Type Design
Graphic Design & Art Direction
Resial Bold Condensed in use by Anton Ioukhnovets for The New York Times Magazine, Voyages Issue (04.2022).
Creative Direction: Gail Bichler, Design: Anton Ioukhnovets (30 Point), Photography: Andrea Frazetta (Cover story), Angie Smith and Kyoko Hamada. Illustration: Kyutae Lee.
Resial in use, New York Times Magazine Voyages Issue (04.2022)
Resial balances the functionality of condensed Swiss/German typefaces from the early 20th century and idiosyncrasies found while researching Latin typefaces in the Japanese graphic context. Drawn as part of Master in Type Design at ECAL. Supervision: Kai Bernau, Marie Lusa. Additional feedback: Alice Savoie, Matthieu Cortat, Malte Bentzen. Drawn at ECAL MATD. ©2021
Resial (Diploma typeface), Bringing together functionality and idiosyncrasies
Logotype, design and art direction for the release of Munich-based electronic trio Dear Tom’s EP II. “The trio Dear Tom takes its time. Time for detail, time for their music to evolve and develop. The three friends took eight years to finish the follow-up to their debut EP Kranich: EP II. Quiet, fast, simple and complicated, melancholic and euphoric.” Animation: Hanna Viellehner. Music: Dear Tom. Mixing: Phillip Nemmert. Mastering: GKG Mastering. ©2020
Dear Tom (Album artwork, logotype), EP II
Dear Tom (Album artwork), Golden Water Remixes
ephemera (Logotype and identity), Fragrance brand, Los Angeles full case coming soon
“Strength in Fragility” is a dialogue between fashion design (Anna Deller-Yee, RCA) and type design (Nicolas Bernklau, ECAL). To find intersections of two design disciplines, shapes are being explored and brought to life: from 2D to 3D, shape to object, printable to wearable. The publication showcases a common shape pool made up of type letterings as the foundation of the development of fashion silhouettes, woven materials and prints revolving around themes of selfhood, strength and vulnerability. Collaborative diploma project as part of our studies at ECAL MATD and RCA Fashion. Supervision: Kai Bernau, Marie Lusa. Project photography: Diego Fellmann. Credits: Fashion design and concept development: Anna Deller-Yee. Graphic and Type design: Nicolas Bernklau. Art direction: Anna Deller-Yee and Nicolas Bernklau. Illustration and artwork: Anna Deller-Yee. Typeface: Resial Medium, Bold. Custom fabric development: Noël Saavedra, Weberei. Outerwear pattern development: Victoria Böttner. Menswear jacket design and development: Anna Makri and Anna Deller-Yee. Exhibition design: Maxwell Ashford. Poems: Kaelan O’Neill. Voices: Sara Bastai, Kaelan O’Neill, Anna-Lena Krause, Daisy Suhwoo Park, Kilian Söllner. Photography: Anna-Lena Krause, Bea Puppo Amo, Johann Spindler. Stylist: Masha Mombelli. Hair Stylist: Linus Johansson. Make-up artist: Yoi Wan Kong. Models: Lulu Wang, Yanjie Zhang, Kaelan O’Neill. Hair and Make-up: Sonora Gregori. Models: Felix Sudbury, Danni Spooner, Charlotte Earl. Assistant: Peter Lynegar. Sound design: Benjamin Huerta and Marion Marquet. ©2020–2021
Strength in Fragility (Publication), Diploma project with Anna Deller-Yee, RCA London
Logotype for Studio Berkheim – a new contemporary art gallery in Southern Germany. Studio Berkheim shows, collects and celebrates young contemporary art from all over the globe. ©2020
Orbitea is a display typeface feeling somehow eco, somehow artificial. Historic, built from memories, but also contemporary and futuristic. Round orbits, imperfect circles circling around new potential worlds. Supervision: Marie Lusa. Additional Feedback: Malte Bentzen. Drawn at ECAL MATD. ©2020
Studio Berkheim (Logotype)
Orbitea (Typeface)
Given blank space for a public installation the artist Tim Bengel installed a living cemetery in front of Factory Berlin, bordering the former Berlin Wall. Just in time for Berlin Art Week and the 30th anniversary of reunification, the flower graveyard blooms into a garden of tombstones. The exhibition “Graves of our Generations” consists of 100 engraved marble gravestones, 10.000 flowers and 5 tons of white grit. The gravestones – all around the question “Why did(n’t) I live?” feature the custom typeface Bengel, which was specifically drawn for this project by me. Location: Factory Berlin. Photography: Felix Buhler. ©2019
Tim Bengel (Custom typeface), Exhibition “Graves of our Generation”
Label design for RUEI-01: the concept of a robotically recyclable shoe. “By conventional recycling, objects arrive at facilities as unknown entities, with no communication of ingredients, they are fed into shredders smashing objects to smaller pieces which are then attempted to be identified and sorted by countless, painstaking steps. Endless variants in object compositions mean it is impossible to identify exactly what materials are, particularly in plastics where sub-variations and full colour spectrums are present. This inaccuracy of separation results in recycled material of the poorest quality, unable to compete with virgin materials.”. Product designer Maxwell Ashford’s diploma project done at ECAL, completed with support of ABB Robotics. Photography: Nikolai Frerichs. ©2021
