Meet Bentonova, a typeface designed on the shoulders of ATF Franklin Gothic.
Bentonova is a display typeface with futuristic details, intended for headlines and titles in projects inspired by technology, gaming, and science fiction. Grotesque characters are transformed with an illusion of depth by using consistent angles, fragmentation, and rounded square shapes. Inspired by Morris Fuller Benton's intent behind Franklin Gothic, a subtle stroke contrast is maintained for a hint of "realist" touch.
Inspiration and process documentation can be found in my Dropmark.
Bentonova's personality can be described as systematic, logical, and industrious.
Its occupation would be a robotics engineer (or perhaps the helpful robot created by one.)
The name of my typeface was based on ATF Franklin Gothic's creator's name.. Benton + Nova (new star) = Bentonova.
In my concept process, I explored multiple Franklin Gothic variants, and ultimately chose to combine elements from the light and bold concepts. My goal was to design something that wasn't too rigid OR streamlined. Inspiration for the physical appearance came from computer/technology components.
Letters were built initially in Illustrator and then refined in Glyphs. I gave careful attention to the angles in each character for overall consistency.
A comparison of details between Bentonova (blue) and the original typeface Franklin Gothic (red).
A glimpse into my complete character set. I am most drawn to the double story a + g, which stands out from other "futuristic" display fonts.
A billboard mockup with one of the personality attributes. Staying consistent with the science and technology theme, I placed emphasis on STEM.
A mockup of pins and a tote for a Sci-Fi Convention. Bentonova's personality is perfect for Sci-Fi themed designs.
A merch bundle mockup of "go Robotics" with Bentonova. I explored using my characters as a logotype for this design.
Bentonova's logical personality could build and train a computer with logic. It also has similar physical characteristics to computer hardware components.
