Raoul Gottschling on Self-Taught Type Design and the Stories Behind Ciron, Quasar, Kleber, Plätze, and Gaueko
Raoul Gottschling, a Berlin-based type designer who learned on his own, has dedicated the last ten years to creating unique fonts influenced by Erkin Karamemet and Sascha Bente-Loranzi. Previously in New York City, where he worked with Pentagram and 2X4, he now collaborates with Something Special Studio and Collins on projects for brands like Nike and Microsoft, alongside clients such as Refuge Worldwide. He also teaches design across Germany. His fonts often spring from imaginative ideas and chance encounters. Some of his standout works include Ciron, Quasar, Kleber, Plätze, and Gaueko, the last of which he developed with Julien Simon, taking cues from Basque typography and 1920s gravestone designs. Gottschling values the surprises that come with design while reminiscing about his past creative freedoms.
Key facts
- Raoul Gottschling is a German-born, Berlin-based type designer who is completely self-taught.
- He previously worked in New York City for Pentagram and 2X4.
- His current collaborations include Something Special Studio and Collins on projects for Nike and Microsoft.
- He has his own clients such as Refuge Worldwide, a cultural space in Neukölln.
- His typeface Ciron was designed with an axis to dial in flavour between text and display.
- Quasar and its rounded sibling were created from the question of a geometric font with mono case, no descenders, and no ascenders.
- Kleber evolved from a 1960s industrial adhesives advertisement discovered by his girlfriend.
- Plätze extends the few characters found on the Nollendorfplatz Berlin subway sign.
- Gaueko was created with designer Julien Simon and influenced by Basque typography.
- For Gaueko, they analysed over 500 pages of tombstone engravings documented by hand drawings in the 1920s.
Entities
Artists
- Raoul Gottschling
- Erkin Karamemet
- Sascha Bente-Loranzi
- Julien Simon
- Ellis Tree
Institutions
- Pentagram
- 2X4
- Something Special Studio
- Collins
- Nike
- Microsoft
- Refuge Worldwide
- It's Nice That
- Kingston School of Art
Locations
- Berlin
- Germany
- New York City
- United States
- Neukölln
- Nollendorfplatz