Editorial design for Maxwell Ashford’s MA thesis “Fractions”. A research project investigating recycling, the realities of today’s processes, what are the current innovations and future. Photography: Olivia Wunsche. ©2021
Maxwell Ashford (Label design), RUEI-01
Maxwell Ashford (Publication), Fractions
Phrase is a serif typeface with loose roots in De Vinne and French old style. Initially, the project started with my fascination for the De Vinne heritage. Shortly after, the aim was to make it more usable and contemporary, yet maintaining an interesting texture in text – stylistically somewhere in between De Vinne and Times. The family comes in five different optical sizes broadly positioned for editorial design use: Display, Display Condensed, Deck, Text and Caption. Supervised by Kai Bernau. Additional feedback by Alice Savoie, Matthieu Cortat, Michele Patané, Greg Gazdowicz, Kara Gordon. Drawn at ECAL MATD. ©2020–2021
Phrase (Typeface), Rooted in De Vinne and flavoured by magazine design from the 70s
Twirl was born out of the search to find new tools and techniques for writing letters. Based on a polar coordinate system its shapes live in a world built from circles. A stroke is made by rotating around a center point while varying the distance to it. In reality this is done by drawing onto a rotating surface and only moving the pen along an imaginary line crossing the center point. A straight stroke is impossible, a new principle of constructing letters needs to be applied. Supervision: Kai Bernau. Drawn together with Paul Christ and Romain Tronchin at ECAL MATD. ©2020
Publication design with Anne Seseke for the workshop of Jan Horčik, together with Ondřej Báchor and Malte Bentzen. The five day workshop was structured around creating new identities for territories claiming their independence. Through exploring the territory through google street view, the participants drew inspiration from the landscapes in order to design an identity applied to flags, letterings, mottos, posters, currencies and souvenirs. ECAL MATD. ©2020
Twirl (Typeface)
ECAL (Publication), AREA workshop by Jan Horčik
Logotype, monogram and visual identity for Amber Notes, a film production company specialized in branded short documentaries – founded by talented director Lukas Dong, Los Angeles. “Amber Notes are the moments that validate our lives. The moments that stand out amongst the tapestry of life.” ©2020
Amber Notes (Logotype and identity), Film production company, Los Angeles
human-808 is a modular typeface visualising and linking the sound of human beatbox and analogue drum computers. Its extreme style variations break the rigid pattern of the grid. Supervision: Matthieu Cortat. Drawn at ECAL MATD. ©2020
A survey of moments in history when social, political and economic systems change in parallel with typography. Typography is a substantial part of visual identities and thus a means of identification for countries, corporations and communities. Type can be used as a transporter of aims and values. It can provide orientation and a sense of purpose. Once you see a certain type connected to a particular era, style or area it immediately evokes certain feelings and tells you its narrative. It is a very powerful means. So on the one hand, whenever there is change, type can play a leading role in expressing this change and on the other hand, a new type can be introduced in order to cause change. Examples of such changes could be: A political ideology is associated with a certain style of type, a country switches its script from Arabic to Latin or a type design studio designs a multi-script typeface. All these changes are triggered by different intrinsic or extrinsic motivations and reasons: e.g. historical, economic, political, educational, aesthetic or modernisation reasons. In these cases type is used to embody these changes and socio-political shifts as a transporter of ideas. This thesis consists of three parts, the transition from Fraktur to roman, the world political topic of changing type through alphabet reforms as well as challenges in type design for a global market today with focus on designing for scripts someone did not grow up with reading or writing. Research project at ECAL MATD. ©2020–2021
human-808 (Modular typeface)
Critical Regionalism in Type Design (MA Thesis, écal MATD)
Lettering and title design for high-tech minimal producer Boris Brejcha, commissioned by &bitte filmproduction. Spicy Team: Boris Brejcha, Ginger Lemm, Kevin Kaczynksi, Max Fohrer, Mehmet Cetin, Stefan Dressmaker, Kai Bauer, Felix Hohagen. ©2021
