Yet ANOTHER Typeface Designed by a Car

Earlier this year, Toyota commissioned the design of a custom typeface to promote the release of the iQ–a car manlier than Andre the Giant spinning donuts in a dump truck on the deck of a pirate ship while AC/DC performs “Highway to Hell” in the back. In and of itself, this isn’t uncommon, of course; custom typefaces are playing a larger and larger role in corporate branding strategies these days. What is uncommon, however, is the tool with which the font was created: the vehicle itself:

By outfitting the car with brightly colored markers above each of its wheels, an overhead camera was able to precisely record its movements and transform the path into vector data representing each glyph. The result is a surprisingly usable typeface, reminiscent of handwriting and yet smoother and more spontaneous at the same time. Be sure to check out the video for the rest of the details. If nothing else, it’s probably the first recorded instance of a professional stunt driver becoming an internationally-recognized type designer in a single afternoon.

Best of all, it’s free to download and use!
Grab a copy here: http://www.iqfont.com/

As a final note, Toyota’s accomplishment is especially impressive considering that GM’s stunt driver ran out of gas before completing the first glyph for the ill-fated Hummer Sans:

Oh, what could have been.

Topic: Design, Strategy, Technology
Tags: a6, car, hummer sans, iQ, toyota, typeface

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