1 | 2015 CHF 18 | EUR 20
Branding and Design Magazine
Jean-Claude Biver: All You Need is Love The watchmaker and his values: share, forgive, respect. 32
Process: Calmly Passionate
A portrait of a branding and design agency through the lens of its staff. 52
Lidan Liu: No. I’m Not a Star
The Chinese designer is just as humble as she is visionary. 80
All About
Character
4
Contents
Contributors
Editorial 3
6
Top Tips
10
People and Brands
Carlos Leal – Taking Risks is a Good Way to Learn
Adrian Schräder is a freelance journalist and author. He writes regularly about pop culture for the Tagesanzeiger Swiss daily. In “No Bluff !” on p. 52, he explores the character of a branding and design agency, blowing a few clichés out of the water.
An interview with the actor, musician and brand ambassador who really does not have a favourite brand.
14 16
People and Brands What’s Your Favourite Brand?
Trends The Future Of Luxury
Travelling the World micro: Pint-sized Scooter is a Giant Hit 20
Oliver Klaffke has worked as a landscape designer, biologist, journalist and ad man. Now, he is a freelance writer. In this issue, he met with Wim Ouboter from the firm micro and on p. 20, he describes how the small scooter is conquering the world.
All About Character 28 Prologue In Search of Character
32
A Man of Character
Jean-Claude Biver – Character Means Not Concealing Yourself Tao Liu has a day job as a water meter reader in Hefei City, China. He has also made himself a name as a street photographer. Liu selected ten snaps for this issue to show “The Character of the Quotidian” on p. 61.
He bases everything he does on love. As simple as that. A charismatic, successful entrepreneur who splits opinion.
38 The Case New Tack, New Brand 48
Maverick Bye-bye Branding?
5
52
Publisher Bärbel Fritz, Martin Kessler Process Group AG, Giesshübelstrasse 62a, CH-8045 Zurich, Switzerland process-group.com
Process Inside
No Bluff !
How do you capture the character of a creative agency? Ask the individuals who collectively are that agency.
Process 62a Team Fabian Bertschinger, Levin Bissig, Charles Chen, Peggy Chen, Martin Fawer, Bärbel Fritz, Christine Gertsch, Dominique Hufschmid, Martin Kessler, Susana Lamas Docampo, Rudolf Rodenburg, Séverine Telley, Julia Wieler, Tori Wu, Lexie Zhang Authors Martin Fawer, Christine Gertsch, Martin Kessler, Oliver Klaffke, Martina Kühne, Susana Lamas Docampo, Rudolf Rodenburg, Adrian Schräder, Hans Ulrich Schweizer, Fabian Wigger, Adrian Zimmerli
61 Gallery
Design Concept Fabian Bertschinger, Christine Gertsch, Marcus Kraft
The Character of the Quotidian
Photography and Illustrations Levin Bissig, designaffairs, Louise Fili, Christine Gertsch, Alina Günter, Daniel Hager, Serge Hoeltschi (13 Photo), Michel Jaussi, Jean Jullien, Marcus Kraft, Andreas Lang, Tao Liu, Christoph Niemann, Sarah Parsons, Lucia Pigliapochi, Pascal Staub (grafilu), Fabian Unternährer
During the day, he reads water meters in Hefei City, China. But Tao Liu’s passion is photography and some of his shots have made it into Time Magazine.
Translation and Editing MOTIF Executive Communications, motif.ch; Susana Lamas Docampo
73
Type Design A Typeface with Character
74
Opinion Leader Manifesto of Intellectual Capital
Paper and Fonts HIAP MOH CHINA, hiapmohchina.com (Munken Lynx Rough and BVS glossy coated, Theinhardt (Optimo), Lyon and Druk (Commercial Type) Lithography Linkgroup, Zürich, linkgroup.ch
80
Printing 松山印刷, ssprint.com.cn Orders You may order 62a Branding and Design Magazine online at process-group.com/62a One copy, including VAT, costs CHF 18 (Switzerland), EUR 20 (Eurozone)
Lidan Liu – “No. I’m Not a Star.”
“There are thousands of good designers in China.” says Lidan Liu, yet there is no denying that she shines brightly in China’s design scene.
