Type Specimen and Design Exploration of JetBrains Mono

Typography • 3D Modeling

The Brief

The initial brief involved designing a multi-page type specimen booklet for a selected typeface, accompanied by a type artifact. The goal was to establish a cohesive theme throughout the type specimen, with the type artifact needing to incorporate the typeface and align with the selected theme.

The assignment offered two options:

1. Choose a typeface from a specific list digital type foundries that have historically influenced modern type design.
2. Select a typeface that addresses an educational, cultural, or political purpose.

Part 1: Finding the Right Type

The first step was choosing the right typeface. I started exploring typefaces on Google Fonts and Adobe Fonts, diving into the history and design behind each typeface I came across. My journey initially led me to Public Sans, an open-source typeface developed by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).

Public Sans stood out because it was designed with accessibility and usability in mind, prioritizing legibility, neutrality, and functionality for the web. Despite this, I noticed that many government websites still relied on Helvetica or Arial, but this pushed my interest into accessible typefaces designed for the modern age.

Public Sans compared against it's derived parent, Libre Franklin. Notice the w and l.

My research eventually brought me to JetBrains Mono, a typeface explicitly crafted for developers. JetBrains Mono solves unique challenges in coding environments, focusing on readability, clarity, and accessibility.

While other coding typefaces existed, many retained traditional serifs on characters like the lowercase "r" or lacked sufficient weight variations. JetBrains Mono's thoughtful design removed the old serifs in place of modern curvatures for better readability. It also supported a wide range of varying weights, glyphs, and languages. It was the perfect choice.

The highlighted features of JetBrains Mono on the typeface's website.

Part 2: Designing the Specimen

For the design theme, I wanted to focus on the all the potential use cases of the monospaced typefaces, from historical typewriters all the way up to code editors. But while featuring those cases, I still wanted to imitate the essence of a coding environment while still be able to highlight the typefaces's features and accessibility.

The design started with the front, back, and interior covers. I really wanted to highlight the distinct ligatures that the sets the typeface apart:

Mockup of the front and back covers

The interior design of the front and back covers

Next was the actual content of the booklet. I decided to begin chronologically with typewriters, blending historical context with an introduction to the typeface's features:

A typewritten-style letter on the left page, discussing the font's attributes, paired with supporting imagery on the right.

The next spread progressed further into the typeface's features, focusing on its custom ligatures and glyphs:

A spread showcasing the letters and symbols of the typeface on the left page and detailed information about ligatures on the right.

For the final content page, I embraced full creative freedom. I was initially inspired by the idea of a "4 Byte Burger", but I went towards the direction of making original ASCII art designs. I truly embraced the black flag of piracy:

Supporting artwork featuring ASCII art of a pirate ship and skulls, paired with sample code.

Part 3: Designing the Artifact

The artifact carried forward the blend of historical and modern themes. Naturally, the concept was to create a miniature typewriter that utilized modern key-switches to make a keyboard designed to look like a typewriter.

In order to get the feel of a typewriter, I researched several designs, both vintage and modern. The first iteration was just a simple keyboard design, but after multiple revisions and test prints, I finally arrived at a final iteration that I was satisfied with.

Blender viewport rendering of the final iteration.

After waiting for the final pieces to finish printing, I was ready to assemble the final piece.

All of the printed components laid out

The assembly process required some careful attention and handwork. To maintain the traditional typewriter aesthetic, I opted to hand-paint the letter grooves on the typewriter keys using a thumbtack and a significant amount of patience.

All the painted key caps.

The painstaking refining my painting technique on test pieces was worth it. The final assembled artifact was perfect.

The assembled artifact.

Part 4: Results

The final result was a really clean and cohesive design that showcased the JetBrains Mono's unique use cases. The spread highlighting art in digital piracy really captured the typeface's artistic yet functional qualities, and the 3D-printed artifact also generated a significant interest among peers, acting as a fidget toy with its interactive keys.

This project taught me valuable lessons about design and production. Always print extra components, as losing a key cap or discovering a faulty piece can halt progress significantly. It's the same reason for having that extra LEGO piece! Iterative design and feedback were key to making a well polished final product for both the specimen and artifact.