POOL TILE SANS

DIPPING TOES INTO THE DISCIPLINE oF TYPE DESIGN

As a seasoned typographer, I’ll be honest—the discipline of type design might as well be sorcery. Pure magic. So many moving parts. Display typefaces, however, are a bit more forgiving in their character sets and necessary polish. Thought it was about time to give it a try…

Designer Midnight Umbrella
Project Form Typeface + Specimens
Client Personal
Dimensions N/A
Year 2021
Pink background with a stylized letter A composed of dark blue rectangular blocks.
Close-up view of a swimming pool with tiled edges, displaying signs such as 'NO DIVING', 'SHALLOW', and 'DEEP WATER', along with pool lane markers and drain covers.

BUILT FROM A (SEEMINGLY) SIMPLE KIT OF PARTS.

You can almost smell the chlorine

The idea for the Pool Tile Sans design was based upon modular letterforms built out of tile that surrounds a public pool. There’s something charmingly utilitarian about the forms; the message is infinitely more important than the aesthetics:

No Diving. Shallow. Depth 4 ft-0 in.

The optical adjustments and nuances of certain letterforms turned this exercise into a larger-than-expected effort. That aside, it was an enjoyable puzzle to solve; an enlightening first foray into crafting a display typeface. The design features uppercase, lowercase, diacritics, catchwords, and ornaments.

A digital illustration of a letter 'M' and 'N' made with dark blue geometric shapes on a pink background.
Letter C composed of dark blue rectangular blocks on a light blue background.
Digital illustration of a dollar sign made of dark blue rectangular blocks on a light beige background.
A pixel art graphic of a purple trident on a light blue background.
A stylized letter 'J' created with dark blue rectangular shapes on a beige background.
Stylized letter M made of dark blue geometric blocks against a light blue background.
Graphic illustration of the number 8 designed in a digital block style with a yellow background.
A pixelated computer graphic of a blue bear's face against a light blue background.
Stylized letter 'K' made of purple rectangular and triangular shapes on a pink background.
Pixelated design spelling out the word 'PEACE' in dark blue on a light blue background.
Letter L made of dark blue square blocks on a beige background.
A stylized letter K made of dark blue blocks on a light pink background.
Stylized letter R made of dark blue geometric shapes on a pink background.
Digital blue number 2 made of segments on light blue background.
A digital illustration of a human chromosome made of dark blue rectangular blocks, set against a pink background.
A stylized letter 'T' composed of dark blue rectangular blocks on a light yellow background.
Digital illustration of the letter 'W' in dark blue on a light blue background.
Digital pixel-style logo with blue background and dark blue geometric shapes forming the letters 'DP'.
Text in pixelated font on yellow background stating 'EVERYTHING IS OK.'
Text on a light blue background that says, 'THANK YOU' in large, dark blue block letters.
A question mark made of navy blue geometric shapes on a light peach background.
Text in pixelated font on a light blue background that reads 'OH HAPPY G00D... FOR YOU'.
Digital clock display reading 3:44, with the phrase "Eat Pie 3.44 Time As Wek" written below in pixelated text on a light pink background.
Stylized text displaying the word 'DUTING' in dark blue blocks on a light orange background.
Text reading 'COFFEE MILK' and 'SOCIETY' in a pixelated style on a light blue background.
Pink background with dark blue pixelated text that reads 'HOLD ALL YOUR HORSES!'.
A digital graphic consisting of navy blue geometric shapes arranged in a symmetrical pattern resembling stylized flowers or plants on a pink background.
A geometric butterfly logo in dark blue on a beige background.
Minimalist abstract design of a face or figure using simple geometric shapes on a pink background.
A minimalist logo featuring a dark blue cross with rounded edges, placed centrally on a light yellow background.
A dark blue geometric pattern centered on a light pink background.
Abstract geometric pattern with dark blue circles and segments on a pink background.
Stylized graphic of a butterfly with rotating circles, on a pink background.
A minimalist, symmetrical logo with navy blue geometric shapes on a light blue background.
Pixelated abstract icon composed of navy blue squares on a beige background.
Stylized ladybug with dark blue geometric shapes on a pink background.
A dark blue geometric flower-like pattern on a light blue background.
A geometric pattern with circles and triangles in dark blue on a pastel pink background.
A pixelated abstract design with navy blue squares on a beige background.
Abstract geometric logo with navy blue shapes on a beige background.
Four navy blue circles divided into four segments each, arranged in a 2x2 grid, on a pink background.
A dark blue geometric cross-like shape with triangular and rectangular elements on a light blue background.
Abstract purple and pink geometric design resembling a plant or leaf on a pink background.
Minimalist geometric logo with navy blue squares and rectangles on a beige background.
A digital illustration of the dollar sign ($) made up of dark blue square and triangle shapes on a beige background.
Stylized digital clock displaying the time 11:26 with a light blue background.
A digital illustration featuring a yellow background with a navy blue arrow made of small square and triangle shapes pointing to the right.
Stylized digital illustration of a yen currency symbol on a pink background.
Graphic design featuring a right-pointing arrow created with dark blue geometric shapes on a beige background.
A digital icon of a question mark composed of dark blue blocks on a light blue background.
Digital illustration of a question mark made of dark blue blocks on a pink background.
Digital illustration of a dollar sign made up of blue rectangular blocks on a light blue background.
Digital illustration of the letter 'P' created with blue rectangular blocks on a beige background.
Pixel art image of two astronauts standing side by side, facing forward, created with dark blue blocks on a light blue background.
Yellow background with a large navy blue exclamation mark in the center.
Digital clock display showing the number 2 in a pixelated font on a beige background.
Two stylized navy blue arrow symbols pointing to the right on a light beige background.
Graphic of a stylized letter 'Q' made of dark blue squares on a pink background.
A digital graphic of a blue question mark made of square and triangle shapes on a pink background.
A stylized letter 'G' composed of individual dark blue rectangular blocks on a beige background.
Stylized graphic of a percentage symbol with dark blue geometric shapes on a pink background.
Illustration of a dollar sign made of navy blue rectangular blocks on a beige background.