Almarena® : The genesis of an agency typography, between technical expertise and a quest for identity.
The year is 2020. Almarena, a creative agency, is in the midst of redesigning its visual identity, looking for a way to stand out from the crowd, to project its personality in a strong and singular way. The idea is simple: why not give birth to an exclusive typography that would embody not only Almarena’s graphic style, but also the soul of its team and its work? At once sober and aesthetically subtle, this typeface could symbolize, in every stroke, the very essence of Almarena’s values.
The project for this typeface, which you know so well, was born out of a need for singularity, and was to keep us busy for several months. Up to now, we’d been using two typefaces: a main one, a serif, cut with a secondary one, a monospace. The decision has been made. We’re going to replace it with an in-house version, far removed from the existing identity: it’s going to be a linéale! And just as well, since Jérémie already had a passion for typography. A trigger. But beyond a simple creative whim, the agency wanted to create something authentic, professional, capable of blending into a variety of projects while making a lasting impression.
To imagine this signature typeface, we had to immerse ourselves in a universe of precise, meticulous influences, drawing inspiration from references such as Helvetica and Helvetica Neue. These iconic, timeless fonts appear as beacons: they embody the clarity, legibility and versatility that are, for the agency, imperatives to be included absolutely in the creative process.
However, the aim was not to copy a classic style. The team wanted to add a twist, a touch of modernity, a distinctive touch that would make “Almarena” a unique typeface.
Jérémie and Romain, the architects of this adventure, divide up the tasks: Romain thinks about the use and emotion conveyed by the typeface, anticipating uses and needs, getting ahead of the times to predict trends; while Jérémie immerses himself in aesthetics, devoting himself to graphic details, subtle curves and characteristic strokes. These different points of view helped the agency to adopt an identity that it would never relinquish, and which still suits it perfectly today.
The creative process begins directly on the computer, using Illustrator. No paper sketches, no preparatory sketches: Jérémie chose to go straight to the heart of the matter, pixel by pixel, stroke by stroke, on his screen. The creative process begins with the most complex letters – those with a strong character and severe expectations, such as “k”, “x” and “s” – whose distinct shapes will set the overall tone of the typography. Roundness, intransigence… The aim is to establish overall coherence, to unearth subtle, unexpected details, for a unique typeface.
From the outset, we wanted to create several weights – light, regular and bold – to meet different needs and adapt to different contexts. The “regular” weight serves as a foundation, setting the proportions and establishing a solid base on which the other styles can evolve. Each fat is created by adjusting details to maintain visual harmony across all versions. We also prepare a “Display”, also designed for more expressive uses, with an extra touch of personality.
Once the aesthetic foundations had been laid, the project entered a more in-depth technical phase. To design and adjust this typography, Jérémie uses Fontself, an Illustrator-integrated plugin that converts vector creations into usable fonts. But creating typography of this quality requires much more than a simple plugin; it’s a work of goldsmith, where every letter, every stroke, every space between characters counts.
Legibility is a top priority. Jérémie has to think about every optical detail, adjusting curves and balancing proportions to offer a perfectly homogeneous and elegant visual rendering. It’s not just a matter of overall vision; it’s about paying meticulous attention to details like the slope of a line or the roundness of an outline. Over the years, he has perfected letters that pose particular challenges, such as “g” and “s” (yes, him again). These letters, with their generous shapes and assertive strokes, become distinctive elements, bringing a unique character to this typeface.
Given the success of our mascot and the enthusiastic feedback we received, the agency decided to take things a step further 3 years later: to transform this typeface into a variable version. The appeal of a variable typeface is simple yet revolutionary: it allows weights and angles to be modulated, offering unprecedented flexibility. Instead of creating distinct styles, a variable typeface allows the typeface to be fluidly adjusted, from extreme finesse to boldness to adjustable slant.
But this transition also presented a major technical challenge. Jérémie decided to use Glyphs, a professional software specializing in the creation of typefaces, and took an in-depth training course from Studio Wete on Domestika (see the training course) to familiarize himself with every trick in the software, which had a few surprises in store for us. We think back to our “i” and “l”, which initially refused to follow the variations and weights. Long moments of questioning before finding that, in the end, all we had to do was “simply” add a few intermediate dots to the original shapes. This mastery is essential to guarantee perfect transitions between different thicknesses and to ensure that the typography remains consistent.
This variable version brings new freedom to “Almarena”. From now on, typography can be adapted to any context, any medium, any project. It becomes a powerful tool, capable of adapting to users’ needs while retaining its unique character.
Today, the Almarena has become the face of the agency, a symbol that embodies its philosophy, diversity and adaptability. Like us, it’s designed to evolve and adapt, while preserving its uniqueness and recognizable style. Its versatility and modernity are demonstrated by its use in a wide variety of contexts, from logos and posters to digital communication media.
Internally, we see it as a reflection of our team itself: a typeface capable of everything, of tackling the most technical projects as well as the most creative, of integrating just as well into the world of sports brands as it does into institutional or medical projects. It’s a work tool, but it’s also a source of pride, an emblem of custom-built expertise. And we’re the first to be surprised. Initially, this typeface wasn’t even intended for sale. Today, we see you using our creation, our baby, appropriating it for your projects, transforming it, transcending it.
Armed with this experience, Jérémie shares his knowledge with young designers looking for similar projects. His advice: don’t wait for perfection, but experiment, test and adjust over time. In his opinion, each typeface must have its own personality; it must be thought of as an entity in its own right, with coherence. It’s a complete composition.
For him, the very essence of a typeface lies in the choice of details, in the little things that give a typeface its authenticity. Inspired from his student days by the great Swiss masters of typography and the collections on sites like Behance and Pinterest, he has always sought to understand what makes a typeface timeless. La Almarena is in a way the culmination of this quest, a project that is mature, thoughtful, but also alive, always evolving.
Our designer’s passion for the art of typography is not new. It goes back to a study project that forever marked his vision of the importance of an effective glyph. This editorial assignment, for which the creation of a complete alphabet was mandatory, showed him how a typeface worked. At the time, he pushed his idea and integrated his very first creation via Fontographer. “Oldschool” you say? Well, maybe a little! When he published his typeface in open-source, free for all uses, the response was overwhelmingly positive. So it was time to take the plunge. His specialty was obvious.
What he loves most of all is research, the beginnings, that moment when anything is possible, when technical limitations are not a hindrance, when difficulty is a source of inspiration. The rest, the development, is more redundant, “a little less fun”, as he explains.
Today, we’re seeing a lot of new typefaces. Many look the same, few stand out. And, between plagiarism and inspiration, the line is often fine and abstract. What’s certain is that, when the limit of copying is not exceeded, influence is good. “Arial is no more and no less than Helvetica, copied and little altered. If you superimpose them, they’re very similar, almost identical. Yet we never compare them, we never link them together.”
This change in the typographic landscape is above all a trend that forces us to demand more of ourselves. If it’s accessible, and everyone’s taking the plunge, then you have to be even better to take your work to the pinnacle of perfection.
And as far as Jérémie is concerned, if any foundry, if any designers, have understood this very current challenge, it’s Violaine & Jérémy (coincidence?). A “Kobe”, a “Voyage”, is elegance, originality, legibility… BALANCE. A fine example of typographic perfection, in his opinion. And it’s hard to argue with him!
Ultimately, “Almarena” is much more than a typeface. It’s the graphic embodiment of the agency’s identity, a symbol of its values, expertise and adaptability. Today, this typography is a signature, a visual language that reflects our vision, creativity and attention to detail.
QUOTE
If you had to find a phrase to describe the “Almarena” typography, what would it be?