2022
Typeface Design:
Lovcao
Typeface Creation for The Chocolate Lab
Skills
Design Research, Concept Development, Typography and Sketching
Tools
Adobe Illustrator
Goal
For this capstone project, apply the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier Information Design coursework to design a solution specific to a civic project topic such as municipal service requests (311 app), municipal wayfinding, or municipal emergencies. From the chosen topic, develop a project plan and implement your design process to create the final solution.
Project Overview
I developed a customized typeface for The Chocolate Lab—a Canadian chocolatier that specializes in making luxury chocolate products that feed the human spirit and give its customers a sense of adventure with its creations without removing the quality and taste of the chocolate.
I conducted research on the company to better understand its values, visual identity, and overall brand. By finding inspiration, exploring the intricacies of typeface design, and sketching, I found the elements of my typeface that would match the youthful yet classy organization. Once the sketches were complete, I digitized my final sketches in Adobe Illustrator and created the full 26-letter alphabet of the typeface—Lovcao.
Process
Step 1: Understand the Organization
The Chocolate Lab is a Canadian chocolatier that produces luxury bonbons with the goal of providing quality and a sense of adventure through its unique flavours and variety of products. In understanding more about their organization, I created a user persona and chose 5 characteristics that would both reflect the organization and shape the typeface.
Artistic, Youthful, Eclectic, Modern, and Bold
Website homepage
Step 2: Get Inspiration
In understanding the formal attributes within typeface design and the character of the organization, I was able to select which elements would become a part of the customized typeface. Each attribute was meant to represent the defining elements of the organization.
Formal Typeface Attributes of Lovcao
Modelling: the exaggerated contrast and abrupt transition within the letters was inspired by the company's bold and colourful image while also remaining sophisticated and easy to read.
Weight: the medium to heavy weight of the typeface is illustrated by the combination of extremely thin to thick strokes of each letter which is meant to create a greater visual impact to represent the youthful, bold, and unsubtle nature of the company.
Terminals: the tapered and vurved terminals present in the typeface were implement to provide a subtle accent of creativity and fun that match the company's products without taking away the class and modernity they also provide.
Font Inspiration
From left to right: Bodini for Modelling, Playfair Display Semi Bold for Weight, Agoka Modern Classic for Terminals
Step 3: Sketch
To find the right details and explore the possibilities of the new typeface, I sketched out different iterations of the letters "o" and "n". The chosen and final "o+n" sketches would provide the foundation needed to create the word "handgloves" in the new typeface and shape the development of the rest of the letters
Initial "o+n" Sketches
Final "o+n" Sketch
"handgloves" Sketch
Final Inked "handgloves"
Step 4: Digitizing the sketches
Using Adobe Illustrator, I digitized the final “handgloves”sketch and created the remaining letter of the alphabet.
Font Inspiration
Step 5: Make adjustments
To create further balance and visual consistency between the letters, I printed out the typeface drafts and was able to take note of areas that needed changing based on optical imbalances or discrepancies. Then I was able to go back and finalize the typeface design.
Step 3: Sketch