86
Trademark Law The “Switzerland” Brand
92
New School Comparing Design Colleges
96
And Finally “The Creative Process”
Photography: Lukas Mäder, Daniela Friedli, Tao Liu, Serge Hoeltschi (13 Photo), Fabian Unternährer, Ruben Wyttenbach, Tao Liu, designaffairs
Guest
About Process Process is an independent branding and design agency with offices in Switzerland, China and Taiwan. Our branding experts’ holistic approach provides valuable support for all your company’s undertakings. process-group.com Zurich / Shanghai / Taipei © 2015 Process Group AG, Zurich This magazine and all articles, images and illustrations in this magazine are protected by copyright. Any use or distribution in printed or electronic form is prohibited and punishable by law unless Process Group AG has given permission in writing for said use or distribution. The publisher accepts no liability for unsolicited manuscripts or images.
6
Top Tips
Visit Tableau Zurich
Vogue – Like a painting
Taking its inspiration from paintings, the work now showing at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid is all from the Vogue Magazine archive, shot by the biggest names in classic and contemporary fashion photography.
In immediate proximity to Bellevue, Stadelhofen train station and Kunsthaus Zurich, “Tableau Zurich” is a new location for displaying visual art in a public space.
Christoph Niemann – Drawing the Line
Two exhibitions a year are to be shown on 14 large billboard hoardings. Courtyard of the Stadelhofer Passage, Zurich, open 365 days a year. tableauzurich.org
He has illustrated covers for the New Yorker and the New York Times; his images resonate with poetry, irony and tragedy. The Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art is devoting an exhibition to Niemann and his work graces our last page. mak Works on Paper Room, Vienna, until 11 October 2015 mak.at
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, until 12 October 2015 museothyssen.org
Swiss Brand Museum This mini museum in a former customs post near the Bern BearPark is exclusively devoted to Swiss branded goods and their history. Its display rooms house a permanent exhibition of 22 Swiss inventions, a temporary display focusing on a different Swiss brand each month and a small gift shop. Grosser Muristalden 2, Berne, open Tue – Sun swissbrandmuseum.com
Freitag ad absurdum
Entrepreneurs Markus and Daniel Freitag are teaming up with conceptual artists Frank and Patrik Riklin for a “Carte Blanche” exhibition at mudac in Lausanne. The two pairs of brothers are taking to the streets to find the owners of Freitag bags (which are made from recycled lorry tarpaulins), reclaiming the used bags and using them to make new tarps. This is the first in a series of transformations intended to give the bags a new lease on life. Designed to make you think, this is an ironic exaggeration of an eternal recycling process addressing consumption in the 21st century. mudac, Lausanne, 28 October 2015 – 28 February 2016 mudac.ch
7
Silent Film Marathon
The Institute for Incoherent Cinematography organises an annual fourday silent film marathon. The theme this time around is “The Ancient World” and some 40 films from 1896 to 1933 will be shown with live sound accompaniment. Kunstraum Walcheturm, Zurich, 3 – 6 December 2015 ioic.ch
Slow Food Market
slowUp The slowUp approach is as simple as it is appealing: take about 30 km of roadway in attractive scenic settings, ban motorised transport for the day and provide a varied programme of entertainment by the roadside to create a festival like no other: young and old, families and singles, exercise fans and party people will all enjoy the cheery atmosphere untainted by cars. all over Switzerland slowup.ch
The Slow Food movement champions ecological and traditional production methods as well as the conservation of regional cuisine. Foods should boost regional economies and turn the countryside where they are made into an experience for all the senses. The Slow Food Market is a festival of traditionally prepared food and delicacies. Zurich, 13 – 15 November 2015 slowfoodmarket.ch
Soeder
Fans of the Japanese “no logo” brand muji are going to love the new Swiss label “Soeder” with its timelessly styled essentials – all made in Switzerland or by our near European neighbours. Shops in Zurich and Basel soeder.ch
8
Top Tips
Read Hello, My Name Is Awesome by Alexandra Watkins
Six million new companies and more than 100,000 products hit the market each and every year, and they all need a name – a great name. “Unfortunately there are lots of examples like Xobni, Svbtle or Doostang that look like the outcome of a drunken game of Scrabble,” says naming consultant Alexandra Watkins. In her book, she explains how even less creatively gifted people can come up with memorable names. An excellent and entertaining book about naming. awesomebook.eatmywords.com Berrett-Koehler Publishers isbn: 978-1626561861
Chäswandern – “Cheese Walks” by Tina Balmer, Giorgio Hösli A hiking guide with 35 easy walks to farmhouse cheesemakers all over Switzerland; includes some culinary treats and all kinds of interesting facts about cheese, cheesemaking and Alpine farming.
