You do not need to know the difference between a shoulder and a spur to commission a custom typeface. You need to know your brand, your audience and where the letters must work. The designer’s job is to turn those needs into a practical visual voice—not test whether you swallowed a typography dictionary before the meeting. A good project begins with conversation. A bad one usually begins with “Make it pop.”
Start with the problem
“We need a font” is a solution pretending to be a brief.
Begin one step earlier. What is not working?
- Does the brand look too similar to its competitors?
- Is the current font difficult to licence across a growing team?
- Does the packaging need more character?
- Does the campaign typography feel disconnected from the logo?
- Are you forcing several fonts to perform one job badly?
A clear problem gives the typeface a purpose. Without one, everyone ends up discussing whether the lowercase g feels “more Thursday”.
Decide where it needs to work
A film title, an app interface and a cereal box ask very different things of a typeface.
List the real applications: packaging, posters, social media, broadcast graphics, websites, apps, signage, presentations or internal documents. Include the smallest and largest sizes. Mention any software or production systems the team already uses.
This determines whether you need an expressive display face, a hardworking text family or something between the two.
Find the right designer
Look beyond polished alphabets. Look for judgement.
Does the designer understand branding? Can they explain why a shape works, not merely show that it looks attractive? Have they made fonts that survive outside a specimen image?
Large type studios can be the right partners for enterprise projects with many scripts, markets and technical teams. But size is not quality in a nicer jacket. For a focused brand font, working directly with an experienced independent designer can mean clearer communication, quicker decisions and more of the budget going into the work itself.
You should know who is actually drawing the letters.
Agree the scope before the style
The scope should set out:
- Character set and languages
- Number of weights or styles
- OpenType features and alternates
- Required desktop and web formats
- Applications and technical testing
- Presentation and approval stages
- Number of revision rounds
- Schedule and delivery dates
- Licence, exclusivity and ownership terms
This is not bureaucracy. It is how both sides know when the job is finished.
Build the creative direction
Useful references are not limited to other fonts. Bring packaging, photographs, signs, materials, films, clothing, album covers or objects that capture the right atmosphere.
Then explain why.
“We like this” is taste. “We like the confidence, uneven rhythm and industrial texture” is direction.
It is equally useful to show what the typeface must avoid. Too luxurious. Too childish. Too technical. Too much like the competition. Rejection can be surprisingly productive.
Approve a direction, not a complete alphabet
Early concepts should test the most revealing characters and a few real words. There is little sense drawing every punctuation mark before agreeing whether the fundamental voice is right.
Once a direction is chosen, the character set expands. Spacing and kerning are refined. The font is tested in actual layouts rather than admired in isolation.
Use your real copy. A typeface intended for a streaming platform should be tested on programme titles and interface labels, not “Hamburgefonts” forever.
Plan feedback properly
Choose one person to collect comments. Ten separate opinions arriving over six days do not create collaboration. They create weather.
Good feedback connects observation to purpose:
- “The narrow capitals disappear on small packaging.”
- “The numerals feel too formal for the audience.”
- “The alternate A is closer to the confident direction we approved.”
“Not sure” is allowed. It just needs a conversation.
Know what will be delivered
Final delivery may include OTF or TTF desktop fonts, WOFF or WOFF2 webfonts, a specimen, usage notes and the agreed licence. Source files are a separate deliverable and should be discussed rather than assumed.
Before launch, confirm that the fonts have been tested in the software and environments that matter to your team.
The best commissioning process is direct
A custom typeface does not need theatre. It needs a clear problem, honest feedback and a designer who listens before drawing.
Bring me the brief, the half-brief or the thing that is currently annoying everyone. We can work out the right scope together. Commission a custom typeface with Simon Stratford.
Written by Simon Stratford, type designer and graphic designer. These are my opinions, reached after too little sleep and too much coffee. You can also follow my antics on @itsmesimonok, or leave a comment below. Despite all the opinions, I’m actually quite nice.