Hedera
Experimental Font Genus / 2023
The third and final part of my degree project took a different angle. Rather than pitting human against nature or vice versa, I sought harmony. The human sans serif font “genus” Hedera, with a standardized and minimalist appearance takes on a chaotic and organic life through an avant-garde approach to the use of Opentype features.
At the heart of the Hedera genus is an evolution that mirrors the natural world. Drawing inspiration from the resilient growth of ivy plants, the typeface exhibits an organic dynamism. As one types, the letters don’t merely follow one another but instead interlace, intertwine, and overlap. These dynamic connections make the text come alive, reminiscent of flora seeking its path, wrapping and climbing structures. It’s this intricate dance—a collaboration between the methodical strokes of human design and the wild, unrestrained spirit of nature—that defines the Hedera genus. Rather than adhering to convention, this genus of typefaces revels in its organic unpredictability—it was never about creating the perfect font for a resume.
Hedera: A unique typeface blending structured design with organic ivy-inspired dynamics. Experience the fusion of human craftsmanship and nature's unpredictability
Under the hood
Creating Hedera, while juggling two other significant parts of my degree project within a single semester, was a challenging endeavor. This led me to embrace a rapid, collage-style approach. Piecing together modular elements in order to create the letterforms. While, in this iteration of the font, Hedera only contains the 29 lowercase letters of the Finnish alphabet, behind the scenes there is a complex web of 442 glyphs. Each letter has dozens of versions and variants per font master, of which there are three. This means there are in total 1326 letterforms. Every keystroke triggers the font to meticulously select the one glyph made for that precise moment.