type design
publication design
publication design
Keen is a unique, three-dimensional blackletter typeface sketched by hand and then digitally built as a one weight uppercase typeface with 26 characters, 10 numerals, and 13 symbols. It was inspired by historical hand lettering and Milton Glaser’s typeface, “Kitchen”.
At its core, Keen has a blackletter base, but with its dimensionality, it is unlike any other. It has sharp points and angles, accompanied with bold blocks, which makes it perfect for display. Because of it’s unconventional and edgy appearance, it works well as a typeface for aspects of the entertainment industry with similar aesthetics.
The type specimen uses elements relative to film and music with stage and film imagery, as well as lyrics from Madvillain’s Rhinestone Cowboy. It is a song by an unconventional hip hop artist who had to work hard to get big, referencing a 70’s country song about the artist’s rise to fame. Rhinestone Cowboy and its concept represent the typeface’s potential the best.
