TYPO magazine by Marika Andersen

TYPO MAGAZINE 2013 SERIAL CUT / KAREL MARTENS / MAGNUS RAKENG / ALEX TROCHUT /

In this issue of TYPO magazine we chose to publish a school project, where the assignment was to design a typography magazine about 4 creative artists. Serial Cut, Karel Martens, Magnus Rakeng and Alex Trochut. The magazine contains four spreads, each one inspired by the artist in the article. We hope you get as inspired by the artists as the student behind this issue. Enjoy!

TYPO Magazine Issue #1 Copyright: ÂŠ 2013 Marika Andersen All Rights Reserved Font: Minion Pro, Source Sans Pro Paper: Matt 100g Design: Marika Andersen Published: Norges Kreative HĂ¸yskole Office: Kirkegata 24, 0107 Oslo Phone: +47 907 73 635

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SERIAL CUT KAREL MARTENS MAGNUS RAKENG ALEX TROCHUT

by: Marika Andersen

TYPO MAGAZINE / SERIAL CUT

BRASH, BOLD AND HIGHLY-POLISHED

Serial Cut is a Madrid based studio, established in 1999 by Sergio del Puerto, working on a wide variety of worldwide projects, but focussing mainly on Art Direction.

Sergio del Puerto´s strengths lay in art direction which is easy to see in each work that comes out of Serial Cut’s doors. Each work has a fun take on reality. Everyday objects, materials and even food are transformed into something of visual interest. Never before has a piece of broccoli looked so interesting until Serial Cut made it so. Everything they touch comes to fruition in a larger than life way that is just simply fun to look at. They are setting new design trends with every project they touch and show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. A GROWING TEAM

Serial Cut works alongside an ever-growing team of professionals, who specialize in different areas such as photography, design, motion-graphics and 3D design. Depending on the nature of a given project, different collaborators are chosen to give each piece a new dimension.

”EACH WORK HAS A FUN TAKE ON /// REALITY” //////////

VERSATILE PROJECTS

Big and small companies from arts and culture, fashion or entertainment industries are our primary clients; for each new project from a given client, we like to change the look and feel of the design. TYPE REINFORCES THE CONSEPT

Image and type are a great combination that we like to use on all the projects we work on. Typography plays an important role in the end product. VISUAL CULTURE

Inspiration comes from current and past decades, but we always review it and renew it, bringing it into today’s perspective with an actual look. SURPASS EXPECTATIONS

Our aim is to go beyond what’s in our minds and in our clients’ minds when we start a project, to take the challenge a little further both in terms of technique and of concept, and to always end up with a contemporary and fresh result. NETWORK

Serial cut works with both national and international clients, and have a long experience with companies and brands we all know well. Among them are Nike, Sony, VISA, MTV, Universal and Freia.

links: http://www.serialcut.com/info, http://www.lustnation.com/photographer/serial-cut/