chaeswandern.ch aT Verlag isbn: 978-3038008378
Journal21
Added value journalism We are flooded with newsflashes and bulletins, but to understand the headlines and form our own opinions, we need in-depth analysis, commentaries and background reports. journal21.ch delivers these in spades and is aimed at readers ready to engage with demanding texts and new perspectives. Some 80 experienced journalists work here as a labour of love, doing their bit to ensure that solid journalism has a healthy future. journal21.ch
Manuals 1+2 Design and Identity Guidelines by Tony Brook, Adrian Shaughnessy Manual 1 was a success and it was a foregone conclusion that Manual 2 would appear. The second volume presents 20 outstanding American and European design guidelines, including contributions from ibm, Westinghouse, Canadian Rail, Bell, Knoll, PTT, the Montreal Olympics and the Dutch police. With nicely detailed images and accurate descriptions. uniteditions.com Unit Editions isbn: 978-0957511477
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal
Why do certain products command our attention? How are habits formed? Nir Eyal explains how to bind people to products. nirandfar.com, Portfolio Penguin isbn: 978-0241184837
9
Use Story Branding by Jim Signorelli
People need stories – they always have and they always will. Stories inspire us, affording some stability and comfort, and branding can also turn storytelling to its advantage. Jim Signorelli’s book presents an easily applicable, intuitive process for story-branding in an easily digestible, wellstructured volume illustrated with a modicum of striking graphics and vivid examples.
Boldomatic Quote generator app Made in Zurich
Boldomatic is like Instagram for text messages. The edit function can handle quotations, proverbs or short texts of any kind – then just choose a background, set a text colour and share. boldomatic.com
Green Leaf Book Group isbn: 978-1626340312
Hanx Writer Typewriter app by Tom Hanks
Adobe Color Colour palette app
Adobe Color is an extremely useful tool for assembling colour schemes and moods very quickly and easily. Colour palettes can be generated entirely spontaneously using a smartphone or tablet and are automatically stored in Creative Cloud Libraries, where you can directly access them later via desktop programs or apps. color.adobe.com
Snapseed Picture editing app
Hanx Writer is a free app that lets you type as you would on a typewriter and then send the typed texts. The delete key can be set up so it doesn’t expunge the letters but instead types an “X” over the top – just like the old days, and with suitable sound effects. There are other similar apps, but this is the only one from Hollywood actor and typewriter nerd Tom Hanks.
We don’t know of a better and more comprehensive picture editing app that’s also still free. Use a fingertip to touch up images, change focus and more.
hitcents.com
In the App Store
10
People and Brands
Taking Risks is a Good Way to Learn Carlos Leal is one of the most internationally-renowned Swiss actors, but also a musician and a brand ambassador for a telecoms provider. What does he think about brands? How does he feel about them? Reections on character and characters, nostalgia, Dunlop and bread. Susana Lamas Docampo, Martin Kessler
Serge Hoeltschi, 13 Photo
11
As a rapper with band Sens Unik, four of Carlos Leal’s albums went gold. Then, he became an actor.
12
People and Brands
brands are the ones that make you feel proud of who you are rather than encouraging you to show off.
“Character is the bridge from a person’s soul to the outside world.” – Even in film mecca Hollywood, Carlos Leal stays true to himself.
Are there brands that bring back memories from your childhood? Which ones and what memories? Yes, definitely. One of them is Ford. My father had a Ford Capri. I guess it was a symbol of freedom to him. He was not materialistic but his Capri was his joy in life. Even if he’s always been a tough man, when he was driving that car, we could all see a great big smile on his face. Another one is Migros, the Swiss supermarket chain. I grew up eating the Migros bread and somehow this is an abiding memory (laughs). As a family of immigrants with modest means, we couldn’t afford top-quality products, but to me, the Migros bread will always be the best in the world. And Dunlop: my dream was to be a tennis player; John McEnroe was my hero. Do you have a favourite brand? Sorry, I am going to have to disappoint you. I have favourite human beings, favourite actors, favourite musicians, favourite authors ... but I don’t have a favourite brand. I have great respect for brands or rather organisations like Greenpeace, Médecins sans Frontières or The Red Cross, but I would not call any of them my favourite brands. How do you define “character”? Character is the bridge from a person’s soul to the outside world.
