Notes – Luzi Type Foundry

Geometric Future

Exploring the Design Journey of Zeist: A Geometric Sans Serif Typeface.

Geometric sans-serif fonts have been prevalent in typography for many years. Their shapes are based on simple forms like circles, squares, and triangles. These typefaces are key elements of contemporary graphic design, which began in the early 1900s. This era saw significant shifts in art and design.

The rise of geometric sans-serifs fitted the trends of the early 1900s. Design moved away from decorative, expressive styles towards simple and practical ones.

At the centre of this movement was the Bauhaus school, a place where artists, designers, and engineers worked side by side. Teachers there encouraged people to break old rules and mix art, craft, and industry. They wanted designs that were clear, honest, and useful. Type designers followed this call. Paul Renner, for example, created Futura, a font built from simple circles, triangles, and straight lines. Others in Germany joined in, giving us Jakob Erbar’s Erbar Grotesk, Rudolf Koch’s Kabel, and Wilhelm Pischner’s Neuzeit Grotesk. Later, the story continued: in the 1970s Herb Lubalin drew Avant Garde, and in the late 1980s, Adrian Frutiger designed Avenir, both keeping the spirit of the earlier work alive.

Geometric sans-serif typefaces are easy to spot. They have a stripped-back look, with even strokes and letters that feel steady and balanced. They look almost made by logic. This genre embodies the modernist promise of a brighter future, as seen in names like Futura, Neuzeit Grotesk (‘new time’ in German), Avant Garde, and Avenir (‘future’ in French).

1922, Erbar by Jakob Erbar

1927, Futura by Paul Renner

1927, Kabel by Rudolf Koch

1928, Neuzeit Grotesk by Wilhelm Pischner

1929, Elegant Grotesque by Hans Möhrig

1938, Fundamental by Arno Drescher

1970, ITC Avant Garde by Herb Lubalin

1987, Avenir by Adrian Frutiger

But why do these kinds of typefaces remain popular when we have so many other styles? I believe graphic designers value the clarity and simplicity of geometric sans-serif letterforms. Understanding how they are built makes them even more appealing; that’s my theory.

Whether true or not, people appreciate geometric sans-serifs for their straightforwardness and relatability. I can relate; my first typeface was a geometric sans-serif called Buenos Aires.

Many type designers, including myself, start their careers by working on geometric sans-serif typefaces. Their simple shapes and symmetry are a natural starting point. They can look basic at first sight, but making a good geometric sans-serif is actually very demanding. The details matter a lot. For example, making the letter ‘O’ look properly round is surprisingly difficult; a perfect circle will not work in a font. It’s a bit like writing a minimalist pop song: there are only a few notes, so every one of them must be exactly right. If one element is off, the whole piece feels wrong.

If a letter must achieve visual balance and a well-constructed appearance, just mirroring it will not do the job.

This genre offers many options, especially in the last decade, with countless variations. So, why create a new one? For me, it’s about approaching this genre with new energy, looking closely at its intricate details to discover new possibilities. Without straying too far from my expertise, it might be my modernist quest in these post-modern times to find the ideal shape of geometric letterforms. Or perhaps, after 12 more years in type design, I just enjoy revisiting this genre with a deeper understanding.

Knowing the history of this genre is vital when starting a project like this. Geometric sans-serifs trace back to two crucial periods of Grotesque fonts, starting with early predecessors like Venus Grotesk (also see my essay about The Birth of Isola), progressing to Geometric Grotesques, and later transitioning into Neo Grotesque fonts such as Univers. Over time, the design has changed from a looser approach to a more streamlined one, resulting in a blend with the Neo Grotesque style. The challenge in this project was finding the right balance between geometric ideas and Neo Grotesque elements.

The Grotesque,
published in 1907, Venus Grotesk by Bauer Type Foundry

The Geometric Grotesque,
published in 1927, Futura by Paul Renner

The Neo Grotesque,
published in 1957, Univers by Adrian Frutiger, combines the strengths of its predecessors in a synthesis that is more structured than Venus Grotesk but less rigid than Futura.

During development, I realised that allowing users to change the font’s look would be beneficial, so I included four axes.

The Terminal Axis lets users modify the letter terminals, reflecting the evolution of sans-serif design. You can switch between angular terminals, which recall early sans-serifs, and horizontal terminals, the dominant style after the 1950s, typified by Univers and Helvetica.

The x-Height Axis offers a fascinating feature: the ability to adjust the x-height from low to tall. This axis is intriguing because it lets you explore typographic history. Early grotesques from the 1920s had a low x-height, mirroring the proportions of classical serifs. Over the course of the century, x-heights grew bit by bit and were tallest in the 1970s in typefaces such as ITC Avant Garde.

The Weight Axis ranges from Hairline to Black.

And last but not least, the Italic Axis allows users to adjust the slant from 1 to 12 degrees.

Terminal Axis; from angled to horizontal terminals

x-Height Axis; from Low to Tall

Weight Axis; from Hairline to Black weight

Italic Axis; Axis from upright to italic

Zeist is the outcome of this process – my quintessential geometric sans-serif typeface. It is inspired by the classic designs of the 1920s but aims to feel less strict and more relaxed than Futura. It honours Neuzeit Grotesk with a clearer and more consistent visual language, and it nods to Avenir with a more constructed appearance. Through Zeist, I hope to show that even within a very familiar genre, there is still space for new expression and subtle discovery.