A lot’s been happening at Studio DRAMA lately. The London-based design studio – armed with the technical excellence of a type foundry – has been crafting custom typefaces for brands, letting them tell their stories through the power of typography. They did so for Glamour Brasil, Vogue Brasil, and now, for the largest animal welfare charity in the world, RSPCA. With every project, Studio DRAMA has been inching closer to a new phase in their creative journey – one where they function as ‘type directors,’ sculpting custom typefaces utilising both their experience in branding and their knowledge and expertise in type design. This has marked a decided shift in their business, as they position themselves as a new class of foundry, where the brand and its vision sit at the heart of each project. “We approach type design projects with a brand-centric perspective,” Co-founder William Richardson explains. To peel back the layers of their process, we spoke to Richardson and Co-founder Chris Nott about the making of the custom typeface for RSPCA, while they charted the exciting new direction that introduces them as the ‘creative’s partner in type.’

The Brand Identity – Graphic Design’s Greatest

In tandem with the magazine’s 2022 redesign, London-based studio Studio DRAMA crafted a pair of bespoke typefaces for Vogue Brasil, typographically exploring the unique harmony between two distinct concepts – vernacular and elegance. Having been tasked with developing a rigorous typeface optimised for both print and screen, Vogue Brasil provided Studio DRAMA with an extensive research document, the contents of which recalled and collated authentic typographic influences found in Brazilian culture – from art, architecture and design to literature, film, and music. Drawn to the emphasis of the country’s hand-painted typographic vernacular, they utilised the tactile, human impact of the craft to form the unconventional foundation for the bespoke typefaces, ultimately distilling each and every letterform uniquely with the rich cultural typographic heritage of Brazil. 

The mere-exposure effect is a psychological wonder in which people develop a liking or dislike for things simply because they are familiar. Because of this very effect, humans gravitate towards adopting pets that look similar to them. Thus, we develop a deep connection with our animals that feels more familial than we’d probably like to […]

Wild Pack’s New Branding Is Of An Elevated Pedigree

In a bid to pay homage to its roots and the production journey of chai-spiced rum brand SAWAI, the team brought Studio DRAMA on board to develop its n...

Studio DRAMA crafts identity for chai-spiced rum brand SAWAI

The chai-spiced rum’s branding and packaging combine visual references such as 19th century tea chests and Caribbean rum barrels

To coincide with the magazine’s redesign in early 2022, Studio DRAMA — directed by Chris Nott and William Richardson — was tasked with designing a typeface family for the esteemed publication.

How Studio DRAMA broke the type design rulebook for Vogue Brasil | D&AD Annual 2023

Studio Drama created a dualistic headline typeface family for Vogue Brasil to coincide with the magazine's redesign in early 2022. Both sans-serif and serif styles are encapsulated by two polarising ideas: 'vernacular' and 'elegance'. The challenge was to effectively combine them, creating an authentic outcome that embodied Vogue's iconic brand with the rich cultural and typographic heritage of Brasil. Designed with versatility in mind, both styles are equipped to give the Vogue Brasil team creative flexibility when using the typeface family.

Vogue Brasil Sans & Serif

The new look for the women’s fashion magazine is rooted in Brazil’s literary tradition and features a “timeless” new typeface.

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JKR branding gurus overhauled Mozilla's logo and branding system, leaning into green hues and repurposing a Shepard Fairey icon as an 8-bit dino.

Mozilla’s new brand plans to ‘reclaim the internet’

The free software community’s brand identity has been overhauled by global branding agency JKR, featuring a playful and pixelated revisit to the tech company’s iconic dinosaur logo.

Mozilla rebrand takes from early internet aesthetics, to move its cause to reclaim the web

Wild Pack launches with an adaptable logo lock-up system and candid flash photography – reminiscent of many indie food brands for humans currently on the market.

Studio Drama whips up wonky identity for Toff’s new dog food brand

Studio DRAMA won a 2023 D&AD Graphite Pencil award for Vogue Sans & Serif typefaces they created for the magazine's redesign.

Elegant Vernacular: Meet the Award-Winning Typeface for Vogue Brasil – PRINT Magazine

Designed by Studio DRAMA in collaboration with JKR, the agency behind RSPCA's new identity, the typeface communicates urgency and puts the society back …

Wilberforce Sans is a Bold Custom Typeface for RSPCA's New Identity – PRINT Magazine

We design type that sharpens identities, scales across systems, solves real business challenges, and makes every word unmistakably yours.