B
rands are like personalities. They have a history, values, an identity. I s there a brand “Carlos Leal”? If yes, what does it stand for? How different is the brand from the private person “Carlos Leal”? It would be pretentious of me to say that there is a brand Carlos Leal. I consider myself an artist and what I do in my projects definitely reflects who I am. I guess I stand for quality rather than quantity; I’m open-minded, multicultural and, as much as possible, down-to-earth. What role do brands play in your life? Are they something you are aware of in your daily life? How? Definitely. I’m always interested in knowing the back story of what I’m going to wear, drive or eat. I would choose brands that stand for certain values: respect for people and nature, savoir-faire, taste and elegance. I also appreciate the classics, because they’ve been here forever and that gives them credibility. I definitely don’t want to be a fashion victim, though. I think style is much more important than fashion and I don’t want to depend on brands to look interesting. The top
An intriguing definition. To me it’s a good image, because this bridge can be closed at times; there could also be a traffic jam on it. If it is windy it could be shaking a bit. Sometimes, people will not want to take the bridge and at other times the bridge is just open and clear and it’s a nice walk. Voilà. As an actor you play a different character almost every day. Which is the bigger challenge: trying to stay who you are or trying to be someone else? Both, because fusing them is what ultimately gives a good result. It’s also very important to surrender. Once you have done your homework as an actor, you need to trust your instincts and give yourself over completely to the character. A character can’t live without you and you can’t give life to a character without fully identifying with all its unique traits. Doesn’t playing so many roles sometimes make you confused about your own identity? Who I am today is not who I will be tomorrow. If a character I am playing can make me see parts of myself that I didn’t know, it’s a great thing to discover. The most interesting part of acting is when you
13 prepare your role. You have the script, you have circumstances, a conflict, obstacles and you are supposed to understand the psychology of a human being. As an actor you are not supposed to judge a character, even if the character is evil, because you are going to be that character.
Do you have a dream role? Not necessarily. I do love complex characters, though. The more layers you can add to a character, the more interesting the work is. To me, being an actor is about exploring the human soul. I also have favourite directors: Paul Thomas Anderson, Jacques Audiard, and Joe Wright. There must be some extreme, challenging roles that you have yet to play. A big challenge would be to play a woman. One very difficult part that I have already played was that of a person with cerebral palsy. This was in a short movie, directed by my wife, Jo Kelly. My mother didn’t recognise me when she watched the movie. I find the most difficult roles are the ones where you don’t have to play anything, where you have to be seethrough like a window. This is the trickiest thing for an actor: becoming transparent. I suppose this could be my dream role: to play an anti-hero in a film where nothing happens. No action. The story would be told through his passive behaviour. That would be a real challenge. You were a successful musician with your band Sens Unik. Then you started acting, first in theatre, then in movies. You recently released a solo album. You have lived in several different places. These days, you are trying your luck in Los Angeles. Are you a restless soul? Well, I tried to quit being restless … but it always comes back! This desire to create and challenge myself with new projects is like the perpetual movement of the sea. What I don’t want to do anymore is to betray myself to please an audience. I guess with my years of experience I know a bit more about where I’d like to be going and what I want. Every challenge is a risk. Taking a risk is always a good way to learn about life. It definitely makes you grow. Besides music and acting, you are also known in Switzerland for your commercials for upc cablecom, the telecommunications service provider. Did you deliberately choose such a broad field of activities? Does it help or hinder you when you audition for an important role? When upc cablecom proposed I be their ambassador, they had a clear idea of what they wanted artistically: a sense of humour. I wouldn’t have said yes if this project had not appealed to me as an artist. These commercials allow me to explore my comedic skills and I love it. It doesn’t put me on a pedestal where I talk down to people. It just keeps me the
way I am: relaxed and down-to-earth. Self-irony is so good when it’s done the right way. Now, I knew that being so exposed would not necessarily please everyone. But so far, the feedback has been very positive and the awards the brand has received for these commercials prove that we’re doing a good
“Who I am today is not who I will be tomorrow.” job. That being said, you will never see me selling a dishwasher or a cleaning product. In the past I have turned down other brands’ offers even if the money was good, because I didn’t feel my image would match the brand. Today, there are so many actors associated with brands and you can feel straight away if it’s just a money thing or if there’s a real partnership between both parties. I couldn’t see myself working with a brand that doesn’t share my values, artistically or otherwise.
