interview with eric olson

Eric Olson is a Minneapolis-based type designer whose studio – Process Type Foundry – specializes in fonts for custom and retail use.

I recently asked Mr Olson to discuss his philosophy and practice:

JC: What is your training in typography?

EO: While studying graphic design at the University of Minnesota, I had very little formal typographic training. In general, we studied the mechanics of the trade-page layout, color theory, print production, mark-making, etc... For better or worse, I learned much of what I know about typography and type design through independent study.

My greatest resources for learning have been specimen books, typefaces, and other designers, not to mention trial and error. It was several years after designing my first typeface that I actually released a font. Although a digital typeface can be created very rapidly, I spent those years developing a solid understanding of letterforms, spacing, kerning and font production.

JC: Your typefaces – Elderkin and Process Grotesque, in particular – draw inspiration from late 19th/early 20th century grotesques. Why this class of typefaces?

EO: I didn’t consider either face on these terms. I’m a big fan of solid and straightforward typefaces with a little something extra to offer. The original grotesques have that extra something so their influence on my work is inevitable.

JC: Who do you design type for (i.e., who is your intended user or audience)?

EO: Because I was trained both academically and professionally as a graphic designer, I design what I think I would use or need. I work within the parameters of actual projects and think, would I actually use this?

I’m also interested in creating typefaces for designers who are actively shaping visual culture. The popularity of faces like Helvetica, Franklin Gothic, Akzidenz Grotesk, and Univers still amazes me. They are masterful faces, but they are also tied mechanically and conceptually to a specific era – regardless of their supposed neutrality. In turn, they have become out of place in current design because they do not reflect our time. Eventually, I hope to create typefaces for work that embodies our current environment.

JC: Why did you choose to distribute the typeface Indivisible free of charge?

EO: The face was an experiment. I wanted to see if people would actually use a free typeface regularly. I find monos really useful, especially for grading student papers and general utility so I’m curious to see if others will do the same. It’s unlikely that I’ll keep the face up for very long. It is something I made to amuse myself while working on larger type families.

JC: Who is your inspiration/who, among typographers or designers, do you admire most?

EO: For type designers my list includes Matthew Carter, Fred Smeijers, Adrian Frutiger, Gerard Unger, Peter Bilak, Jonathan Hoefler, Zuzana Licko, Peter Matthias Noordzij, John Downer – the list goes on and on. There are too many to name.

Many of my biggest influences, however, are within the larger field of design. I’m impressed with any well thought out, functional design object: American automobiles of the 50s, the furniture of Charles and Ray Eames, the posters of Josef Müller-Brockmann, the graphic design of Karel Martens, and the furniture and graphic design of Foundation 33, just to name a few. I am inspired by work that seizes the technology, opportunity, and atmosphere of its time, and channels it into a meaningful design solution.

JC: What are you working on now?

EO: Currently I’m finishing up a yet unnamed typeface based on the mechanical lettering of the Wrico lettering system. It will be my first publicly released family of typefaces containing a full range of weights and alternate character sets. Additionally, I’m working on a typeface proposal/commission for the Design Institute at the University of Minnesota to accompany the Twin Cities Design Celebration 2003.

JC: What tools do you use in font production?

EO: I try to keep things as simple as possible. All of my drawing is done in Adobe Illustrator 8. From there I paste directly into Fontographer 4.1.5. I use Fontographer for all of my spacing, kerning and testing. I always generate working beta versions and test them sometimes for several months. After I have everything tied up and I’m satisfied, I import the files into Fontlab 3 for hinting and final file preparation.

JC: What is your ideal type project?

EO: Something with a conceptual framework and relevance to current culture and technology. A tall order!

Process Type currently offers five typefaces:
(1) Elderkin - based on early 20th century gothics, (2) FIG - inspired by the FIGlet application, (3) Kettler - a revisitation of and tribute to Howard Kettler’s Courier, (4) Process Grotesque - an “aggressive” descendant of the Stephenson and Blake model, and (5) Indivisible - a 10 pitch monospace, which, as aforementioned, is currently available for free download.

02-August 2002