Harald Geisler

{{Infobox artist

| image =

| name =

| alma_mater = Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbach am Main

| notable_works = Sigmund Freud Typeface, Albert Einstein Font, Typographic Wall Calendar, Typographic Postcards Series

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1980}}

}}

Harald Geisler is an artist known for his typographic projects about the role of writing in society.{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/computer-fonts-turn-kafkaesque-einsteinesque-too-1433289438|title=Want Your Writing to Look Like Einstein's? Computers Mimic Handwriting of the Famous|last=Sloat|first=Sarah|date=2015-06-03|work=Wall Street Journal|access-date=2019-02-12|issn=0099-9660}}{{Cite web|url=https://qz.com/400213/a-new-font-based-on-einsteins-handwriting-will-let-you-write-like-a-genius/|title=A new font based on Einstein's handwriting will let you write like a genius|last=Quito|first=Anne|website=Quartz|access-date=2019-02-12}} He was born 1980 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany and graduated in 2009 at the University of Art and Design Offenbach am Main.{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/11585342/Write-like-a-genius-with-Albert-Einsteins-handwriting-font.html|title=Write like a genius with Albert Einstein's handwriting font|last=Williams|first=Rhiannon|date=2015-05-06|access-date=2019-03-11|issn=0307-1235}}

In 2009 Geisler started creating typefaces and since then released 28 typefaces. With an emphasis on handwriting he developed a method to design fonts that focuses on movement rather than outlines. In 2013 while drawing a font based on Sigmund Freud's manuscripts he started to store multiple versions of each letter in the font instead of fixed ligatures, and created a technique called polyalphabetic substitution that would alter between multiple versions of each letter based on the surrounding letters.{{Cite web|url=https://www.sciencealert.com/you-ll-soon-be-able-to-type-everything-in-einstein-s-handwriting-thanks-to-this-new-font|title=You'll Soon Be Able to Type Everything in Einstein's Handwriting, Thanks to This New Font|last=MacDonald|first=Fiona|website=ScienceAlert|access-date=2019-02-12}} This means that when a typist types, the ligatures in each word change so that they are not overused, giving the writing a more realistic look. The technique was based on the rotating barrels of an Enigma encryption machine.

His work is controversially discussed among designers and aims to engage a wider audience in a discourse about typography.{{Cite web|url=https://www.canva.com/learn/typography-designers/|title=Love type? 15 type designers to watch out for in 2016|date=2016-01-22|website=Learn|access-date=2019-03-11}} His projects are often financed through crowdfunding.

Typefaces

File:Sigmund_Freud_Font_used_in_The_Times_of_London.jpg

= Sigmund Freud Typeface =

The idea of the Sigmund Freud typeface is inspired by imagining a person writing a letter to his or hers shrink in Sigmund Freud's handwriting.{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2013/11/25/typographer-turns-freud-into-a-font/|title=Typographer Turns Freud into a Font|last=Sloat|first=Sarah|date=2013-11-25|website=WSJ|access-date=2019-02-12}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/article/you-too-can-type-in-font-of-wisdom-bp29xrqsllr|title=You too can type in font of wisdom|last=Dean|first=James|date=2015-06-05|work=The Times|access-date=2019-02-12|issn=0140-0460}} It is based on eight handwritten documents from 1883 to 1938{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-vahab/sigmund-freud-front_b_2972722.html|title=Kickstarter Project Turns Sigmund Freud's Handwriting Into a Computer Font|last=Vahab|first=Daniel|date=2013-04-01|website=Huffington Post|access-date=2019-02-12}} selected from the archive of the Sigmund Freud Museum Vienna.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/1672504/kickstarting-sigmund-freud-s-handwriting-as-a-scrawling-typeface|title=Kickstarting: Sigmund Freud's Handwriting As A Scrawling Typeface|last=Wilson|first=Mark|date=2013-05-07|website=Fast Company|access-date=2019-02-12}} in 2015 the font was used in the Times, replacing Times New Roman font in a headline of an article discussing the value of handwriting.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thetimes.com/sunday-times-100-tech/hardware-profile/article/analyse-this-7nzsfnqpt6t|title=Analyse This|date=2015-06-05|work=The Times|access-date=2019-02-12|issn=0140-0460}}{{subscription required|date= April 2019}}

File:Albert_Einstein_Font_comparing_handwriting_and_font.gif

= Albert Einstein Font =

The Albert Einstein Font is based on Albert Einstein's handwriting.{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/05/07/you-can-now-use-a-font-based-on-albert-einsteins-handwriting/|title=There's now a font based on Albert Einstein's handwriting|last=Feltman|first=Rachel|date=May 7, 2015|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=2019-02-12}} The font holds five variations of each letter that are based on manuscripts from the Albert Einstein Archives in Jerusalem. The letters were recreated using a digital pen to reconstruct the original movement that was used to create them.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2015/08/09/font-of-knowledge-albert-einsteins-handwriting-turned-into-typeface.html|title=Font of knowledge — Albert Einstein's handwriting turned into typeface {{!}} The Star|website=thestar.com|access-date=2019-02-12}} The project was supported by the Albert Einstein Estate and the production of the font was funded through a Kickstarter Campaign supported by 2334 Backers.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02t9b6r|title=BBC World Service - World Update, The font where you can write like Einstein|website=BBC|access-date=2019-02-12}}{{Cite web|url=https://physicsworld.com/a/the-10-quirkiest-physics-stories-of-2015/|title=The 10 quirkiest physics stories of 2015|date=2015-12-16|website=Physics World|access-date=2019-02-12}}