TYPO MAGAZINE / SERIAL CUT

ART DIRECTION

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In his work, Karel Martens embraces both freedom and order. He finds inspiration in the limitations of the profession and turns obstacles into challenges. OASE, When you a Dutch architectural journal, is an started working on OASE did you illustration of how designer can design a fixed grid for the future issues? For me the maneuver in the narrow field of grid is an instrument that allows me to work with books. Very often graphic design production. OASE it is a flexible grid so I am not too constrained, I still have to take decisions balances between book and a about placing text and images. Has the grid changed since the first issue? How was magazine and each new issue the grid evolving as the magazine was growing up? Yes, The 6×2 mm grid changed. When reinvents its forms to surprise its the production of OASE changed, and now we are doing it fully in-house, the grid changed. Now readers. Karel Martens gave OASE it is made completely on the Macintosh and this offers much more opportunities to play with columns, a clear direction and convincingly type and the margins. I spent some time looking at OASE trying to follow the internal structure of the makes a magazine that is both magazine. I had an impression that the grid is changing with every issue, as well as paper and typefaces. But modest and luxurious, making those changes are so subtle that you don’t see them from issue to issue, you need to see a series them to compare one believe that a low-budget the first one and the latest one and only then can one see the changes. That’s true. As basic typefaces I am trying to stick publication is in fact a precious with Monotype Grotesque and Janson, but there are exceptions. The grid is also changing when the format is changing [an object to be collected. A grid issue on poetry and architecture has a different size]. The grid, and the division of the grid, depends on the complexity of the became a fascinating element issue. The last two issues are bilingual, so I had to adapt the grid to accommodate more text. We are now doing an issue of OASE for Karel Martens. The most basic [issue 49] and we made the Dutch and the English text equal. This requires a change in grid too. Did you add more pages when element in graphic design is given OASE became bilingual? No, and that was the problem. The editor wanted to have the English translation, and asked me to put it in an active role that reflects the the back of the magazine. However, for me it was a nice opportunity to combine both languages, but they did not offer me more pages. tone of the magazine. Karel is the The type was getting smaller and smaller. So there is twice as much text now, but the same amount of pages? [laughs] ...exactly. It seems founder of Werkplaats Typografie that you turn all the technical constrains and limitations to an advantage, and there is no visible aesthetic compromise in OASE, in Arnhem. When did you start all the issues work well with all these limitations. Limitations are an important thing in design in general because they offer solutions. working on OASE magazine? You seem to almost enjoy those limitations. It’s not that I would ask for them, but I am always trying to find my space when working on a project. The first issue that I did was in There are not so many limitations as in the past, I feel more flexible, and it is much moore easier. OASE is a very low-budget publication, and I 1990. Before it was a magazine know that if I change the paper, I will probable be able to add one more colour on the cover, or if I reduce the size I could add more pages. For of a different format, A4 size. me, from the beginning, it was important to realise that it is always the same audience that reads OASE, and they don’t really want to have always Did you suggested a new size? the same magazine with just a different cover. It is the same as if I would have invited a guest to my house and prepare a wonderful meal. They Yes. The magazine has quite a enjoy it, but if they come next time, I cannot prepare the same meal again. It is more respectful to the public to always prepare something theoretical approach, so used this unique. They look forward for the next issue. You’ve been working on OASE for 8 years. Do you see a direction in which the magazine book format. Before was just loose is going, or is it hard to predict because it is so much driven by its content? I don’t know. I approach it differently every time. You can papers, where students would hand see it on the OASE logos. There isn’t one. Each issue is treated individually. I am completely free in designing the magazine, it is an issue their type-written essays. It looked of trust between the publisher and us. How much are you involved in making the editorial decisions? Not so much, I am not as very nice, I liked it, but it was a bit intellectual as the other people involved in the magazine... But you were very influential for the magazine, you always propose the problematic to continue this way, covers, you suggested the bilingual solutions, you discuss the articles? ...Of course, I read all the articles and talk about them, so I decided to change it. And the I choose the visuals, but I am not active in deciding about the future of OASE, this is not my worry. When I saw OASE for change was using a book format the first time I thought it looked very Dutch. When I’ve seen later issues this feeling was only reaffirmed. What rather then using a conventional do you think makes it look and feel so Dutch? That’s funny, I would also like to know. Maybe it is the diversity magazine format? There was a lot of forms, this plurality that allows you to decide each time individually? Yeah, perhaps... perhaps it is of text, and not so many images. It the flexibility of a small country. In big countries I see more constrains than here in the Netherlands. was easier to read in a new format. I don’t know. OK, the last thing I’d like to ask, is a thing that all the people that know you What is the size of the OASE want to ask but they don’t dare, and that’s the origin of your famous chinese-indigo magazine? It is related to the blue jacket. Where does it come from? [laughs] That’s not so special... I maximum size of the sheet? Yes, bought it first 15 years ago, I like it for all the pockets it has, and 24×17 cm it is the most economical it is so light. I now buy them in Paris, last time I size for the 50×70cm presses in the bought 3 of them... [laughs] Netherlands. It is very economical, however, you cannot bleed on all sides. I have to adjust the design to this as well, so we move all the images up on the sheet. links: https://www.typotheque.com/articles/karel_martens_

