPHY MUSEUM
Every year, the Typography Museum of Chania, Crete, organizes a poster competition to celebrate typography and its underappreciated history in modern Greece. The theme for this year’s competition was “Typography: Window to the World”. For my poster, I created a hand-lettered design on 35x50 paper, with the style resembling tree branches. This style was inspired by my passion for music and my graffiti background, which sparked my interest in typography, calligraphy, and lettering. Ultimately, my design was intended to represent my personal journey and my own unique window into the world of typography.
POSTERS — PIY
“Print It Yourself” is an annual screenprinting seminar held in Athens, Greece. It aims to teach the basics of working in a high-quality workshop as well as methods for screenprinting at home. The seminar concludes with participants creating their own films and printing posters. The poster I designed for this event was a reflection of my personal style. It was created with complete freedom and doesn’t have any specific meaning or message to convey.
KILL THE ROBOT S
KILL THE ROBOT S
KILL THE ROBOT S KILL THE ROBOT S
KILL THE ROBOT S KILL THE ROBOT S
ROBOTS ROBOT O ROBO T BOTS BO T OT OTS T
36 DAYS OF TYPE
After many failed attempts at the challenge over the years, I finally completed it in 2022. My goal was to challenge myself and experiment with various lettering and calligraphy techniques. I created each letter using Procreate on an iPad.
TYPE DESIGN — RHINO
Rhino is a serif typeface with high contrast and expressive terminals. Its ascenders have a high overshoot, making it stand out. While primarily a display typeface in a regular style, Rhino is also suitable for short texts. My main inspiration came from studying the Greek letters in GFS typefaces. I took detailed notes and studied the shapes and forms, without copying anything directly.
Rhinocerotidae
Javan Black
White Indian Sumatran
M Ρινόκερος Ω * *
RHINO Reular
Rhino — Typeset Latin Uppercase A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Greek Uppercase Α Β Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω Greek Lowercase α β γ δ ε ζ η θ ι κ λ μ ν ξ ο π ρ σ τ υ φ χ ψ ω ς Numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Altarnates a R Symbols ! @ # $ % ^ * () ? : ; Latin Lowercase a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
TYPE DESIGN — NEO-HUMANIST
Neo-Humanist is an experimental typeface that was developed without an official name yet. It was designed to practice sans serif typography and was inspired by classic typefaces such as Gill Sans, Futura, and Akzidenz Grotesk. It supports both Latin and Greek languages and has a Book-Regular weight that makes it suitable for both text and display purposes. One of its distinctive features is the angled terminals, which give it a unique look.
NEO HUMANIST
Neue Classic
ΒΟΟΚ STYLE {@*}
Not a Revival
Not a Redesign
17124
KEFALONIA
ο καλύμνιος σφουγγαράς ψιθύρισε πως θα βουτήξει χωρίς να διστάζει
Symbols ! @ # $ % ^ * () ? : ; & {} [ ] € + Neo-Humanist — Typeset Latin Uppercase A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Greek Uppercase Α Β Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω Greek Lowercase α β γ δ ε ζ η θ ι κ λ μ ν ξ ο π ρ σ τ υ φ χ ψ ω ς Numbers 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Latin Lowercase a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
TYPE DESIGN — STICKER ALHABET
I use yellow paper stickers frequently for taking notes at work, and often I doodle little scribbles on the sides. One day I decided to draw the letter “a” and loved how it turned out, so I decided to create the entire alphabet using stickers. Currently, the Sticker Alphabet has not been digitized.
DRAFTS & UNFINISHED PROJECTS
This a collection of unfinished projects and unused drafts, also some sketches, I have done over the years.
Thank You
Contact chris1996geo@gmail.com +30 697 796 6485 issuu.com/chris1996geo instagram.com/morg.o.tron/
