Shiyang He In recent years, the demand for customized multi-script typefaces has gained significant traction in China, particularly among industries like automotive, consumer electronics, and technology, which are increasingly exploring overseas markets. This has led to a surge in the need for non-Chinese typefaces, with Chinese companies becoming more specific in their requirements. Having served as the head of Foreign and Minority Scripts Design at Founder Type since 2021, I’ve had a front-row seat to this evolving trend and have observed some recurring challenges when Chinese businesses select fonts.
This talk will consist of three parts:
The first part will explain the reasons for the emergence of the non-Chinese typeface market in China from geopolitical and economic perspectives, and from China’s “Go Global” strategy that is fuelling demand for multilingual branding. Case studies will be provided from industries like automotive and consumer electronics. The second part will discuss the preferences for Latin typefaces in China. It will not only introduce the preferred genres of Latin typefaces but also some “inquiries and demands with Chinese characteristics,” such as the proportion and width of letters, and preferences in design decisions. The third part will introduce the demand for non-Latin typefaces in the Chinese market. Interest in scripts like Arabic, Cyrillic and Thai is rising as Chinese companies enter diverse markets. Technical challenges and cultural considerations are key focus areas.
This talk offers a prime chance to summarize my observations and share them with international colleagues exploring or entering the Chinese typeface market, providing a clear understanding of the Chinese market’s unique demands and preferences, highlighting the potential for international designers to contribute to and benefit from this growing market, and fostering cross-cultural collaboration and innovation in type design.