design tavern

Melbourne graphic design studio Letterbox, under the direction of type king Stephen Banham, is reknowned for its incredibly strong typographic focus.

         “Established in 1991, Letterbox undertakes typographic projects. Some of these are commissioned by clients (identity systems, signage systems, external publishing and font customisation) whilst others are initiated by the studio (such as lectures, publications, forums and exhibitions).”

Like many contemporary design studios, Letterbox folk have their sticky little fingers in many pies – including visual identities, book publishing, web design and so on – but in all of their projects type takes a strong focus, as seen in the new identity for the Melbourne Recital Centre. 

Some examples of Letterbox’s excellent work include this book jacket for one my favourite Australian novels in recent years – I love how the type chosen beautifully and subtly reflects the agricultural nature of the novel.

The Letterbox website also features typo-tours of Melbourne neighbourhoods – Melbourne, North Melbourne and Richmond. If you feel like strolling around North Melbourne on a sunny day and taking in some gorgeous typography, I strongly recommend following this tour, and be sure to stop by Auction Rooms for a coffee and check out their signage above the shopfront. 

I’d also stop by the Town Hall (the civic building, not the pub – although I’d happily stop in there too, let’s be honest) to see one of Letterbox’s projects, the Artshouse signage.

Letterbox also design their own fonts and these are for sale on their website – Greqsue and Berber are on my wishlist.

Letterbox is a truly amazing Melbourne studio with a body of work that manages to be incredibly diverse and yet employ a unified vision. Love, love, love their work!