Case studies

The Swiss American Grotesk

Synergising human and AI strengths, NN Swinton and its development are far from the expected. Crafted by Nouvelle Noire Type Foundry, the grotesque promises a touch of magic with its sharply-cut letterforms. Taking a unique approach in its introduction, Swinton is accompanied by a fictional backstory, a creation brought to life with the help of AI. Told with the help of ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion, Nouvelle Noire recount the ambitions of fictional designer Cram Zord, who built NN Swinton with a standardised look but incorporated the type with unexpected details, sparking joy and enchantment among those who use it.

Are CG products having a moment?

Interviews

The Designers

Our interview series The Designers delves deep into the world’s leading design studios through a series of in-depth conversations with the individuals that make them tick. For the thirty-eight instalment, we had a cheery and motivating chat with Vanessa Hopkins from Koto NY, who unpacks some of the major hurdles and celebrates the big wins of her career so far. As a member of a young studio, she tells us about not only her own growth as a creative in the world of branding, but also that of the studio and the people around her. As part of her life (both inside and outside her role) she delves into the ways she maintains her passion for design, while effectively managing the pressures of daily work and meeting deadlines. Furthermore, Hopkins candidly discusses her experience in overcoming imposter syndrome, the invaluable impact of mentors on her growth as a designer, and her favourite ways to chill out outside of work.

9 identities for education platforms, institutions and tools

Mockups

“I’m a Senior Designer now and can report that I still get that imposter feeling every once in a while.”

Vanessa Hopkins, Koto
14th March 2024

Books

The Interviews: Volume One

The Interviews: Volume One documents The Brand Identity’s first 57 interviews with designers and studios from all around the world; including the original conversation as well as a new reflection on how their work, process and practice has evolved.

Featuring interviews from 2015-2018 with COLLINS, DesignStudio, Vrints-Kolsteren, DIA, Fuzzco, Spin, PORTO ROCHA and many more, the book also includes four new interviews with Actual Source, SocioDesign, StudioSmall and Soft Power.

What’s happening at TBI?

• The Process Five is in the works, featuring lots of our favourite projects from the last year.

• We’re rebuilding the submission process for our features, with better advertising options for designers, agencies and type foundries.

• We redid all of the product imagery for our store, switching from a black to a light grey background.

Jobs

Useful links

• Apply for a project feature

• Apply for an interview

• Apply for a typeface feature

• Post a job

• Visit our directory

• Search for inspiration

• Visit our store