Sixten typeface

Sixten is a versatile typeface inspired by the intuitive letter shapes of a four-year-old child. The project challenges our preconceptions of right and wrong when shaping the alphabet. The typeface questions writing rules, considering that they limit our natural instincts for creating letters at a young age. Interesting findings were discovered during the research. For example, there was a clear connection between the child’s drawings and some Phoenician and Early Greek letterforms. Sixten is a variable font that includes conventional and rebellious alternates. A child’s early handwriting has been shaped into a typeface without being childish.

We were looking for letterforms beyond the obvious. The character set includes many alternates for playful compositions. There are letters written backwards, ‘flying’ small caps that align with the uppercase height, and ‘flag caps’ with only one stem sitting on the baseline. The 12 stylistic sets with different alternate combinations helps in creating adventurous text settings. The type family also changes features from Narrow to Wide, affecting not only the width but also the skeleton of the letters.