Revolutionizing Typeface: The S6 Foundry

Award-Winning Brand System and Campaign by Paul Robb and Moira Bartoloni

With a nod to the works of Clichés Schwitter, Gunnar Lilleng, Max Bill, Bridget Riley, and Franco Grignani, the S6 Foundry branding system is a unique blend of optical art systems and signwriting techniques. The result is a modern twist on traditional design elements, creating a distinctive identity for the brand.

The S6 Foundry's unique properties lie in its ability to symbolize a new beginning. The brand's eclectic nature and the idea of joy and wonder in typeface design were central to the branding process. The goal was to position the brand for international designers and communication buyers, offering something new to the market without the traditional stereotyping of a font foundry.

The branding system was realized using Lithographic CMYK printing on FSC papers. The campaign interacted with audiences through both traditional outdoor and online social campaigns, creating a comprehensive and engaging brand experience.

The project, which began in April 2020, is ongoing. The design team, including Paul Robb, Moira Bartoloni, and Federica Simone, faced the creative challenge of expressing the dynamic attitude of the digital Foundry. Their solution was a bright and cheerful palette of warm colors and a distinctive form language that captures the spirit of traditional 1900 century funfair signwriting.

The S6 Foundry branding and its subsequent type specimen book were designed to create a joy of new typography. The designs were developed as a kaleidoscope of forms and elements to create the right visual consistency of the brand’s ethos and a new direction of commercial bespoke fonts. This innovative approach to typeface design earned the S6 Foundry a Silver A' Print and Published Media Design Award in 2021.