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Klim Type Foundry

Klim Type Foundry

Klim Type Foundry

Client

Client

Klim Type Foundry

Klim Type Foundry

Type

Type

Digital design

Digital design

,

,

Mobile,

Mobile,

E-Commerce

E-Commerce

Year

Year

2019

2019

About

About

In 2019, I was part of a small team at Springload tasked with redesigning the Klim Type Foundry website. Guided by Klims foundational ethos of "a thing well made", we built a site that puts the designer at the heart of the browsing and buying experience, while serving as a seamless environment to launch Söhne, a new font collection inspired by mid-century modernism.


We began with extensive research, interviewing graphic designers, creative directors, and marketing managers to establish exactly who is buying type, the role it plays in their work, and what they want to see. My role involved iteratively translating these insights into an interface that was uninterrupted and singular to the typography. We intentionally avoided letting tech overshadow the experience; design was always the absolute focus.


This gave us a unique opportunity to craft at a level normally reserved for print, which felt right given the immense detail in every Klim typeface. We established strict criteria to ensure the simple aspects shone: what does a single letter look like scaled up large, and how does a block of body copy feel at a standard reading point size? To bring this all together, we relied on the rigour of a CSS grid that acts as the chassis for the entire site, paying homage to classic Swiss design principles.


The new website encapsulates the elegance and function of Klim. The design communitys response was wonderfully humbling, and the platform won global accolades, including top honours at the Red Dot, Webby, and AGDA Design Awards.

In 2019, I was part of a small team at Springload tasked with redesigning the Klim Type Foundry website. Guided by Klim’s foundational ethos of "a thing well made", we built a site that puts the designer at the heart of the browsing and buying experience, while serving as a seamless environment to launch Söhne, a new font collection inspired by mid-century modernism.


We began with extensive research, interviewing graphic designers, creative directors, and marketing managers to establish exactly who is buying type, the role it plays in their work, and what they want to see. My role involved iteratively translating these insights into an interface that was uninterrupted and singular to the typography. We intentionally avoided letting tech overshadow the experience; design was always the absolute focus.


This gave us a unique opportunity to craft at a level normally reserved for print, which felt right given the immense detail in every Klim typeface. We established strict criteria to ensure the simple aspects shone: what does a single letter look like scaled up large, and how does a block of body copy feel at a standard reading point size? To bring this all together, we relied on the rigour of a CSS grid that acts as the chassis for the entire site, paying homage to classic Swiss design principles.


The new website encapsulates the elegance and function of Klim. The design community’s response was wonderfully humbling, and the platform won global accolades, including top honours at the Red Dot, Webby, and AGDA Design Awards.

AWARDS

AGDA Awards: Pinnacle, Website (2020)

AGDA Awards: Judges Choice, Website (2020)

AGDA Awards: Distinction, UX, Interface & Navigation (2020)

AGDA Awards: Distinction, Digital & Mobile (2020)

AGDA Awards: Distinction, Design Craft, Typography (2020)

Certificate of Typographic Excellence from the Type Directors Club (2020)

Type Directors Club, Winner: Communication Design (2020)

Red Dot Award, Best of the Best: Website (2020)

Red Dot Award, Best of the Best: Typography (2020)

DINZ Best Awards: Gold, Large Scale Websites (2020)

DINZ Best Awards: Silver, User Experience (2020)

DINZ Best Awards: Silver, Digital Products (2020)

DINZ Best Awards: Bronze, Digital Campaigns (2020)

Communication Arts Award of Excellence Winner: Typography Annual (2020)

D&AD Shortlist: Digital Design, Digital Products (2020)

Webby Awards Nominee: Best Visual Design (2020)

Kātoitoi Aotearoa Design Archive: Digital, Technical Innovation (2020)

Credits

Kris Sowersby

Client & Creative Director

Dan Newman

Creative Director

Zak Brown

Designer

Peter Dekkers

Developer

Mitch Ryan

Developer

Katie Day

Developer

Dean Oemcke

Developer

Matthew Holloway

Developer

Kanhika Nikam

UX Research

DIA

Creative Partner

Alt Group

Creative Partner

Quote

Typefaces are not just products they are tools, therefore an entirely different approach is required, when it comes to selling them. This approach has never been better exemplified than in Klim Type Foundry's new website. The site is the clear culmination of in-depth research, technical knowledge, and masterful design.

Luke Scott, AGDA Juror.

Credits

Kris Sowersby

Client & Creative Director

Dan Newman

Creative Director

Zak Brown

Designer

Peter Dekkers

Developer

Mitch Ryan

Developer

Katie Day

Developer

Dean Oemcke

Developer

Matthew Holloway

Developer

Kanhika Nikam

UX Research

DIA

Creative Partner

Alt Group

Creative Partner

Quote

Typefaces are not just products they are tools, therefore an entirely different approach is required, when it comes to selling them. This approach has never been better exemplified than in Klim Type Foundry's new website. The site is the clear culmination of in-depth research, technical knowledge, and masterful design.

Luke Scott, AGDA Juror.