This 12‑page type specimen booklet was created for Typography II as a deep exploration of the serif typeface Athelas. The assignment challenged students to design a dynamic, grid‑driven publication using only two spot colors (and their tints), showcasing the typeface’s history, structure, and expressive potential. My goal was to create a booklet that not only demonstrated Athelas’s versatility but also presented it as a refined, market‑ready type family worthy of professional use.

Role: Typographer, Layout Designer

Timeline: 4 weeks

Tools: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator

Format: 12‑page printed/digital booklet (vector‑only)

The Problem

Selling a Typeface Through Design

A type specimen isn’t just informational — it’s persuasive. The challenge was to create a booklet that:

• Demonstrates Athelas’s full character set

• Communicates its historical and stylistic context

• Uses layout, hierarchy, and color to highlight its strengths

• Feels visually compelling enough to “sell” the typeface to designers

My Process

Research & Type History

I began by researching Athelas — its origins, typographer, classification, and intended use cases.

Athelas was designed in 2008 by Veronika Burian and José Scaglione for TypeTogether. Inspired by classic transitional serif typefaces, Athelas was created to perform beautifully in long-form reading while maintaining contemporary refinement. Its balanced proportions, moderate contrast, and strong rhythm make it equally compelling in editorial headlines and immersive body text.

Key insights:

• Athelas was designed for literary reading

• It has a refined, book‑type serif structure

• Its elegance comes from subtle contrast and classical proportions

These qualities shaped the tone and visual direction of the booklet.

The Final Booklet

The final 12‑page specimen presents Athelas as:

• Elegant

• Versatile

• Literary

• Professional

The final booklet presents Athelas as a timeless serif with both classical roots and modern versatility.

Comp 1

Problem Statement

Designers need a type specimen that clearly communicates Athelas’s beauty, versatility, and typographic personality through a structured, engaging, and historically informed publication.

Concept Development

I explored how Athelas’s history and personality could inform the design. Because the typeface is known for its literary elegance, I leaned into:

• Clean, book‑inspired layouts

• Generous margins

• High contrast between display and body sizes

• A restrained but expressive color palette

Initial Compositions

I created three distinct design directions, each with:

• A cover concept

• A sample interior spread

Grid, Layout, & Structure

Using InDesign, I built a flexible grid system that supported:

• Wide margins

• Multi‑column text flow

• Modular headline placement

• Dynamic white space

This grid allowed each spread to feel unique while maintaining consistency across the booklet.

Typography & Content

The booklet includes all required typographic elements:

Typeface Information

• Typeface name: Athelas

• Designer: Veronika Burian and José Scaglione

• Year designed: 2008

• Classification: Transitional Serif

Type Family Styles

Type styles included: 

• Regular 

• Italic

• Bold

• Bold Italic

Front of Book

Design Challenge

Create a 12‑page type specimen booklet that:

• Uses a dynamic typographic grid

• Employs two spot colors and their tints

• Includes full alphabet sets, body text samples, headline samples, and style variations

• Reflects the history and classification of Athelas

• Balances expressive design with typographic clarity

This is my first comp, I liked these colors a lot but during critiques people seemed to not like the cover very much and felt I didn’t need all the letters on the left.

Color Palette

Two spot colors (and their tints) were used to:

• Highlight typographic features

• Create visual rhythm

• Add personality without overwhelming the type

The green and beige palette was chosen because I felt it had a calm, easy to look at tone, and supported Athelas’s book‑type personality without overpowering the typography.

Alphabet Sets

• Full uppercase alphabet

• Full lowercase alphabet

• Numerals and punctuation

Body Text Samples

• 10–15 samples demonstrating:

• Paragraph rhythm

• Line spacing

• Readability at small sizes

Visual Design Strategy

My visual approach emphasized:

• Athelas’s literary roots

• Clean, elegant compositions

• Strong typographic hierarchy

• Playful but controlled use of color

• Dynamic spreads that feel modern while honoring classical serif design

Each page was designed to highlight a different strength of the typeface — from delicate italics to bold display settings.

Key Features

• Dynamic grid‑based layouts

• Two‑color system with tints

• Full alphabet and style samples

• Body and headline demonstrations

• Historical context and typographic notes

• Clean, modern compositions that highlight Athelas’s strengths

• Green: #515d51

• Beige: #cec6bf

Headline Samples

10–15 expressive headline treatments showing:

• Contrast

• Weight

• Character personality

Overall Tone

The booklet feels:

• Refined

• Bookish

• Contemporary

• Carefully crafted

It positions Athelas as a typeface suited for editorial design, publishing, and high‑quality print work.

Future Development

If developed further I would add:

Expanded Editorial Spreads — Designing mock magazine or book layouts to show Athelas in real‑world use cases.

Interactive Digital Version — Creating a scrolling web‑based specimen with animations and responsive typography.

Historical Timeline — Adding a visual timeline of Athelas’s development and influences.

Comparative Pages — Showing Athelas alongside similar serif typefaces to highlight its unique features.

Glyph Exploration — Including enlarged glyph studies to showcase curves, terminals, and contrast.