Saigon Train Station Typeface Desgin

This typeface adapted the characteristics of the Saigon Train Station and the style of Hiromu Hara, whose design consisted of simple graphic elements and bold colours, arranged in neat compositions. 

I believe that what made Hiromu Hara different from Swiss designers was the way he included Japanese culture into the Swiss style. In some posters, the Latin letters bear the simplified shapes of brushstrokes, with a circular start and a pointy end. His letters also have a blocky shape with rounded corners. Combining these two elements, I gave the typeface a brushstroke-like appearance and the same soft square shape. Moreover, the shape combined with the lines underneath mimics the train windows. I also used Hiromu Hara’s asymmetrical composition on some of the letters, typically with a diagonal grid line.  

Sai Gon Train Station fits with the Swiss Style’s initial philosophy, which is to give function to design and mass production. Furthermore, trains move much slower than planes; therefore, the entire station also adopts a slower pace and a more comfortable atmosphere. This is why the typeface’s line weight is more or less consistent, so it can be seen easily, and it is designed in lowercase to create a welcoming feeling. Additionally, the letter “o” is perfectly round to give contrast to the overall design and to also integrate an old Vietnamese typeface style, contributing to the cultural aspect of the typeface. Lastly, the colours of the typeface are the train’s colours themselves, so that the image of the train can be easily recognised in the letters.