This project came about after Studio Sutherl& began playing chess over Zoom during the Covid-19 lockdown using chess notation, which describes the name of the piece being moved and the square it’s moving to – for example, Bishop C8 to F5.

“As inexperienced players we didn’t know the squares, so used written prompts on the board itself,” says the studio. “We then discussed producing a board where the A-G and 1-9 were intrinsic to the squares themselves. The lettering literally forms the chessboard. We designed a light and heavy cut to create the black and white squares. We named the typefaces Notation Black and Notation Light. We wanted the type to be abstract, to read as squares first and then as the notation.”

The squares are orientated in each direction for each player to read, which prompted the name Notation Rotation. The type is printed digitally white onto Black Diamond, a 100% recycled paper board by Richlite.

Credits:
Notation Rotation
Category: Typography
Entrant: Studio Sutherl& Christian Eves
Creative Director: Jim Sutherland
Creative Director: Christian Eves
Production: WithPrint