frutiger type specimen
Frutiger is a series of humanist sans-serif typefaces created by Swiss designer Adrian Frutiger. Frutiger was released in 1976 by Linotype.
Frutiger is a popular choice because of its legibility at small sizes and at great distances. This project takes a deeper look into the history of Frutiger while beautifully presenting the typefaces.
ideation
Frutiger was created for the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France, but has also been used in logos for brands such as Polaroid and BANDAI NAMCO. Initially, I wanted to create a book with my own theme, but as I continued researching, I began to gravitate towards making a book where the theme relates to the history of the typeface.
I decided on three ideas for the design: an airport theme, based on the CDG airport (where I luckily had the privilege of visiting in the past, so I had tons of reference pictures!), Swiss-style, based on Adrian Frutiger’s Swiss roots, and a Polaroid theme, based on the Polaroid logo featuring a modified Frutiger and colorful accents.
compositions
I decided to move forward with all three ideas and create drafts for each design direction for a few reasons: I wanted options, I wanted to try a style I never have, and I had some extra time on my hands. Each design was unique in its own way, so it only felt right to give each their own spotlight.
Switching back and forth between designs was challenging, but it was also incredibly rewarding. I loved all three of my designs, and so did my classmates and teacher. I received feedback for all three designs, which helped me ultimately decide on my final design, and I saw myself growing as a designer with each revision.
This was one of the first projects I worked on in school where I felt like I could really be myself and show my skills. This assignment solidified my love for print design, and has inspired me to start my own passion projects centered around packaging and booklet designs.
final design
In the end, I chose the airport theme. Having taken French classes for five years and visiting Paris twice, I felt I had a personal connection with this design. It was also my favorite aesthetically— I loved this color combination, and the graphics I created brought attention to the type more in this design than I felt in my other designs.
This 8x8 booklet contains twelve fully-designed pages modeled after the wayfinding signage at the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, France. All graphics were created by me using Illustrator, while the booklet itself was created in InDesign. Pantone spot colors were utilized this design. The front cover features a design that wraps around to the back cover.
Having completed most of my design education over Zoom due to the pandemic, this project was one of the first works I’ve ever printed. During the composition stage, I printed out my drafts and cut them up and taped them together to see how my design would look in person, and this process has helped me so much when designing for print. Having this booklet printed once I was finished was extremely rewarding and I love seeing it.
