Regina Kudryashova

Rahere is a humanist sans with subtle features that give the typeface a distinctive, warm appearance without distracting the reader. Legible at large and small sizes, Rahere is a versatile family suitable for a wide range of applications such as annual reports, advertising, brochures, catalogues, information signage, screen text and visual identities. For projects that need to convey a sense of authority or credibility, this is the ideal sans serif to use. The family consists of six weights ranging from light to extra bold with corresponding italics and the character set covers most of the major European languages. Each weight contains lining & non-aligning numerals in both proportional & tabular spacing. The tabular numerals share the same width across all weights and styles – a must for financial tables in annual reports. Spirited and lively, the italic lowercase is more cursive and calligraphic than the roman, although it harmonises perfectly, displaying enough character to create emphasis without looking out of place. When used on its own, for pull-out quotes or poetry, the italic exudes a charm that draws attention to the text. The typeface is named after Rahere, a 12th-century Anglo-Norman priest, who founded St Bartholomew's Hospital, London in 1123. I will always be indebted to Barts (as it is now commonly known) because in 2006 I was successfully treated for relapsed testicular cancer. Way back in 1992 I designed my first sans serif, Charlotte Sans, and although it was relatively successful, I was never really satisfied with the end result: not enough weights & italics, a small character set, lack of accented characters, and my design skills were still in their infancy. Whilst Rahere shares many common elements with Charlotte Sans, it is much more than just a reworking; it represents over 20 years of accumulated knowledge and experience as a designer.

FF Neuwelt™, from Jens Gehlhaar, is open, inviting, highly legible, and strikingly handsome. Combining the straightforward clarity of a geometric sans with a welcoming warmth, FF Neuwelt’s eight display and text weights, vast range of alternates and extended character set, make for a family with few limitations. While grounded in a solid geometric sans serif foundation, Gehlhaar has drawn a large suite of alternate characters that infuses FF Neuwelt with softened, and ultimately easy on the eyes, humanistic shapes and proportions. Alternative cursive italic forms and a choice of round or square punctuation are also available at the click of a mouse. FF Neuwelt is spaced for sizes larger than 16 point, while FF Neuwelt Text has more open letterspacing to set perfectly at sizes smaller than 16 point. In addition, five key lowercase characters were drawn with more legible shapes. The result is that FF Neuwelt adapts from text to larger sizes and one stylistic mien to another with ease and grace. FF Neuwelt is a natural for interactive design, performing well on both large digital displays and small screens. Counters are generous and apertures are open, making them a perfect choice when setting text as microcopy or in short blocks where quick and accurate comprehension is the goal. Even the heaviest weights translate well to on-screen reading. FF Neuwelt also speaks with authority in large sizes on big screens. Equally at home in print environments, FF Neuwelt is a perfect choice for long-form text, captions, editorial, packaging, point-of-purchase design – as well as extensive branding projects. Its many choices of alternative characters make for a design that draws the reader in, without overpowering the message. Although he has drawn typefaces in addition to FF Neuwelt, Gehlhaar is primarily a filmmaker. Directing commercials with style and grace, his work includes spots for Nissan, Apple, Emirates Airlines and Microsoft. As a creative director, Gehlhaar has worked on a broad range of projects for Coca-Cola, MTV, EPSN, Volkswagen and more.