Boris Brejcha (Title lettering and credits), Spicy (feat. Ginger)
Aufstiege (“Ascents”) light art festival organized by KulturRegion Stuttgart enabled visitors to discover flights of steps, vantage points, Stuttgart’s famous “Stäffele” steps, towers and other ascents from a new perspective. 37 light art installations from 45 light artists from 13 different nations were displayed. The visual appearance for this festival was created simply through a typographic light projection onto paper crafted steps. The night version (black), comlemented by a day version (white), build the main appearance of the festival throughout the whole communication. Designed with Tobias Held, together with Superultraplus. Sound design: Felix Buhler. ©2016
No other group of people is as far away from typography as illiterates. To bridge the gap between type design and illiteracy we interviewed experts from these fields. We found illiterates and conducted artistic typography workshops to create letters together in a playful way. By shaping beautiful letters the illiterates lose their fear of type and gain a sense of achievement. Supervision: Prof. Dr. Klaus Birk, Prof. Betty Schimmelpfennig, Prof. Martin Hesselmeier, Thomas Sali. Final BA project together with Tobias Held at DHBW Mediendesign RV in collaboration with Technische Akademie Schwäbisch Gmünd and Volkshochschule Stuttgart. Support by Arthelps e.V., Metapaper & DCT GmbH. ©2017
Aufstiege Lichtkunstfestival (Identity)
illitera (Publication), BA final project
Jazz music means regularities and irregularities. Different rhythm, different textures. Some defined restriction, certain improvisation. Various influences, yet individual voice through personal interpretation. Balance, out of balance, connection, disconnection, centre of gravity, about to fall, on-key, off-key, flats, blue notes, major and minor. The typeface Offkey makes these attributes its centre. Supervision: Radim Peško. Drawn at ECAL MATD. ©2020
Offkey (Typeface), Jazz music means regularities and irregularities
Custom lettering based on Phrase Condensed for de frakto, a short film by Max Fohrer and Josh Witt. ©2021
Kakushibori (Common Shape Pools) is a collaboration between type design and fashion design. Its aim is to enrich each other’s design process through creating a common shape pool. A dialogue to find intersections and overcome borders between two design disciplines revolving around questions like: How does the impression of a lettershape change when it becomes wearable? How does body language or a garment change when it’s informed by the shapes of a letter? How can the human body be a tool of change and transformation around language and definition of the word itself? Through the shape pool and by connecting with a different field of design, the way shapes are created are influenced from type to fashion and vice versa. Collaborative project with Anna-Deller Yee between ECAL MATD and RCA Fashion. ©2020–2021
de frakto (Logotype)
Kakushibori (Lettering, Publication) with Anna Deller-Yee
Logotype for vhy!, a vegan restaurant in Stuttgart, Germany founded by Timo Hildebrand, Tim Bengel and chef Christian Weber. Graphic design: Lautstark. Interior design: Birgit Martinez, DECOR+MORE. ©2021
vhy! (Logotype), Timo Hildebrand’s vegan restaurant, Stuttgart
Our aim is to celebrate the relationship between grandchildren and grandparents and encourage young adults to contact them, because they often forget to stay in touch. Our idea: Grandstories. We gather real stories from all over the world and give them a strong visual voice for the attention they deserve. We developed a display typeface with two complementary character sets to illustrate a typographic hug of those generations. Supervision: Prof. Dr. Klaus Birk. Done at DHBW Mediendesign RV together with Tobias Held, Viola Konrad, Tilman Koppert. ©2017
Logotype and typography for SAMPLE, solid shampoo and organic soaps by Margo Clavier and Amandine Gini. SAMPLE is the result of a liaison between designer and craftsman, aiming to create a local and sustainable product, packaged and designed in an ecological way. Swiss made in Valais. Photography, first picture: Adrien Sgandurra ©2020–2021
Monotype, Grandstories (Lettering)
Sample Soaps (Logotype and Typography)
Schriftkultur
Bureau Bernklau is a graphic and type design studio based in St.Gallen, Switzerland. After working for Jung von Matt and Deutsche & Japaner, founder Nicolas Bernklau is currently teaching assistant in the MA Type Design at ECAL Lausanne, as well as lecturer in Typography at DHBW Ravensburg, while continuing his own practice for international clients. With a focus on bespoke type solutions, a balance between established and unconventional shapes, the continuous aim is to keep a clear visual language and to develop sustainable design solutions which last longer than a scroll in your feed.