What is your biggest professional goal? When would you say: this is exactly what I always wanted to do and I am where I always wanted to be? Never, I hope. The way an ocean wave makes a pattern on the beach, yet returns to keep making new patterns over and over, unable to stop, I am always seeking to grow as an artist. What does success mean to you? Happiness. But you realise that’s not easy for a man like me, who is always looking for his next challenge! I guess I do dream of living the twilight of my life with my best friends by my side, surrounded by children playing loudly and drinking a good red wine while playing boules in the south of France. To me, that is the picture of success. Your parents emigrated from Spain to Switzerland. Which of your character traits are more Swiss and which more Spanish? Swiss culture gave me a lot: humility, discipline, organisation, precision in my work. I was born and raised in Switzerland and I’m proud to call it home. I have a lot of admiration for this highly successful little country, surrounded as it is by so many big “siblings”. Switzerland, to me, is a lot of modernity mixed with some tradition. But when it comes to my passion, my shifting moods, my enthusiasm or my stubborn determination, the Spanish side of me definitely dominates. What do you miss most about Switzerland? Bread from Migros!
•
Carlos Leal The son of Spanish parents, Carlos Leal grew up in a suburb of Lausanne in Switzerland before gaining international renown in the 1990s with the hip-hop group Sens Unik, which went on to produce four albums that went gold. Having taken on his first minor screen roles, he left the band in 2005 to take acting lessons in Paris and received a number of awards for his lead performance in the romantic drama “Snow White”. This was followed by supporting roles in international blockbusters such as the James Bond film “Casino Royale”. Leal decamped to Madrid with his family in 2008 before moving to Los Angeles two years later. He has been brand ambassador for the Swiss telecommunications firm upc cablecom since 2011 and lives and works in LA. carloslealartist.com
48
All About Character : Maverick
BYE-BYE BRANDIN L
ife can be good among like-minded people, and they may even develop a certain swagger: the world of branding agencies is round, not flat – core values are masked by a multiplicity of facets, hitherto undiscovered emotions for mundane objects and touchpoints to which endearing homage is paid. So this world becomes particularly disgruntled when someone issues a rejection of branding in no uncertain terms, and in the form of numerous books and articles. Even more so if that someone runs an agency that carries his name and boasts a substantial portfolio of clients – namely: Dr. Rutschmann AG, an agency specialising in “action- triggering communication”.
Dr. Rutschmann’s agency performs a back-breaking task that fewer and fewer agencies are willing to take on. “Switzerland used to be a leader in direct marketing – nowadays, the successful players have all retired to the South of France and we’re left here virtually on our own.” Eye-catchers, stars, arrows and lightning
“Branding isn’t aimed at selling; it’s simply about making a good impression.”
Branding and marketing: two opposites? His demeanour gives no clue that he might work in the rainbow world of agencies. His meticulous appearance is totally in keeping with his clear-cut definition of the scope of his activities: “We focus solely on the client’s skeleton and muscles – how he stretches out his arm to pick up the telephone and dial an 0800 number with his right hand, or how he reaches out for a detergent. Branding – it’s wasted money!” His friends among his clientele hail from the world of sales and marketing. They view Mr Rutschmann as an ally with the same objectives – to sell and generate revenue. “Whereas branding isn’t aimed at selling; it’s simply about making a good impression.”
flashes, scratch cards, coupons, bonus vouchers, big letters, scored-out prices, loyalty programmes, competitions and mini-surveys of consumers all steer the customer directly to the product. Eye tracking predicts it, the graphic designer implements it, and the sales figures prove it: the success of this approach is relentless, and it rattles the aesthetes’ cages – whereas a “pretty” mailshot has no impact. The pre-natal phase is a revenue driver Dr. Rutschmann AG analyses purchasing processes in microscopic detail: in interviews, shoppers are asked to recall when they first thought about buying their
49
G?
Marc Rutschmann really has nothing against brands – but advertising is a thing of the past, he claims.
