Druk

I’ve always had a soft spot for extreme typefaces, and Druk just hit me right in the heart. When I subscribed to Bloomberg Businessweek back in 2012, I started to see spreads like this — a page-filling example of justified text, using only one word. I wanted to see more and wondered who was responsible for it. Connecting the dots, I wasn’t surprised to learn that such a joyful design had come from Berton Hasebe.

I think what this typeface tries to ask is, “How far can you go? How extreme in dimensions before it becomes ridiculous?” You cannot go farther down the path than that Condensed XX Super Italic — it is just plain awesomeness!

As much as I enjoyed how Druk was used in Bloomberg Businessweek, when Commercial Type released it to the public last year, I realized that my favorite use so far is the website for Space Matters. The use of the different styles creates a contrast and a cohesion that are just perfect!

It’s hard for me to write this review without simply repeating exclamations, but apart from wishing to see some more extreme styles on the bold axis (which might be physically impossible) I just think that this typeface is the coolest!

Tânia Raposo is a type and graphic designer from Portugal. She received her Graphic Design BFA at ESAD.IPL, Portugal and her Type and Media Master’s degree at KABK, Netherlands. She has worked as a graphic designer for the studios Itemzero in Lisbon and Atlas in Palma de Mallorca and as a curatorial assistant at the Letterform Archive, and is focusing on freelance jobs in both type and graphic design today. After moving around Europe and the US she has now settled in the Bay Area. She buys too many books, collects stamps that look good and wishes one day Nick Sherman will take her to a Monster Truck Show. This wish has been fulfilled!