Contact
Feel free to get in touch to find a suitable solution for your idea. I am happy to help in distributing space, drawing, colouring and shaping your project together from (A) to (Z). Open for business, type talk and Campari spritz. Closed for sexism, racism and fascism.
+41 76 720 65 73
If you’re interested in using one of my typefaces (Resial, Phrase, Offkey), don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m also happy to discuss custom versions for your own project.
Clients and collaborators
Worked and collaborated with designers and clients such as (A) After Party Studios, Amber Notes, Anna Deller-Yee, Anton Ioukhnovets, Arthelps, (B) Benjamin Bichsel, Boiler Room, Boris Brejcha, (C) Centauri, Chi-Long Trieu, (D) Deutsche & Japaner, Dear Tom, (E) ECAL, ephemera, (F) Fondation Martin Bodmer, (G) Gymnasium Casimirianum Coburg, (H) Hannes Drißner (Spector Books), (I) Import Export, (J) Jeffery Lambert, Joanna Wierzbicka, Jung von Matt, Junge Möbelschau Stuttgart, Justinas Vilutis, (K) KulturRegion Stuttgart, (L)(M) mey, Maxwell Ashford, M.Giesser, The Monthly, Moritz Keller Quintett, (N) The New York Times Magazine, notwoways, (O) Office for Typography, On Running, (P) Party Chat, (Q)(R) R-GO, (S) Sample Soaps, Sara Bastai, Stefan Wittemann, Studio Berkheim, Superultraplus, Symplektik, (T) Tim Bengel, Timo Hildebrand, (U) Ultra Music, undbitte, (V) Verlag Antje Kunstmann, Viktor Rhodin, vhy!, (W)(X)(Y) yvjo Studio, (Z).
Typefaces in use
Anton Ioukhnovets for The New York Times Magazine, Daly & Lyon for Askeaton Contemporary Arts, Hannes Drißner for Thomas Mann Haus / Goethe-Institut, Mike Giesser for The Monthly, Plus Mûrs, Vrints Kolsteren for Arte Antwerp...
Services
Type Design (Custom typefaces, Custom letterings, Logotype drawing, Typography)
Graphic Design & Art Direction (Visual identity, Editorial design, Poster, Concept...)
Education
BA in Media Design, DHBW Ravensburg & University of Reading
MA in Type Design, ECAL/Ecole cantonale d’Art de Lausanne
Teaching
ECAL/Ecole cantonale d’Art de Lausanne
DHBW Ravensburg
Publication and exhibition
ADC, Actual Source Shoplifters, Arthelps, Art Karlsruhe, Börsenblatt, Coopers Union, D&AD, DDC, Design Made in Germany, DHBW, ECAL, Espace Arlaud Lausanne, Factory Berlin, Fondation Martin Bodmer, Galerie Rother Winter, HG Contemporary, Horizont, KulturRegion Stuttgart, Metapaper, Monotype, Novum, Oneclub, Sandu Publishing, Schwaebische, Studio Berkheim, TDC New York, TDC Tokyo, Technische Akademie Schwäbisch Gmünd, TED, The Moving Poster, The Brand Identity, TypeMag, Uncover, Verlage der Zukunft, Volkshochschule Stuttgart, Weltformat.
Awards and scholarships
IBK (Internationale Bodensee Konferenz) Kulturförderpreis Typografie 2022, Tokyo TDC Annual Awards 2022 Prize Nominee Works, Macau Design Award 2021, Scholarship Fondation Baccarini en mémoire de Pierre Keller 2020, German Design Award 2019 Newcomer of the Year Nominee, Uncover Designpreis 2018 Finalist, European Design Award 2018 Silver Award, Type Directors Club New York 2018 Certificate of Typographic Excellence, Art Directors Club New York 2018 Award, Art Directors Club Germany 2018 Silver, Deutscher Designer Club 2018 Finalist, D&AD London 2017 Yellow Pencil, 100 beste Plakate 2016 Finalist.