What is the author of a book titled “The End of Branding” doing in this magazine? He is the “maverick” in this issue: his name is Marc Rutschmann and he wages war on the wastage of marketing budgets. Martin Fawer, Rudolf Rodenburg
Daniel Hager
50
All About Character : Maverick
next tube of toothpaste. And, preferably, to give a second-by-second account of what they did next until they actually picked up the tube. Then they have to look even further back: what happened before the first thought of making a purchase? And before that … ? The prenatal phase is the ultimate trigger, and odours prompt recall of places where the product was first needed. The results of these individual interviews – metres of printed paper crammed full of minute details – invariably follow the same pattern: triggers and inhibitors – action – reward and punishment – repeated over and over, time and again. The challenge is to discover the key points where targeted influence can be exerted, and to gear the measures consistently to this process. Whatever happened to the brand? Life with toothpaste and cat food depicted in logical sequence, calculated pathways, predictable actions, sales secured and turnover increased – does the brand no longer have any part to play? “We have absolutely nothing against brands – on the contrary. But we view the brand as a result of experiences and rewards. On the other hand, we understand branding as a set of deliberately designed communication measures – or, in a word: advertising. And advertising ... is a thing of the past. Many people imagine that they can simply think up a brand and wrap it around a mediocre product. Then they keep on hitting the customer in the face with this concoction, dressed up as advertising. They think that repetition and reach will do the rest of the job, and the product will then sell itself. What’s more, of course, the whole performance should be as creative as possible! In actual fact, “creative” just means distorting the message until nobody understands it any longer.” Take Google, for instance: “Ultimately, people were convinced by the products – not the appearance of creativity. In fact, the Google founders never
aimed for a valuable brand. They had a convincing idea and they turned it into a good product. How many times a day do you use Google? Just consider this: every time Google delivers results to you, the search engine is delivering a reward, a happy feeling – ‘Easy Happiness’.” Happiness bit-by-bit Easy Happiness – that’s what motivates customers to make a purchase. It’s the chain of little rewards that show the customer he’s on the right track: attractive prices are on offer here, or maybe a coupon over there, and then another stamp in the collecting book. And finally, a chance to vote – a little survey: “Do you like Ariel?”; an attractive invitation. Then, the purchase itself. A sequence of good feelings. It is precisely these
“I’d go so far as to say that we do the real branding.” experiences that turn a product into a strong brand. “I make a distinction between brande and brandc – the brand as the result of experiences, and the brand as the result of communication. The latter is what the classical advertising agencies attempt to develop. But we are the ones who are responsible for brandse – I’d go so far as to say that we do the real branding.” Dr Rutschmann is constantly waging war on the wastage of marketing budgets. Henry Ford may well have wondered which half of the advertising budget was wasted money, but we seem to have found the solution for using 100 % of the entire budget: the brand and the action trigger are the ideal combination for success.
•
“We have absolutely nothing against brands”: Marc Rutschmann is interviewed by Martin Fawer (left) and Rudolf Rodenburg (right) of Process.
Marc Rutschmann The End of Branding This book is devoted to marketing based on the purchasing process: how are new customers prompted to make a purchase, and how can it be ensured that customers will buy again? The book reveals key points and shows clearly how to reach people so that the purchasing process moves forward, and they buy. Dr Marc Rutschmann heads an agency in Zurich that specialises in action-triggering communication. He also researches consumers’ purchasing processes in empirical studies. He is a technical author and lecturer at the University of St. Gallen.
73
All About Character : Type Design
A Typeface with Character Christine Gertsch
F
ascinatingly, there are an almost infinite number of possibilities for the design of a font – which is just as well, as an individualised font is a key element in the visual character of a brand. How a font works is greatly dependent on the handwriting movements from which it arises, irrespective of whether it is actually a cursive script or a digital typeface. Does the writer’s hand keep to a strictly
regular rhythm? Does it make decorative loops? Does it write quickly, so the letters lean towards the direction of reading? A narrow typeface generally looks elegant, as do strong contrasts between fine and broad lines; such fonts are thus often associated with fashion. Geometric fonts always have a slightly cooler and more measured feel than those based on calligraphy, while narrow,
bold sans serifs are ideal for attentiongrabbing magazine headlines. And then there are the cultural and historical associations that can make a font look American or Swiss, for example, or – as in the case of “Karlotta”, the font illustrated here – Italian.
•
“Karlotta”: a typeface design with very particular characteristics
Reg The lack of uniformity in the font’s stroke width is based on historical Italian examples and is an unexpected touch nowadays.
Rounded elements make the font as accessible as it is elegant.
Proportions that are skewed towards the bottom are often found in Italian typefaces. They make the font seem friendly.
Karlotta Regular
Karlotta Display
Images: Louise Fili
Karlotta Light
Karlotta Condensed
Curved-in finials lend a playful and cheerful quality.
Extravergine Extravergine Extravergine Extravergine
Shop lettering in Italy.
Christine Gertsch is a Brand and Editorial Designer at Process with a master’s degree in Type Design from the renowned Royal Academy of Art in The Hague. She created and designed the “Karlotta” family of typefaces – a clan that is constantly welcoming new members …
And Finally
The Creative Process by Christoph Niemann
The Austrian Museum of Applied Arts / Contemporary Art in Vienna (MAK) is devoting an exhibition to Christoph Niemann. See Top Tips on page 6.
Berlin, 2013, silkscreen print, © Christoph Niemann
96