There's tons to learn about typography, and thankfully there are a huge number of typography resources (opens in new tab) available online, including typography tips (opens in new tab) and typography tutorials (opens in new tab). But it's not just about technical expertise: you also need to be creatively inspired. And what better way to get a burst of inspiration than by checking out some of the best typography projects of the year.
From silly to serious, these projects also show a real passion for typography. Which are your favourites? Also take a look at the top web design trends in 2015.
01. Swiss Star Wars (opens in new tab)
In the year The Force Awakens hit the cinema, 2015 was a year of epic Star Wars excitement, and even typographers weren't immune to it. Argentinean graphic designer Fernando de Carabassaset created Swiss Star Wars (opens in new tab), a cool series Star Wars-themed posters in the International Typographic Style; that's the Swiss Style to you. Learn more here. (opens in new tab)
02. Fenwick window displays (opens in new tab)
Creative studio ROBU (opens in new tab) were invited by Fenwick of Bond St. to create the branding and window installations for its first campaign of 2015. It took inspiration from John James 'Jim' Fenwick himself: the man exclaimed 'I am here' as he first stepped through the doors of the store on Bond Street. Illustrated by Andrei Robu, the designs are bold, bright and in-your-face, with a beautifully created font throughout. Read more here. (opens in new tab)
03. Hidden tributes (opens in new tab)
Swedish illustrator Patrik Svensson (opens in new tab) has worked for brands like IKEA, Sony and Starbucks but it's this personal project that caught our attention. Associating a visual element with a variety of famous names, both fictional and real, the element is then cleverly integrated into the name typography. From Peter Pan to Charlie Chaplin to Coco Chanel, the tiny tributes are as charming as they are inventive. See more here. (opens in new tab)
04. Forma and co number typography (opens in new tab)
Barcelona graphic design, illustration and motion graphics studio Forma and Co (opens in new tab) were commissioned by Yorokobu Magazine to create some original number typography. Using popping primary colours throughout, with a clever use of negative space that creates an almost 3D-like effect, the team did a wonderful job in producing a unique number font. See more here. (opens in new tab)
05. Famous logos in handwritten type (opens in new tab)
Auckland based designer Sara Marshall (opens in new tab) created this logo design (opens in new tab) to explore the defining attributes of some of the biggest companies in the world. "The purpose, besides being a personal exploration of letterforms, is to reimagine these logos while retaining key defining elements of their original branding," she explained. Learn more here. (opens in new tab)
06. Trust your gut (opens in new tab)
The book Things I Have Learned in My Life So Far (opens in new tab) by top designer Stefan Sagmeister has been a hit since its release. Bristol-based typographer Yee Poon (opens in new tab) was so inspired by it, that she decided to create a project in response to the book. Taking the best advice she's ever received, she created a delicious project that creates type out of food – paying homage to the 'gut' in her quote. Learn more here. (opens in new tab)
07. 36 days of type (opens in new tab)
Typographer Alexander Wright (opens in new tab) recently put his type design skills to the test by participating in the 36 days of type (opens in new tab) project, which saw him create a new typeface every day for 36 days. "I wanted to create a system where each letter could show its own personality and characteristics, yet somehow, very loosely, still maintain a sense of familiarity with the other designs of the group," explains Wright. Read more here. (opens in new tab)
08. The Typefaces (opens in new tab)
On of the best typography books of 2015 (opens in new tab), the Typefaces is a new book from Singapore based designer and illustrator Scott Lambert (opens in new tab) that aims to celebrate playful products for kids and kids-at-heart. "Inspired by letterpress printing and childlike observations, The Typefaces are simply faces in type," Lambert explains. Read more here. (opens in new tab)
09. Type-patterened bags (opens in new tab)
Working in collaboration with award-winning British designer Alex Fowkes (opens in new tab), Artsac (opens in new tab) released these new typographical patterned bag designs. The words chosen to feature in Fowkes' type pattern all relate to design, with a few added extras that reflected the project well. "Design for everyday is Workshop's slogan, it's about bringing good design and bespoke artwork to something you use everyday. There's also a few random words in there like blood, sweat and tears, but they were thrown in simply because we were working so hard." Read more here. (opens in new tab)
10. Chocolate bar CV (opens in new tab)
Peter Roden (opens in new tab) – currently studying graphic design at London College of Communication (opens in new tab) – came up with a delicious way to showcase his skills. Chocolate Grotesque was designed to be a beautiful, edible and engaging self promotional tool.
11. Fonts made from old signs (opens in new tab)
For designer and letterer Jessica Krcmarik (opens in new tab), the founder of type foundry Gratiot and Riopelle (opens in new tab), her walk to work sparked the idea of creating fonts based on Detroit's hand painted signs and advertisements. From old ads for soda, to new signs for car washes, Jessica photographed them all and sorted them by neighbourhood. Noticing similarities in the fonts she compiled, Jessica was able to create distinctive typefaces for different areas of the city. Read more here. (opens in new tab)
12. Typography scrabble (opens in new tab)
There are plenty of beautiful board game designs (opens in new tab) out there, but this typography version of Scrabble is perfect for font fans. Created by graphic designer and Scrabble enthusiast Andrew Capener (opens in new tab), this release is the third of his 'Scrabble Typography Editions'. Released by Winning Solutions (opens in new tab), this set includes 12 new fonts chosen by Capener, plus a redesigned game board and score pad. Read more here. (opens in new tab)
13. Typography notebooks (opens in new tab)
We've already got an inspirational list of great notepads for designers (opens in new tab), but this range from Fabriano Boutique (opens in new tab) is as beautiful as they come. Designed around the theme of typography by Italian graphic designer Silvana Amato (opens in new tab), the illustrations about the fonts were produced by Steven Guarnaccia (opens in new tab). The notebooks are available in the usual formats – lined, squared and blank – with odes to fonts such as Helvetica, Garamond and Times. Typographers will be snapping these up in no time. Take a closer look at the designs below. Read more here (opens in new tab).
14. The font that teaches you Japanese (opens in new tab)
After multiple trips to Japan johnson banks (opens in new tab) still couldn't read the language, so they created this unique typeface that combines English language and one of the three Japanese scripst. By incorporating phonetic English sounds into Katakana shapes, johnson banks created Phonetikana, a readable hybrid for English speakers new to the language. Read more here (opens in new tab)
15. 365typo (opens in new tab)
Published in collaboration with Association Typographique International (opens in new tab), the 365 stories in this beefy book focus on key events from the last year, latest developments, and predictions of what the future holds for typographers. It features 100 contributors, including Fiona Ross, Bill Gardner, Sonja Knecht and many more. Read more here. (opens in new tab)
Liked this? Read these!
- This typography project is a year-long labour of love (opens in new tab)
- This book will improve your web typography (opens in new tab)
- Typography is made easy with this free app (opens in new tab)