TYPO MAGAZINE / KAREL MARTENS

graphic_designer

by: Marika Andersen

Radio R As the first part of a typographic series Grafill grafisk design got an interview with Magnus Rakeng who is a designer and partner in Melkeveien design studio located in Oslo. Rakeng is know for the logo font design of both Telenor and Statoil, some of Norways largest corporations, and is one of the best font designers in Norway. In this interview we get a good insight in what a font designer do and how they work. Rakeng also talks about the experience of working with such important logo fonts that influence not only the norwegian people, but the whole world. What made you become interested in typography, and how did you start designing fonts? - M: It´s probably been somewhat gradual. I drew a lot as a child, and for as long as i can remember i always liked old signs, seals, billboards and posters. I find real craftsmanship fascinating. Since i was the one in my class who «could draw», i became the student that made posters, school paper etc. At that time i did a lot of character drawing.

TYPO MAGAZINE / MAGNUS RAKENG

But i was quite sure that i would become a painter until i discovered Neville Brody through the magazine The Face in the early 80s. He also drew some typography and fonts which he among other things used in the titles of The Face magazine. After graduating at Westerdals i started studying at London College of Printing, mostly because Brody also went to the same school.

What really got me to try designing my own font was when i saw Emigres classic yellow cover with Barry Decks Template Gothic in 1990. I still get that good feeling when i look at that cover. But perhaps the real reason is that i have a father who is a journalist and writer, a mom who is a teacher and a writer, and two siblings who are both writers? As the youngest in the family with writer´s block and fear of failure, i ended up drawing letters instead. Do you have any school education in font design, typography or design? - I don´t have a typography education other than the general curriculum from Westerdals and London College of Printing, and are not a typographer. At both schools there was some hand drawing/lettering, but no fonts. When i studied at Westerdals we received a couple of Mac´s the last year i went there, but they were generally not used as anything other than a typewriter. I don´t even think i knew it was possible to make designs on them. But it probably wasn’t possible anyway, since we didn´t have any scanners. It was

a limited access to Mac´s at LCP too, so i mostly drew stuff. Otherwise i used the copy machine and rubdowns/transfer. Any favorites or inspirations? - Neville Brody, Vaughan Oliver/Chris Bigg (who designed everything for 4AD), Simon Larbalestier (photographer for a.o. 4AD), Barry Deck, Rick Valicenti, Ian Anderson (Designers Republic), Peter Saville, Aldo Novarese, Jonathan Hoefler, Chester Jenkins, Stefan Sagmeister.

PrePolator, SuperPolator and MetricsMachine. When drawing fonts for large companies, it´s important that the font can be used in all the different platforms, it´s essential that you use someone with technical savvy. It doesn´t matter how nice it looks in Indesign CS5, if it doesn´t look the same in other programs like Microsoft Office 97.

Do you have a firm approach when designing fonts? - No, not really. It depends a little on whether it´s for a client or myself. If it´s for myself i just do whatever i want. But when i have a client there are many things that helps determine the outcome. I like doing both.

You have designed the fonts in what i assume are the two largest corporate font design projects in Norway, Telenor and Statoil. Can you tell us a little bit about the experiences you´ve done through these projects? - I think the teamwork was a success in both projects. A lot of the basics of the profiles was finished when i stepped in. On both projects, there already was an determined idea of the direction and style, which made it easier to get started.

I always begin with some sketching on paper. Not the whole alphabet, and quite rough, just to define the main shapes and forms. Then i draw the whole alphabet and some numbers in illustrator, and then finish the font in FontLab. Before FontLab came i used Fontographer, which is a little easier/simpler. The pen tool in FontLab is very good, and more sensitive than illustrator. Many designers draws everything straight into FontLab, but i use illustrator first as a old habit.

Since typeface takes a takes quite a long time, you´re always pressed for time. And you always have to work around the clock, even if you think you have calculated enough time. It´s really important to have frequently contact with the client at the beginning of the process, because then it´s easier to come to an agreement about the basic shapes before initiating the machinery. It can become serious consequences to changing things along the way.

