courier new - type specimen book
design area
Typography, Coursework
description
Type specimen book reinventing the Courier New typeface.
Due to its monotonous appearance, association to official documents (it was the U.S. State Department’s official typeface until 2004) and ubiquitousness, Courier New has gained the reputation of a “bad” typeface. Given its history, many people view Courier New as a boring, common typeface with nothing special about it. Therefore, my goal was to reintroduce Courier New as a versatile and interesting typeface.
To achieve this goal, I utilised a few design strategies to make Courier New seem more exciting as a typeface.
bright bold colours
Since Courier New is often used in official documents, people are most used to seeing the typeface in black and on white paper. I wanted to change this visual association, by adopting a bright colour palette, bringing more excitement to each page.
dramatic compositions
Using different page compositions to create freshness and drama. This includes changing the placement, scale, rotation, and using different composition shapes, creating as little repetition and predictability as possible. This keeps the reader invested in the book and feels visually stimulated with each spread they read.
typeface appearance
The various point sizes, weights and leading showcase versatility, visually challenge the typeface’s monotonous impression.
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