[This article is work-in-progress]
Innovator Grotesk is the debut typeface from Yep! Type Foundry, released in 2024. It’s a neo-grotesque, neutral yet distinctive, carefully crafted for a broad range of applications—from user interfaces to brand identity and outdoor design. It’s especially optimized for on-screen use.
At a glance
- 18 font styles: 9 weights with 9 corresponding obliques.
- Font weights range from Thin (100) to Black (900).
- Obliques have a 12° slant angle.
- Includes a single variable font encompassing all 18 styles.
- Supports over 250 languages that use the Latin script.
- Features 2 stylistic sets: a single-storey ‘a’ and a high-legibility set.
- OpenType features include tabular figures, case-sensitive forms, ordinals, ligatures, and short-tail alternates.
- Comes with a set of UI icons.
Character and purpose
Innovator Grotesk leans toward a formal, contemporary, and technical vibe, with geometric, mechanical, and industrial qualities. It’s less suited for fun, historical, humanistic, organic, or natural designs. This makes it a great fit for IT companies, as well as brands in production, design, construction, and similar industries.
UI DESIGN
Innovator Grotesk shines in user interfaces for web, mobile, and desktop apps. With vertical metrics that ensure text labels appear vertically centered on buttons and alongside icons, a tall x-height (75% of cap height), extra optimization for the pixel grid, and precise hinting, this typeface is the perfect on-screen workhorse.
BRAND IDENTITY
It’s neutral enough for plain text, yet it offers subtle, distinct details that make it both recognizable and memorable—key qualities for strong branding.
WAYFINDING
Due to its relatively close apertures, I wouldn’t recommend it for designs with strict requirements for character distinctiveness, like road signage. However, thanks to the high-legibility set, I’d definitely give it a shot in wayfinding systems and designs where the requirements aren’t as strict.