Unfortunately there´s a lot of bugs in FontLab that generates technical errors which has to be corrected in other applications such as BBEdit and Adobe FDKO (Adobe Font Development Kit for Open Type). Most of it is too complicated for me. That´s why i´ve in resent years used Chester Jenkins for OpenType-programming and general technical control. (in addition to designing fonts such as Apex, Infinity and Galaxie Polaris, Chester owns Thirstype/Village. We´ve worked together on projects like Always Radio, Statoil and Canal Digital.) Then i can concentrate on the actual design. In recent years there´s also been possible to use softwares that´s especially good in kerning and weighting. For example

To adjust a small part of one character in the middle of the process, may result in the need to fix hundreds of others. When everyone is completely agreed that everything looks good, starts the job of drawing out the rest. Then we finish the first weighting with kerning and everything. The testing is primarily about checking a large amount of text in different languages and of course technical tests. When it´s finally 100% approved, you can start working on the other weightings. First we make some simple weight tests so you can choose what to be light, bold, black and so on. This is often just one word when you have to do it manually. Basically, it pays off to

Rakeng for sale along with other fonts from Barry Deck, Patric King, Chester Jenkins, Frank Ford and Patrick Giasson.

Both Telenor and Statoil has certainly influenced me as a font designer. I think i´ve simply become a better designer. Font design is like you said a very time consuming job, are you experiencing that the two projects mentioned before pays you for the hours it takes to design the fonts? - Telenor was probably not profitable financially for other than Telenor itself, but in the long run it has undoubtedly been good advertisement for us. We worked in Millimeter design at the time and had only our firm salary anyway, so the payment was´nt our main concern. We probably worked more than twice as much than what was the budget. Statoil was a much bigger job than Telenor. Because of the number of sections, but mostly because of the amount of characters. When we made Telenor OpenType didn´t exist, so there was a very limited number of characters we could use (256 pr. weights). With OpenType it´s virtually unlimited. Statoil is designed to use in 40 languages. Spread over nine cuts, it results in a lot of characters. It´s quite difficult to estimate how long time you will spend on such a big job. We calculate our payment from the amount of hours we use working, but in a big project like this we always end up with a lot more work. But i think both Statoil, SDG and i were pleased in the end, with both the profit and the design result. The font Radio that you have designed has become popular internationally, and is sold through among others the collective Village, which as well as you are the home of several renowned font designers. How does it work for you to be associated with Village, and how did you get in touch? - It all started when i met Rick Valicenti (THIRST) in 199394 when he was in Oslo to give lectures. I worked together with Halvor Bodin in Megafon Design at the time, and it was Halvor who had invited Rick to come and give the lectures. He stopped by the office and saw the sketches to my first attempt at drawing the font, Pilot. He had just started Thirstype with it´s own font Bronzo. He liked my sketches and we kept in touch. After a few months back and forth, Pilot was ready

Radio, which i drew just because i felt like it, has resulted in several major projects later on. For example, the logo for Eye magazine and a special typeface for Always. It´s not more than a few days ago a customer in England requested about a possible project of a versioning of Radio. It´s kind of funny. You work with both designing typefaces and as a designer. Do you think these two roles affects each other? - Yes, i think so. The typeface designer has probably influenced the graphic designer the most. When you draw the font you have to be completely pedant. I´ve certainly taken some of these skills with me as a graphic designer, but that´s mostly when i work with vector graphics. But the neatness does´nt show outside the screen. (My desk looks like hell.) I work more and more with custom drawing logos and other typography related projects. I often help other design agencies with the finishing touch on their logo designs, that´s missing last little bit. I really like that kind of work. Do you have any tips for designers who designs fonts or are curious about it? - Find an idea that´s not too complicated. It´s not much you have to do to give a font a custom design, so each character shouldn´t be too special. When designing a font it´s the whole picture that counts. Watch and learn from other fonts. Just throw yourself into it. What do you think makes a good typeface? Bad? - Many different things. But the main thing is that the typeface works in what it´s intended for. Not all fonts are for example designed to be readable on a screen in 6pt. But i think it´s important that the font is technically and functionally good designed. Which unfortunality can´t be said about most of my fonts. But i´ve learned more and more, and my last projects are not too bad thanks to Chester. Norway as a font nation? - Norway isn´t a distinct font nation, but it´s by all means many talented people who works with typography! Typographer Torbjørn Eng has a website with lots of interesting info: typorafi.org. Check out this page as well: hellotype.com.

