Font design that creates social values -  Andreu Balius
Channel: GRANSHAN Conference
Date: 2022-10-05

Type design is an activity that can go beyond the mere creation of new forms to supply an increasingly saturated market with typefaces. As a specialized activity, it can contribute to a more inclusive dialogue within the framework of our global society.
Typecraft Initiative is a project where type design and letter drawing aim to give visibility to the popular expression that is manifested through crafts. It is not only about designing typefaces but about empowering artisan communities, encouraging creativity, collaborative work and providing a sense of authorship to the people who participate in the design processes.
But type design is not the only thing that matters at Typecraft. Type design workshops are organized as a medium to achieve major goals within those communities of artisans, mainly women. Artisans are involved in order to link their skills and expertise in the process of creating letters. Design thinking methods such as ideating, sketching and prototyping are introduced into the process to provide a more efficient approach. Introducing design thinking provides a more comprehensive and wider view of craft practices and methodologies.
In this short talk, the process of Barmer Katab typeface will be featured. We worked with 15 craftswomen  in a small village near the city of Barmer, Rajasthan (India), with the aim of starting a collaborative process of designing a new font based on local textile crafts.