Klim Type Foundry

Sowersby, born in 1981,{{cite web|url=http://www.adcyoungguns.org/enter/winners8/?id=103 |title=ADC Young Guns ® | ADC Young Guns 8 Winners |publisher=Adcyoungguns.org |access-date=2012-07-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120720011801/http://www.adcyoungguns.org/enter/winners8/?id=103 |archive-date=2012-07-20 }} graduated from the Wanganui School of Design in 2003. 'Feijoa', his first retail typeface, was released in 2007, followed by 'National'. National first gained him international recognition, winning a Type Directors Club award in 2008.{{cite web|url=http://www.tdc.org/news/2008Results/National.html |title=Type Directors Club : News : TDC2 2008 Results : National |publisher=Tdc.org |access-date=2012-07-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531003347/http://www.tdc.org/news/2008Results/National.html |archive-date=2012-05-31 }} His typefaces 'Hardys' and 'Serrano' won the same recognition in 2009.{{cite web|url=http://tdc.org/tdc2-2009-winners/ |title=TDC2 2009 Winners | Type Directors Club |publisher=Tdc.org |access-date=2012-07-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717071105/http://tdc.org/tdc2-2009-winners/ |archive-date=2012-07-17 }} Sowersby has collaborated with other notable designers, including Christian Schwartz and Erik Spiekermann in the design of 'FF Meta Serif'.{{Cite web |title=Eye Magazine {{!}} Feature {{!}} Reputations: Kris Sowersby |url=https://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/reputations-kris-sowersby |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=Eye Magazine |language=en}}

Sowerby's lettering also appears in the logos for the Harvard Business Review{{cite web|last=|first=|date=17 December 2011|title=Harvard Business Review|url=http://klim.co.nz/lettering_hbr.php|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217050845/http://klim.co.nz/lettering_hbr.php|archive-date=December 17, 2011|access-date=February 14, 2012|website=klim.co.nz}} and the Bank of New Zealand.{{cite web|last=|first=|date=1 January 2012|title=Bank of New Zealand|url=http://klim.co.nz/lettering_bnz.php|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120101163027/http://www.klim.co.nz/lettering_bnz.php|archive-date=January 1, 2012|access-date=February 14, 2012|website=www.klim.co.nz}}

In 2015 Sowersby created a custom typeface for Tourism New Zealand with Rangi Kipa, Philip Kelly and Karl Wixon.{{cite web|title=Pure Pākati - carved from the land|url=http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/274164/pure-pakati-carved-from-the-land|website=Radio New Zealand |access-date=11 October 2015|date=20 May 2015}}{{cite web|title=Pure Pākati Design Information|url=https://klim.co.nz/blog/pure-pakati-design-information/|website=Klim.co.nz|access-date=11 October 2015|date=20 May 2015}} Sowersby devised letterforms which were carved on blocks of kauri by Kipa, which were then inked, printed and digitised to create the typeface.{{cite web|last1=Wood|first1=Alan|title=100% Pure NZ to get a refresh at Trenz tourism conference|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/68558932/100-Pure-NZ-to-get-a-refresh-at-Trenz-tourism-conference|website=Stuff |access-date=11 October 2015|date=15 May 2015}}

In 2014 Sowersby was commissioned to produce a new custom typeface, 'Financier', for the redesign of the business and economics daily newspaper, the Financial Times.{{cite web|last1=Garcia|first1=Mario|title=Financial Times: A classic redesign for the digital age|url=http://www.poynter.org/news/mediawire/269613/financial-times-a-classic-redesign-for-the-digital-age/|website=Poynter.org|access-date=11 October 2015|date=15 September 2014}} The Financial Times' head of design stated that the paper wanted "an elegant, authoritative serif with the versatility to handle news and features stories (in the arts, science and sport, as well as finance)" and a connection to its 'British heritage'. Sowersby has noted that he looked to typefaces by Eric Gill in his research for the new typeface.{{cite web|last1=Sowersby|first1=Kris|title=Financier Design Information|url=https://klim.co.nz/blog/financier-design-information/|website=Klim|access-date=11 October 2015|date=15 September 2014}}

'Financier' was awarded a gold pin in New Zealand's Best Awards in 2015.{{cite web|title=Klim Type Foundry and The Financial Times. Financier Typeface Family|url=http://bestawards.co.nz/entries/graphic/financier-typeface-family/|website=Best Awards|access-date=11 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019002745/http://bestawards.co.nz/entries/graphic/financier-typeface-family/|archive-date=19 October 2015|url-status=dead}}

In 2012 Sowersby was commissioned, with design company Designworks, to create custom lettering for New Zealand carrier Air New Zealand.{{cite web|title=Air New Zealand's distinctive aircraft tails go black|url=http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/press-release-2012-air-new-zealands-distinctive-aircraft-tails-go-black|website=Air New Zealand|access-date=11 October 2015|date=20 July 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130041429/http://www.airnewzealand.co.nz/press-release-2012-air-new-zealands-distinctive-aircraft-tails-go-black|archive-date=30 January 2016|url-status=dead}}

Since the brand's 2016 refocusing on "smart science" across all media, it has gradually transitioned to a bespoke type palette. Their first commissioned typeface was Grosvenor, a custom version of Klim Type Foundry's Tiempos with longer extenders, for article text in National Geographic magazine. In 2018, this was accompanied by Geograph, a geometric sans serif, replacing Hoefler & Co.'s Verlag across all branded media. These two new types were accompanied by two new headline faces and a new magazine nameplate from Tal Leming starting in the May 2018 issue.{{cite web|title=Geograph Design Information|url=https://klim.co.nz/blog/geograph-design-information/|website=Klim Type Foundry|access-date=14 May 2018|date=17 April 2018}}{{cite web|title=Earle and Marden|url=https://typesupply.com/portfolio/earle-and-marden|website=Type Supply|access-date=14 May 2018}}{{cite web|title=National Geographic Nameplate|url=https://typesupply.com/portfolio/national-geographic-nameplate|website=Type Supply|access-date=14 May 2018}}

In 2007, Sowersby, under the direction of DNA Design, designed ‘Hokotohu’, with its serifs based on Rākau momori, for the [https://www.moriori.co.nz/ Hokotehi Moriori Trust].

In 2014, the PayPal product team commissioned Klim to create a typeface that "should be fluid, delightful, easy, calm and humanistic." It should also be "mobile-first, numeral-centric" and "space-efficient". After three different approaches, the foundry settled on 'Dutch', made with inspiration from Jan van Krimpen's Romulus Sans Serif. This later became PayPal Sans, which has two subfamilies: PayPal Sans Big, and PayPal Sans Small.{{Cite web|date=2016-02-22|title=Klim Type Foundry · PayPal Sans Design Information|url=https://klim.co.nz/blog/paypal-sans-design-information/|access-date=2022-02-10|website=klim.co.nz|language=en}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://klim.co.nz/ Klim Type Foundry]
• [http://www.computerarts.co.uk/interviews/kris-sowersby Feature on Sowersby online at Computer Arts]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110904034700/http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature.php?id=189&fid=864 Interview with Sowersby] online at Eye magazine
• [http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/201774100/playing-favourites-with-kris-sowersby Kim Hill interview with Kris Sowersby], Radio New Zealand National, 10 October 2015
• Lecture at [http://2017.typographics.com/ Typographics 2017] festival, 17 June 2017.
• [https://klim.co.nz/blog/ockham-lecture-series/ Ockham Lecture Series]

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Category:Type foundries

Category:Companies based in Wellington

Category:Independent type foundries