From the Editor
Running a site like SI for as long as I have (well not that long, but you know what I mean) is that whilst the content is ever-changing, the way the work is presented rarely changes. I do try to make subtle adjustments to the layouts in every feature, but generally everything follows the same format. Today, however, I decided to challenge myself with the overall look and feel of this 2 part special feature on Mode’s exceptional work for Dalton Maag – I ditched my usual approach and spent a couple of hours playing around with divs and positioning and the end result, I’m rather happy with! I’m hoping to do more features like this in the future so be sure to Subscribe & follow SI on Twitter to stay in the loop. ;)
Big thank you once again to Phil @ Mode for making this feature possible – I couldn’t have done it without you sir!
Running a site like SI for as long as I have (well not that long, but you know what I mean) is that whilst the content is ever-changing, the way the work is presented rarely changes. I do try to make subtle adjustments to the layouts in every feature, but generally everything follows the same format. Today, however, I decided to challenge myself with the overall look and feel of this 2 part special feature on Mode’s exceptional work for Dalton Maag – I ditched my usual approach and spent a couple of hours playing around with divs and positioning and the end result, I’m rather happy with! I’m hoping to do more features like this in the future so be sure to Subscribe & follow SI on Twitter to stay in the loop. ;)
Big thank you once again to Phil @ Mode for making this feature possible – I couldn’t have done it without you sir!
Project Journey
Dalton Maag work with design agencies developing custom typefaces, and logotypes for large scale brands. The type specialists appointed Mode to review it’s brand and marketing material in order to increase their profile within the market. Whilst having a first-rate client list and consulting on some of the largest re-branding projects of recent years, Dalton Maag suffered from a lack of awareness amongst design agencies and corporate brand managers compared to their vast range of experience and quaility of their work. As their primary market was the design industry, our intention from the outset was to ensure Dalton Maag communications were ‘desk friendly’ and collectable and the kind of items we as fellow designers would like to receive. Essentially to cement Dalton Maag, as the ‘type foundry of choice’ for designers.
Dalton Maag work with design agencies developing custom typefaces, and logotypes for large scale brands. The type specialists appointed Mode to review it’s brand and marketing material in order to increase their profile within the market. Whilst having a first-rate client list and consulting on some of the largest re-branding projects of recent years, Dalton Maag suffered from a lack of awareness amongst design agencies and corporate brand managers compared to their vast range of experience and quaility of their work. As their primary market was the design industry, our intention from the outset was to ensure Dalton Maag communications were ‘desk friendly’ and collectable and the kind of items we as fellow designers would like to receive. Essentially to cement Dalton Maag, as the ‘type foundry of choice’ for designers.
Brand Logotype
The first step was to abbreviate the existing ‘Dalton Maag’ name to the first two letters of each word (DaMa). This is how Dalton Maag label their ‘product’ – the finished font files all have, a ‘dot DaMa’ appendix after the filename. Although Dalton Maag’s skill is steeped in tradition, being a historically important craft, dating back hundreds of years, we wanted it to appeal to it’s primary market of designers. The logotype whilst influenced by early modernist logotypes, is balanced by employing the use of a serif typeface, to reflect the heritage and tradition associated with type design that we felt Dalton Maag had to retain, so Dedica was used – one of Dalton Maag’s own fonts.
The first step was to abbreviate the existing ‘Dalton Maag’ name to the first two letters of each word (DaMa). This is how Dalton Maag label their ‘product’ – the finished font files all have, a ‘dot DaMa’ appendix after the filename. Although Dalton Maag’s skill is steeped in tradition, being a historically important craft, dating back hundreds of years, we wanted it to appeal to it’s primary market of designers. The logotype whilst influenced by early modernist logotypes, is balanced by employing the use of a serif typeface, to reflect the heritage and tradition associated with type design that we felt Dalton Maag had to retain, so Dedica was used – one of Dalton Maag’s own fonts.
Literature – Stationery
As type designers working exclusively with letterforms, Dalton Maag always work in black and white. We were keen to reflect this unusual characteristic and therefore all text on the stationery items appears in black to display the characters in their purest form, colour is introduced in a non decorative way, – coming from a distinctive ‘duck egg’ coloured stock.
The colour was chosen so that it would become an instantly recognisable element in the overall identity. Every time this colour is seen, because of the rarity of the colour tone used, it always going to be a piece of Dalton Maag’s communications. Foil blocking in black gloss and are used on the business cards and the letterhead to give permanence to the identity.
