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Maksim is constructed from a single line. Much like performers working with an alphabet of movements, this playful and
c… read more
Maksim is constructed from a single line. Much like performers working with an alphabet of movements, this playful and carefully-balanced font—created for us by Claudia Doms—is all about pure form. Perfect for well-considered graphic design, the typeface switches back and forth from single to double strokes. This aesthetic contrast manages to evoke calligraphy at its best.
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About the Designer Claudia Doms
German designer Claudia Doms used to work as a stage painter before studying in New York. She is now based in London
… read moreGerman designer Claudia Doms used to work as a stage painter before studying in New York. She is now based in London where she runs a design office working for international clients.
www.claudiadoms.com
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Interview with Claudia Doms
Please give us a short description about your person and current work fields.
I worked as a stage pain… read more
I worked as a stage pain… read more
Please give us a short description about your person and current work fields.
I worked as a stage painter at the theatre in Germany before I started studying graphic design in Amsterdam. After two years of graphic design studies, I made a short detour, studying film in New York. Since I came back from the US, I am practicing graphic design, occasionally working on small curatorial projects.
Are you part of a team or do you work alone?
I am working as a freelance designer, meaning I work sometimes in a team and sometimes alone.
What can you tell us about the origin of the letterforms of Maksim?
Originally I designed Maksim as a visual identity for an Amsterdam based dance/music duo. Much like the performers idea to work with an alphabet of movements, my aim was to design a typeface that functions as the only ingredient to all applied design works. Maksim is constructed from a single line. At a certain type size the letters lose their information quality and become pure form.
Maksim’s alternating contrasts are not calligraphic in the actual sense, but work more like an interplay between a single and a double stroke. So what is the rule behind, when to use a single or a double line?
Starting out from the contrast between thick and thin strokes of roman type, the decision of where to have a double line and where a single line was a matter of finding the right balance for each letter.
What did you take along from the places you worked at, e.g. New York, for your current design work? What inspires you the most?
I think, that all the things you see, the people you meet and the places you visit, inspire you – and that these experiences are reflected in your work, though I can not generalize what inspires me the most.
What would be the ideal application of Maksim for you?
I hope Maksim will be used for well-considered graphic design.
How did you come up with the name Maksim?
Originally, Maksim was called Verbatim, just as my friend's dance project which it was designed for. Verbatim means word for word, line for line, literally, accurately, which were keywords for the design of this typeface. But because there is a big American company with the same name, I had to find a new name. It turned out to be quite tricky, because so many names are already registered. Eventually, I went for Maksim, a Romanized version of Cyrillic Maxim, which works well when set in the typeface.
What are your next projects?
I have a few projects running, a small web shop, which I am starting with a friend of mine from London, a catalogue for a Dutch artist and a series of portrait paintings.
I worked as a stage painter at the theatre in Germany before I started studying graphic design in Amsterdam. After two years of graphic design studies, I made a short detour, studying film in New York. Since I came back from the US, I am practicing graphic design, occasionally working on small curatorial projects.
Are you part of a team or do you work alone?
I am working as a freelance designer, meaning I work sometimes in a team and sometimes alone.
What can you tell us about the origin of the letterforms of Maksim?
Originally I designed Maksim as a visual identity for an Amsterdam based dance/music duo. Much like the performers idea to work with an alphabet of movements, my aim was to design a typeface that functions as the only ingredient to all applied design works. Maksim is constructed from a single line. At a certain type size the letters lose their information quality and become pure form.
Maksim’s alternating contrasts are not calligraphic in the actual sense, but work more like an interplay between a single and a double stroke. So what is the rule behind, when to use a single or a double line?
Starting out from the contrast between thick and thin strokes of roman type, the decision of where to have a double line and where a single line was a matter of finding the right balance for each letter.
What did you take along from the places you worked at, e.g. New York, for your current design work? What inspires you the most?
I think, that all the things you see, the people you meet and the places you visit, inspire you – and that these experiences are reflected in your work, though I can not generalize what inspires me the most.
What would be the ideal application of Maksim for you?
I hope Maksim will be used for well-considered graphic design.
How did you come up with the name Maksim?
Originally, Maksim was called Verbatim, just as my friend's dance project which it was designed for. Verbatim means word for word, line for line, literally, accurately, which were keywords for the design of this typeface. But because there is a big American company with the same name, I had to find a new name. It turned out to be quite tricky, because so many names are already registered. Eventually, I went for Maksim, a Romanized version of Cyrillic Maxim, which works well when set in the typeface.
What are your next projects?
I have a few projects running, a small web shop, which I am starting with a friend of mine from London, a catalogue for a Dutch artist and a series of portrait paintings.