6. Miyajima Modern
Typeface Design
This brief asked to craft a typeface that both conceptually and literally show a chosen location - mine being the Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island, Japan.
Henry Gadsdon / Brief by Studio Buchanan / 2021
Researching the 12th Century architecture that the iconic ‘Torii Gate’ is known for, I used this aspect of the Shrine to build a coherent, more contemporary, foundation to build letterforms from, rather than a more traditional alternative. This ties better into the monolinear style, to show a departure from sterotypical Japanese typography.
The Type Specimen for Miyajima Modern, showing the entire character list and giving more of an insight into keywords associated with this location.
To better convey the scope and usage of this typeface, this packaging for a traditional saké to be sold at the landmark utilises the simplicity of the ‘M’ and what it represents. It suits its purpose of being a display typeface, considering it’s monolinear style.