GET INVOLVEDTo learn more about Chatype, visit the group’s website at www.chatype.com.To donate to the group’s Kickstarter fund, visit their page here.CHEROKEE INFLUENCESThe curvature of the arm on the R is one of several aspects of the typeface that was influenced by Cherokee script developed by Sequoyah in the early 1800s.SLAB-SERIFThe slab serif feature is a nod to industrial Chattanooga. “Slab-serif fonts were commonly used in industry in the 1950s and ’60s,” said Jeremy Dooley, one of the type designers working on the project. “It’s heavy and it has a lot of impact.”FUTURISTIC FEELThe typeface has square geometric elements, which are meant to evoke Chattanooga’s burgeoning technology.WHAT’S LEFTChatype designers still need to finish the following tasks before the font is finished.• Numerals• Special Characters• Kerning & Spacing• Webfonts
Chattanooga, like most cities, has its signature vistas, its signature homespun products and its signature hole-in-the-wall restaurants.
But unlike any American city, Chattanooga is on the verge of having its own signature: a unique typeface created by a group of designers who hope to see it emblazoned across everything from city brochures and local menus to bike lanes.
For the last several months, the designers have been developing “Chatype,” a typeface of characters especially developed from the city’s character.
“There’s immediately a vibe when you go to a city,” said Jeremy Dooley, one of the type designers working on the project. “The task is expressing that in a typographic form.”