Darden Studio has just extended the Grotesque Sans typefaces

Halyard’s personality is at once familiar and pleasingly distinctive” writes Joshua Darden, the man responsible for a typeface which looks familiar for a reason. “Halyard’s familiarity results from cherry-picked elements of classic designs of the 19th and early 20th centuries by Schelter+Giesecke, Miller and Richard, and Morris Fuller Benton. Distinctiveness is achieved by bringing an almost impetuous vigor to Halyard’s shapes and through a willingness to adapt surprising historical forms into genuinely useful ones, which is so characteristic of Darden Studio designs” explains the typographer.

“Halyard radically extends the typographic utility of the now hyper ubiquitous category: the Grotesque Sans. Each of Halyard’s subfamilies were purpose built to perform optimally at its intended optical size. While starkly different in appearance, when seen together, the Halyard superfamily maintains a consistent personality at their intended size creating the impression of a single type design. The Halyard superfamily is beautifully robust and lively, ready to work at any size” adds Darden of the New York based Darden Studio which “pursues typography that is the result of earnest inquiry, appropriate for current editorial standards and technology, and rooted in the values and practices of five centuries of typefounding”.

“In an increasingly global marketplace, a distinct typographic voice is more important than ever – using good typography that will withstand the whims of fashion and embody a clear, unique brand message far into the future” claims this “holistic” studio and we oblige to approve.

“Design is an extension of the human experience — typeface design acutely so, because it’s present in nearly every aspect of our daily communication. We approach typeface design as a middle place between technology, language and aesthetics, we pursue our work alongside other activities which expose us to more of the world: drawing, painting, metalworking, gardening, stonecutting, music-making, reading and writing are as important to our office culture as evaluating artwork and writing code” says the studio.

Explore more of their work here