Designed by Daniel Perraudin, Fontwerk's new typeface West is simple yet sophisticated. Following in the tradition of a geometric sans serif, this font is sleek yet independent with its distinct characteristics. It's easy to imagine this font in numerous uses, from branding projects to editorial designs. The nine font weights included in the design, from Hairline to Black with matching italics, allow for a wide range of designs and complete design flexibility.
The following geometric shapes: square, circle and triangle, often fascinate creatives, not least those who design typefaces.
It’s therefore hardly surprising that many fonts that are rooted in these classical forms look rather similar. Although the construction of West follows in the same geometric tradition, it achieves independence and its own distinct character. It has a simple yet sophisticated formula: visually similar forms do not repeat.
Combining conciseness and pragmatism, it presents itself as timelessly modern but has its roots firmly planted in the practicality and functionality of classical modernism. West succeeds in reinterpreting the concept of geometric sans serifs in an original way. Behind its apparent lightness lie a multitude of different design decisions by its designer Daniel Perraudin.
In order to maintain a harmonious canon of shapes and to do justice to its construction and symmetry, he varied individual letter widths (e.g. a narrow a and s in contrast to the wide b, n and J). He emphasized this unique character further with unusual glyphs such as W, t, f, 2, the alternative forms of the italic Q, the diagonal endings or angular dots. The characters beautifully oscillate between Art Deco influences (e.g. M, N, V, 3) and more technoid, monospaced influences of the nineties (e.g. f, alternative r) as well as the classical effect of fully reduced geometric grotesques (e.g. t, d, g, C, G, 9). All together, these design idiosyncrasies result in a compelling, contemporary mix.
The range of West is also something rather special in the geometric genre: nine font weights ranging from Hairline to Black, matching italics as well as variable fonts that are all included in the Complete Package, giving the user full flexibility, which is perfect for branding and editorial projects.
Thanks to the exceptionally open “un-compact” finish, West is recommended not only for display use but also for smaller text or for wayfinding or signage systems. This has already been put into practice for the wayfinding system in the Old Masters Gallery in Dresden, where individual icons were designed, which were then adopted into the present fonts and adapted to the respective stroke width.
Project Credits
Download West: https://fontwerk.com/en/fonts/west