ANORA
Font Design + Specimen Design
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Anora is a contemporary readable blackletter inspired by the Rotunda script.
The project explores how blackletter can move beyond its historical and ornamental associations to become a functional typeface for contemporary use.
By balancing calligraphic rhythm with refined proportions, Anora preserves the character of traditional blackletter while improving readability for modern applications.
FONT PROCESS
The project began with researching the history and evolution of blackletter through references such as Fraktur Mon Amour and Blackletter: Type and National Identity. This research focused on understanding the cultural context and structural principles behind the script. I visited HMCT to conduct this research and locate the reference books in their archive.
From there, the design developed through sketching and analyzing the underlying construction of blackletter, refining anatomy, proportions, rhythm, and spacing through multiple iterations until arriving at a cohesive and readable typeface.
SPECIMEN BOOK & POSTERS
As part of the Anora project, I designed a series of six 24 × 36 inch posters to see how the typeface performs outside of a traditional specimen. Each poster uses a different composition and short pieces of writing to give the typeface a distinct presence while also serving as promotional material.
The project is accompanied by a newspaper-format specimen book that expands on the same visual language established by the posters. Rather than existing as a separate publication, the book continues the series through larger editorial compositions, with many of its spreads designed to stand on their own as smaller posters.
