Since I first started researching what makes an effective specimen, my hypothesis has been that specimens are tools and users have tasks, especially for digital specimens. After close to 60 hours of talking to people over the last six weeks, I've encountered the same challenge I had six years when I first started this research – people who choose and use fonts have a hard time explaining how they go about doing it.
A project about type specimens:
what they are; how they are used; and who makes them.
Type Specimens is a research & design project, a publication, and a community resource. Read more about the project, browse the list of curated specimens, or sign up for the weekly newsletter
THE SPECIMENS DIGEST
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Panorama
An exploratory interface allows the user to navigate the design space. An imaginative use of navigational devices and layout.
Blanchard Collection
A specimen disarming in its simplicity. Just a paragraph of content simply set in the two available styles sit below a brief introduction. The digital specimen is bolstered by a comprehensive PDF, and a lengthy story of the origins, design, and development of the typeface.
Pensum Sans
A fairly standard looking specimen, but it's enriched with content of its creation written by the designer.