Magnat: An Interview
Magnat by Rene Bieder landed at #10 on our bestsellers of 2019 list. With 36 styles ranging over three subfamilies: Poster, Head and Text, it’s ideal for everything from headlines to small text. We talked with Rene to learn more.
What inspired you to design this typeface? Were you designing for a specific use case or customer? Or were you more focused on a particular artistic vision? Or some combination of both?
I started working on the font shortly after I moved into a new apartment in Berlin. My first inspiration came from a sign in a shop as I walked through the streets in my new neighborhood. The sign was set in Britannic or something similar. I was also inspired by the art details in my new building which is a “turn of the century” building. From the entrance of the building to the doorbell, you see really nice Jugendstil features which I presume subconsciously were integrated by me into the design. I wanted to create a modern interpretation of Britannic with more weights and sizes. Which is why I choose to design the family in three optical sizes (Poster, Head and Text) with 12 styles for each subfamily. With its high stroke contrast, the family is well suited for luxury brands and the fashion industry. The text styles have a rough and workmen appearance which represent a charismatic voice very well.
Walk us through the process of designing this typeface. Was there anything different about it, compared to your usual process? Did it come along more easily than others, or were there unique challenges?
The design came along pretty easy. Maybe because this was a new genre for me, where extravagant shapes are allowed like the lowercase g or a, or the uppercase R, or the digit 2, which is one of my favorites.
Looking ahead, are there new projects you’re excited about? Anything you haven’t tried yet but are eager to explore?
To keep my eye fresh, I like working on multiple fonts at the same time — hence, there is always something in the making. I’m currently juggling between a geometric sans, a major design update of one my earlier fonts and a serif for display usage.
