2020 Best Book Design from Republic of Korea

A 16-Year Chronicle of Arita,

the Everyday Typeface Created by Korea’s Leading Cosmetics Company and 15 Font Designers

Everywhere we look—street signs, books on a shelf, and even our smartphone screens—typefaces are a constant presence in our daily lives. The Journey of Arita captures the 16-year journey behind the creation of the Arita typeface, a collaboration between Korea’s leading cosmetics company, Amorepacific, and 15 font designers, including the renowned graphic designer Ahn Sang-soo. This book is also unique in the sense that it presents rarely documented process of developing a corporate typeface. It covers the entire design process, shows examples of the typeface in use, and includes interviews with the 14 designers who contributed to each version of the font. It also features documentary photos of the typeface’s creation process, as well as products, books, and other materials that incorporate it. The book is presented in both Korean and English, with the Arita typeface used throughout, giving readers a chance to see its practical application firsthand. With clear explanations of typographical design, the book is accessible not only to professional typography designers but also to anyone with an interest in the Arita typeface.