Natasha Collie
Senior Brand Marketing Manager at Penguin Random House UK
At the start of the year, Ladybird Books approached Sonder & Tell with a dream brief. In 2021, a year that’s been particularly challenging for...
In conversation with
Writer and Designer
Writer and designer Harry Bennett has written for the likes of It’s Nice That, The Brand Identity and Creative Boom, sharing his love for design and words in thoughtful PR pieces, as well as in the brand work he’s produced himself. His pieces caught our eye because we’d been having conversations at Sonder & Tell – just as we had embarked on a naming project – about how typeface influences words.
“The typeface, its legacy, its design, its concept and its composition all plays into the expression of words, and that fascinates me. Words say a lot already, and the way they’re expressed can convey even more”, he tell us.
In this interview we delve deeper into the impact of well-designed words, what inspired Harry to start writing about it and to round it all off in fun spirit, he describes to us the typeface he’d use to embody the word ‘sausage’ – a word we all can’t help but love.
I don’t think I was always a writer, but I always liked making things and telling little stories in one way or another, whether writing skits with my brother and best friend, making up songs and poems, or making my own comic books and magazines. Most of the things I wrote and made were mainly for my friends and me, and I rarely shared them beyond that. I was, however, always a big reader, and English, alongside art, was always my favourite subject. So much so that I was flipping between studying Art or English at university – deciding last minute to take a more directly creative route. I went to study Graphic Arts, and (in retrospect) I was always drawn to the written side of the work – be it the conceptual writing behind the project, the text within it, or the presentation of the two. Now I primarily design books and magazines whilst writing creative and editorial copy. So, without really intending to do so, the two practices started to work hand-in-hand, and I continued that into the industry!
Words are everything, aren’t they! They make stories, express opinions, convey emotions, tell jokes, everything! And all these things are emboldened (or lessened) through their application, context and aesthetic – especially the typeface that embodies these thoughts. The typeface, its legacy, its design, its concept and its composition all plays into the expression of words, and that fascinates me. Words say a lot already, and the way they’re expressed can convey even more.
I think there are several significant things that brands misunderstand, don’t acknowledge or neglect when it comes to type choice.
Now I understand that brands have different priorities, constraints and situations, but generally, I’d say that they’re not super appreciative of the discipline. With services like Google Fonts and Adobe Fonts offering so many free typefaces, many brands now accept that as the norm, so the notion of paying for one is off the table. This isn’t great. Type design is an entire industry and field of study, with incredibly exciting contemporary figures and movements. Not paying for typefaces undermines this. Bring in young type designers, and pay for their work. End of.
On a personal note, I think that brands are mostly the perpetrators of graphic design trends, so often, they opt for unoriginal and uninspiring type choices. The problem, I believe, stems from how brands are now so directed by data. They’re fundamentally driven by SEO and data analysis, which means that they can see the success of one brand’s typeface, and rather than work with a designer that opts for a typeface appropriate to the concept of their specific brand, they go for the one which they can explicitly show the engagement and success of. Brands need to trust designers and typographers. That’s their job, and (generally) they know what they’re doing.
There are so many wonderful projects that combine words, concept and aesthetic (especially editorial projects like Bricks From The Kiln, Real Review, Weird Walks etc.). One project, however, that combines them so successfully is Extinction Rebellion. It’s incredibly powerful and very (and necessarily) striking. They understand that to make an impact in today’s world, one needs a distinct, recognisable and strong identity. Something to leave a mark and for people to respond to and own. This comes as much from the accessible, impactful copywriting as it does the typography and design.
“To make an impact in today's world, one needs a distinct, recognisable and strong identity. Something to leave a mark and for people to respond to and own. This comes as much from the accessible, impactful copywriting as it does the typography and design. ”
I’m very proud of my ongoing work with Elliott from The Brand Identity. We’ve been working together for over two years now. I think we’ve fostered a supportive, trusting and kind working relationship, where together, we’ve sought to celebrate the hard work of so many talented creative people. It’s a very positive environment, and I feel proud to be part of it.
On a more indulgent note, Oslo-based design studio Olssøn Barbieri brought me into a project that saw me writing a creative story for a progressive, environmentally-focused speciality coffee brand. Ticks so many boxes. They were also so kind and trusting, very up my street.
I got to write a poem for the London fashion brand Personal Effects, looking at the notion of being with people and the idea of being better together. At Studio Lowrie, we also got to design a t-shirt with the poem on as well, using the scans of my notes alongside the typeset text. In hindsight, it seems super self-indulgent because it’s my words and my handwriting. Still, I love the sentiment behind it, and I’m very proud of it, and my collaborative relationship with Studio Lowrie.
Mainly, I’m very proud of the working relationships I have with studios and practitioners. Having faced horrible, toxic creative spaces, I feel very privileged to routinely work with very considerate, talented and caring people. So shout out to Regular Practice, It’s Nice That, Creative Boom, Anyways, Dothings, Justified, Nari, Femme Type, and so many more, including those I’ve mentioned earlier!
There are lots of words I like! Suzie Dent has some outstanding books with loads of fascinating words and the stories behind them, which I’d really recommend people read (such as scurryfunging, what a term). But I love the word Sausage. It’s so fun to say; I’ve always found it funny. So I’d love to make a typeface based on sausages. I think it would look something like Pangram Sans Rounded, a phenomenal typeface.
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