As type designers working exclusively with letterforms, Dalton Maag always work in black and white. We were keen to reflect this unusual characteristic and therefore all text on the stationery items appears in black to display the characters in their purest form, colour is introduced in a non decorative way, – coming from a distinctive ‘duck egg’ coloured stock.
The colour was chosen so that it would become an instantly recognisable element in the overall identity. Every time this colour is seen, because of the rarity of the colour tone used, it always going to be a piece of Dalton Maag’s communications. Foil blocking in black gloss and are used on the business cards and the letterhead to give permanence to the identity.
Literature – Practice Journal 2003
All printed literature is designed to be desk-friendly, a key consideration when asking people to keep literature. Previous incarnations of Dalton Maag’s communications material had been unsuccessful, and Mode highlighted that the reason why the previous brochures weren’t working was because they failed to demonstrate the typefaces in application, and therefore did not show what added value a typeface can give to a brand.
All printed literature is designed to be desk-friendly, a key consideration when asking people to keep literature. Previous incarnations of Dalton Maag’s communications material had been unsuccessful, and Mode highlighted that the reason why the previous brochures weren’t working was because they failed to demonstrate the typefaces in application, and therefore did not show what added value a typeface can give to a brand.
The brochure had to support the new identity and carry the logotype and work on many levels, it needed to clearly show the high calibre work Dalton Maag do, make type sexy, be an item designers desire, and sell their services to both designers and clients alike.
Four case studies (BMW, Mini, Telewest and TUI) were chosen to illustrate Dalton Maag’s services, and photographer Richard Learoyd’s black and white images show amixture of process drawings, onscreen type technology, and introduce who work at Dalton Maag. This image section is printed in four blacks again as a reflection of Dalton Maag’s monotone method of working, with a final layer of line drawings being added to show the font in application.
The brochure has text in German and English and its dust jacket is reversible, providing Dalton Maag with 2 cover options forit’s dual audience. As most designers throw stuff away, unless it’s beautiful, collectible and communicates, Mode had to ensure that Dalton Maag became a distinctive and modern brand of choice with beautifully considered and effective sales literature that’s sure to be kept by fellow designers for a long time.
Literature – Practice Journal 2004
Continuing on from the success of the first Practice Journal, a second was designed showcasing 4 of Dalton Maag’s latest custom fonts for The Land Registry, Thyssen Krup, Sneak Magazine, and Tesco. Rather than the more predictable route of simply reproducing the typefaces Mode’s design shows Dalton Maag’s custom fonts against a background of photographs by Lee Mawdsley relating to the day-to-day environments in which the fonts are used. Whilst demonstrating the properties of each typeface this approach also calls to mind what has informed the specific design characteristics and emotion created by each font.
Continuing on from the success of the first Practice Journal, a second was designed showcasing 4 of Dalton Maag’s latest custom fonts for The Land Registry, Thyssen Krup, Sneak Magazine, and Tesco. Rather than the more predictable route of simply reproducing the typefaces Mode’s design shows Dalton Maag’s custom fonts against a background of photographs by Lee Mawdsley relating to the day-to-day environments in which the fonts are used. Whilst demonstrating the properties of each typeface this approach also calls to mind what has informed the specific design characteristics and emotion created by each font.
Literature – Fontbook Collection_01
Dalton Maag have been designing fonts for their own library for a number of years, but the main core of their business has concentrated on developing corporate fonts in partnership with design agencies as part of a larger re-branding package. Following on from earlier work completed for Dalton Maag, to promote their custom font design services to designers, a similar goal was set for their personal work.
Dalton Maag have been designing fonts for their own library for a number of years, but the main core of their business has concentrated on developing corporate fonts in partnership with design agencies as part of a larger re-branding package. Following on from earlier work completed for Dalton Maag, to promote their custom font design services to designers, a similar goal was set for their personal work.
Font Book Collection 01 displays a selection of Dalton Maag’s own font library. Taking inspiration from early modernist type specimen books, we wanted to create a typographic swatch book for designers to reference each typeface set at different sizes whilst also demonstarting the graphic potential of each font. Vertical perforations throughout the book, exposes the design grid, whilst allowing designers to tear off settings.
This post is tagged Books, Branding, Communications, Dalton Maag, Identity, Mode
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