File:Conspired_Lovers_Font_Specimen_(Silhouette)_by_Harald_Geisler.jpg

= Conspired Lovers =

Conspired Lovers is based on Geisler's own handwriting.{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/new-font-based-on-albert-einsteins-handwriting-being-created-through-kickstarter-campaign-10227911.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220509/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/new-font-based-on-albert-einsteins-handwriting-being-created-through-kickstarter-campaign-10227911.html |archive-date=2022-05-09 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=The world's newest font makes you look like a genius|date=2015-05-06|website=The Independent|access-date=2019-02-12}} The design of the font is inspired by love-letter writing.{{Cite web|url=http://cn.idnworld.com/potm/HaraldGeisler-ConspiredLovers|title="Conspired Lovers" by Harald Geisler — 德國法蘭克福|date=2012-10-13|website=IdN™|language=zh-Hant|access-date=2019-02-12}}{{Cite web|url=https://page-online.de/typografie/conspired-lovers/|title=Conspired Lovers|date=2012-09-14|website=PAGE online|language=de-DE|access-date=2019-02-12}}

Notable works

= Pen-pals Project =

The Pen-pals Project was a historic reenactment of the letter exchange between Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud in 1932, discussing the possibility to "free mankind from the menace of war"{{Cite web|url=https://en.unesco.org/courier/mai-1985/why-war-letter-albert-einstein-sigmund-freud|title=Why war? A letter from Albert Einstein to Sigmund Freud|date=2018-06-11|website=UNESCO|access-date=2019-02-12}}. In 2017, commemorating the 85th anniversary of the exchange, Geisler reproduced and send the letters from the same location and time of year. Supporters of the project on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter received copies of the letters or addressed copies to politicians.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/evd8k7/fonts-reenact-einstein-freud-correspondence|title=New Project Lets You Reenact Einstein and Freud's Remarkable Correspondence|last1=Jennifer|first1=Noémie|last2=Garcia-Vasquez|first2=Marina|date=2017-07-21|website=Creators|access-date=2019-02-12}}

= Typographic Wall Calendar =

The Typographic Wall Calendar is a poster series about the notation of time.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/blog/creator-q-a-harald-geisler-of-typographical-calendar|title=Creator Q&A: Harald Geisler of Typographical Calendar|website=Kickstarter|access-date=2019-02-12}} It is compiled of the number of used keyboard keys that enumerate the year, laid out in a grid and read from left to right.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3039995/a-typographic-calendar-made-of-2015-keyboard-keys|title=A Typographic Calendar Made Of 2,015 Keyboard Keys|last=Brownlee|first=John|date=2014-12-17|website=Fast Company|access-date=2019-02-12}} The first print of the series was produced in 2009.{{Cite web|url=https://design-milk.com/2012-modern-calendars/|title=2012 Modern Calendars|date=2011-12-05|website=Design Milk|access-date=2019-02-12}}

= Typographic Postcards =

Started as a spin off from the Typographic Wall Calendar Series{{Cite web|url=https://www.postcrossing.com/blog/2015/06/12/typographic-postcards|title=Typographic Postcards|website=www.postcrossing.com|access-date=2019-02-12}} and since then produced 28 typographic cards based on the topic of writing.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2108133360/typographic-postcard-28-wish-you-were-here|title=Typographic Postcard #28 "WISH YOU WERE HERE"|website=Kickstarter|access-date=2019-02-12}}

Publications

= Designing Programmes =

In collaboration with Karl Gerstner, Geisler created in 2007 an updated version of Gerstner's "Designing Programmes" form 1964.{{Cite book|url=https://www.lars-mueller-publishers.com/designing-programmes|title=Designing Programmes at Lars Müller Publishers|date=2016-05-31|access-date=2019-02-12|isbn=9783037780930|last1=Gerstner|first1=Karl}}{{cite book|title=Designing Programmes|last1=Gerstner|first1=Karl|date=2007|publisher=Lars Müller Publishers|isbn=978-3-03778-093-0|editor1-last=Geisler|editor1-first=Harald|edition=five essays and an introduction, 3rd revised and enlarged by the author|location=Baden, Switzerland|pages=12|quote=Typography is an art not in spite of its serving a purpose but for that very reason. The designer’s freedom lies not at the margin of a task but at its very centre. Only then is the typographer free to perform as an artist when he understands and ponders his task in all its parts. And every solution he finds on this basis will be an integral one, will achieve a unity between language and type, between content and form. Integral means: shaped into a whole. There the Aristotelian dictum that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts is assumed. And this vitally concerns typography. Typography is the art of making a whole out of predetermined parts. The typographer “sets”. He sets individual letters into words, words into sentences. Letters are the elementary particles of the written language – and thus of typography. They are figurative signs for sounds without content, parts which acquire a meaning and a value only if they are combined.|editor2-last=Pabst|editor2-first=Jonas}}