While the London Olympic Games haven't started just quite yet, the organization behind the next Olympic Games in Rio 2016 have unveiled the design process behind the custom font they've commissioned for the event. Created by a Brazilian team under Dalton Maag, the custom typeface channels the spirit of Rio de Janeiro, its people and landscapes as well as taking inspiration from the athletes' gestures. The concept plays around Passion and Transformation, coming up with a beautiful design that captures in a bold stroked font the very essence of said concept.
The process behind the creation of this font takes inspiration from the city itself and its people. The shape of the characters come from diverse elements such as the iconic pattern of the Copacabana sidewalk or the profile of the landscapes of the city. These little details are what make a certain design rich, it adds value by incorporating the city (which is really the protagonist of the Olympic Games) to the font itself.
The letters are written in single continuous strokes, with fast and fluid motions, suggesting the movements of the athletes in action.The strong contrast between thick and thin strokes was explored during the design process by putting brush to paper and writing by hand. The variety of the curves in the different letters has a unique informality, inspired by the joyfulness of the Brazilian people. All in all it's a beautiful font that certainly captures the spirit of Rio de Janeiro. The process pictures are always a nice source of inspiration as it gives a little insight on the actual evolution of the design.
