#21 TheSans by LucasFonts
Q1: Where did the idea for the typeface come from? Did you set out to address a specific use or suite of the application? Was this a design you’d had in mind for a while?
Ans: TheSans began as drawings I made in art school: a broad-nibbed pen based, low contrast design, with real italics and sparse serifs. It was the predecessor of TheMix. I developed the concept into a logo-font for a Dutch ministry, while working at a design agency in Amsterdam. Later I cut off the serifs and made a real family. Being responsible for font choices for complex corporate projects, I sensed the need for a family with plenty of weights, proper italics, small caps, different number sets and other typographic treats, which simply did not exist at that time.
Q2: What is the one or two most important things graphic communicators should know about the typeface, or how will the family of fonts help them create better design?
Ans: TheSans has a subtle humanist overtone that help convey messages in a friendly way. The beautiful italics have a strong presence of their own – and have also been used successfully as main branding elements. Obviously, TheSans combines well with TheMix and TheSerif. The lowercase x-height is consistent throughout the different weights to facilitate creating multi-weight logos. The typeface looks best with default letter and line spacing it needs air to breathe. The family has grown and developed over many years and uses advanced OpenType technologies to make life easier for users.