Better Letters Together: Luke Freeman
Before and after success stories from TypeThursday (3 of 10)
Once a month in cities worldwide, TypeThursday raises the baseline on letterform design and use through friendly, moderated, group discussions of type-centric works in progress. Up to four designers present for advice from their chapter’s “type superfamily,” i.e., the letterform lovers and experts who gather to talk type over drinks. Here’s how TypeThursday helped one presenter’s work ascend.
(PSST! Ready to see your own work jump from the lower to uppercase? We’re growing — find out if TypeThursday has a chapter near you.)
Luke Freeman is a freelance graphic designer who discovered his love of typography in college. He spent much of his time poring over type catalogs, learning to identify typefaces by sight. During those years he also began to experiment with lettering. Fast-forward to today: Luke’s college interest has only intensified, and he’s graduated to typeface design. He brought one of those designs to TypeThursday London (TypeThursdayLON), in hopes that the attendees could offer feedback on its flow.
Project background
Grime Grotesk is a typeface named after a type of electronic music that originated in London. Over the years, the genre has developed a look and feel through photography, but has yet to establish a typographic identity. Luke wants to solve that: he’d like to offer Grime Grotesk’s two weights (bold and regular), along with style guidelines, for free to grime musicians.
What was working?
Luke replaced select arcs in the characters’ rounded counters with straight lines, satisfying a personal aesthetic that tends toward the modern.
What was challenging?
Luke wanted to know if, when set in sentences, the letters meshed in terms of overall rhythm and consistency of weight. He also sought feedback re: character width — did the letters seem too narrow when typeset together?
In a presenter’s words: Luke’s TypeThursday experience
After Luke introduced his piece to the crowd, the Dialogue Lead opened the floor to attendees to share their expertise and observations. At TypeThursday, group discussion is always constructive, revolving around form, process, tools and techniques. Of the experience, Luke says:
I really enjoyed TypeThursday. It gives the audience a chance to discuss their work and leave with something to think about. Events like TypeThursday are rare to come by … [they give] young people a chance to engage with [designers] they have heard about but won’t get a chance to meet…”
At TypeThursday, Luke was treated to something we don’t always get from a BFF, grandma, or the adjacent cubicle: type-centric feedback from informed and diverse perspectives. Our events attract everyone from professors to typeface designers, to even UI designers and illustrators! Some attend to listen. Others jump into the conversation. And all attendees, from presenters to observers, benefit from the open exchange of knowledge.
Letterform design getting heavy? We’ll help you see the light.
Been designing alone in a creative cave? Time for you to emerge from under the baseline and see the light at TypeThursday. Enjoy illuminating perspectives from fellow letterform lovers in a friendly and informal forum (in other words: there’s beer). Submit your work to a TypeThursday near you.
Get to know Luke: Visit his website, MelonModern.com
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