As part of their global rebranding in 2015, Samsung commissioned Brody Associates to create a new typeface that would cover 26 scripts and more than 400 languages including Thai, Lao, Khmer and Burmese.

The fonts needed to be optimised for user interfaces on Samsung devices, but were also intended to work for general text use as well as for display purposes in marketing communications. The Southeast Asian scripts needed to follow the same principles and characteristics of the Latin design — universal, legible, scalable, humanist, distinctive and expert.

A key priority and challenge was to ensure all the scripts conveyed the same typeface DNA, but without superimposing features of one script onto another, or sacrificing the natural differences between scripts. Small features were carefully adjusted to remain clear at small sizes. In the Khmer and Myanmar fonts, the UI fonts have a raised baseline to accommodate the ‘downstairs’ elements better.

Explorations began on paper to define the characteristics of the Southeast Asian letterforms, test alternative options and find points of reference between the scripts, before moving to digital vector drawing, testing and production.