Keybo
A sans-serif futuristic typeface inspired by the numbers on a vintage Japanese keyboard. Made from scratch first from pen and paper and then compiled and refined digitally.
Time Frame
Ten weeks
Year
2022
Tools
Glyphs, Figma, Paper, Pencil, Ruler, Marker
Team
Felicia Tzeng, Cameron Reeder, Burke Smithers, Jake Oehler
The Process
The Inspiration
The inspiration for this typeface came from the numbers on this vintage Japanese keyboard. Our team drew a lot from the width and the subtle curves of the four and seven.
Mood Board
In this project the mood board was used less to get specific elements of the typeface narrowed down and more to get the four of us on the design team on the same page regarding the general vibe we wanted the typeface to elicit.
Research
Once we settled on the vibe of the project, we identified typefaces to reference as we began sketching the letterforms. All of our references were super-ellipses, a typographic form that could be described as a circle trapped inside a box. Though the super-ellipse predates the 20th century, it is seen as an expression of technological glorification and futurism, perfect for our typeface.
Changeling Neo by Mark Simonson managed to distinguish forms like n, u, o, and c despite all having 90 degree interior corners. This was accomplished by keeping specific outer corners rounded.
Pilat by General Type Studio is a super-ellipse typeface with a large range of weights and widths which was a helpful reference for us in deciding the width and weight we wanted for our typeface.
Michroma by Vernon Adams was a reference we felt very closely matched the vibe we originally got from the vintage keyboard, with the caveat that it felt a bit less friendly and accessible than our main reference.
Sketching
The sketching was challenging and at times laborious, as we worked to capture all the precise uniform curves the typeface demands using only a ruler, pencil, and ink. Despite the painstaking effort, drawing the letterforms on paper proved to be a rewarding process that inspired me to discover different ideas unencumbered by the influence a digital program often places on creative thinking.