// Magnus has more than 20 years of experience with developing typefaces, typography and identities for some of Norways largest corporations. In past years he´s been among other identities designed the typefaces for Statoil, Avinor, Telenor and Canal Digital. Magnus also works alot with music albums for artists like Bjørn Eidsvåg, Donkeyboy, Ole Paus, CC Cowboys, and Hellbillies ++ // CV // 2001 1996 - 2001 1994 - 1996 1992 - 1994 1989 - 1992 1987 - 1989

Melkeveien Designkontor AS Millimeter Design AS Union Design Megafon Design London College of Printing Westerdals Reklameskole

Honors // 2011 Visuelt, Gold, Typeface for Canal Digital 2010 Visuelt, Nomination, Typeface for Statoil 2006 Visuelt, Gold open class, Typeface for 2006 2005 2005

Always womens pads Visuelt, Silver open class, Logo and t-shirts for the five teamleaders in Lille Tøyen Girls 93 Visuelt, Silver editorial design, Dagbladet FREDAG SND/S (Society for News Design/Scandiavia) Bronze, Dagbladet FREDAG links: http://grafillgrafiskdesign.tumblr.com/ post/3233108758, http://www.melkeveien.no/om_oss/

TYPO MAGAZINE / MAGNUS RAKENG

draw the two extremes for example light and black. This makes it easier to create the others in-between. But it´s unfortunately rarely the case, usually because it is urgent to get the normal weight finished so they can begin producing stuff.

All my fonts that´s not custom type is distributed by Thirstype. It feels very comfortable and safe, since i know Chester well, and the royalty percentage is much better than at the big ones. Chester, Rick Valicenti and Patrick King worked in Tirstype togehter. And a few years ago he took over Thirstype and started Village with his wife Tracy.

TYPO MAGAZINE / ALEX TROCHUT

by: Marika Andersen

links: http://alextrochut.com/#/alex

Alex Trochut was born in 1981 in Exhibitions Barcelona. Studied Graphic design Solo shows: at Elisava, and started working as fre- Atlantis Festival, Plit Trochut+Apparatu, Vol.1, Otrascosas Villarelance designer and illustrator in 2007. rosas, Barcelona

Trochut’s work philosophy is ”More is more.” It is rich with elegant, brilliantly detailed executions that simultaneously convey indulgence and careful, restrained control. Trochut is driven by a desire to constantly evolve which can be seen in his eclectic body of work. Renowned for his technically exquisite type creations and designs, Trochut attributes his special connection with typography to his grandfather Joan Trochut – a typographer and the creator of a modular typographic and ornament system built in the 40s. Alex Trochut’s client’s include Nike, The Rolling Stones, Nixon, British Airways, Coca-Cola, The Guardian, Non Format, Wieden + Kennedy, Saatchi and Saatchi, BBH, Fallon, and Beuatiful Decay. Trochut lives between Brooklyn and Barcelona.

Trochut+Apparatu, Vol.2, FTC, Barcelona Terrassa Escola Municipal d´Art, Barcelona Group shows:

Icograda 2009, Beijing Resist!, London Life in 2050, London Pick Me Up, London Don´t believe the type, The Hague Lubalin Now, New York Record Time, Sydney Ink This 3, London Loft is in the air, Barcelona Noho Next, New York TDC Beautiful Banal, New York Beautiful Decay from A to Z, Los Angeles

AWARDS Certificate of Excellence TDC 2005 Certificate of Excellence TDC 2009 D&AD in Book Award 2009 Graphis Poster Gold 2008 ADC Young Gun 2008 Communication Arts 2008 Illustrative Berlin Nomination Young Illustrators Award 2009 Laus Or 2008 CQ Award 2009

TYPO MAGAZINE / ALEX TROCHUT

Alex Trochut’s illustrations, designs and typography take the modern notion of minimalism and flip it on its side.

Design by Marika Andersen // TYPO Magazine 2013