Before We Drew a Single Letter

Typography has always fascinated me, but designing a typeface made me realize just how much thought goes into creating something that feels effortless.

Sellos began as a collaborative university project inspired by Sellos Del Antiguos México, a collection of vintage Mexican postage stamps. We were drawn to the bold, expressive letterforms found throughout the stamps and wanted to create a contemporary display typeface that captured their confidence while developing a visual language of its own.

What seemed like a straightforward challenge quickly became much more complex.

Letters Don't Exist in Isolation

Our first iterations revealed an important problem: every letter looked as though it belonged to a different typeface.

Some terminals were heavily rounded while others ended abruptly. Stroke weights varied between characters, and subtle differences in proportion disrupted the rhythm of the alphabet. Individually, many of the letters worked—but together they lacked cohesion.

That was the turning point.

Rather than continuing to draw new characters, we stepped back and established a set of shared design principles. Every decision—from corner radius to stroke weight and overall proportions—needed to support a consistent visual system.

It was no longer about designing individual letters. It was about designing relationships.

Designing a System

Once we agreed on those rules, the typeface evolved much more naturally.

Instead of asking, "Does this letter look good?" we began asking:

• Does this letter belong to the same family?

• Does the weight match the rest of the alphabet?

• Are the curves and terminals consistent?

• Does the spacing feel balanced?

• Does it maintain the bold character inspired by the original stamp designs?

Those questions shifted our focus from aesthetics alone to consistency—a lesson that continues to influence how I approach branding today.

Looking Back

Designing Sellos changed the way I see typography.

Before this project, I viewed letters as individual forms. Now I see typography as a system where every character contributes to the rhythm and personality of the whole.

That perspective extends far beyond type design. Whether I'm creating a brand identity, a website, or a marketing campaign, I'm always thinking about how individual elements relate to one another. Consistency isn't restrictive; it's what makes a visual identity feel intentional, recognizable, and memorable.

Contact

contact@karolina-gostomski.com

© 2026. All rights reserved.