Utilizing the typeface DIN as a base, I set out to create a new typeface that would both contrast with and complement the original. I drew inspiration from my favorite place I’ve ever been (so far)—Big Bend and the town of Terlingua in West Texas. The area is warm and welcoming, home to an eccentric artist community, yet the landscape itself is rugged and intimidating. I decided on a slab serif, evoking a classic 'Old West' style that feels durable, solid, and familiar—qualities that mirror the toughness of the terrain. But because Big Bend is also incredibly warm and inviting, I softened the rigidity of the letterforms with circular, gentle accents to reflect the friendliness and quirky charm of the region.
My process started with hand sketching for my basic shape. When building in Illustrator, I used the 'I' as my base letter, I was able to build the rest of the letters with consistency using the shape builder tool. I then used the counters from the uppercase and lower case 'o' for spacing, serifs and counters of the letters. All corners were rounded to a uniform measurement. After editing in Illustrator, I then put my glyphs into in Gylphs 3 for further editing.
