Panneau
Display Typeface
Panneau is a display typeface inspired by historic French café signage, cinema marquees, and hand-painted shop signs common throughout European streets. Designed with hospitality and public-facing environments in mind, the typeface explores how dimensional lettering, ornament, and warmth can be translated into a contemporary digital font. Panneau balances character and clarity, making it suitable for signage, menus, posters, and branded spaces.
Design Approach
Panneau is informed by historic European café façades, cinema marquees, and hand-painted shop signage where dimensional lettering was used to balance personality and legibility. The typeface abstracts these visual traditions into a structured digital system, built from consistent stroke logic and softened geometry. Subtle interior cut-ins and rounded terminals introduce depth without compromising clarity, positioning the typeface for use in signage, menus, and hospitality-focused environments where typography contributes directly to atmosphere.
Outcome
Panneau reflects an interest in type as environmental design rather than purely graphic form. The project demonstrates how historical reference, construction, and practical considerations can come together to create a display typeface that feels timeless, functional, and rooted in place.
