ABOUT

During October 2015, Monotype launched its new website. The result of two years of research, design, and collaboration, it represents a bold direction for the organisation’s product offerings, typeface releases and new content strategy.

Through several years of organic growth, MonotypeDOTcom had come to reflect the organisation’s corporate structure rather than the user’s needs. The primary aim of the project was to provide a new, scalable information architecture, designed to support the many facets of the company’s products and services, and to deliver a new content strategy built around the positioning: type, technology and expertise.

Monotype’s in-house team worked closely with Zurich-based design consultancy ‘Information Architects’ (iA) to conduct company and industry-wide research to help frame the problems and define the brief. Following that, iA and Monotype embarked on six months of prototyping and visual design language development in what is really the model of modern web design: research, prototype, develop.

The site takes a refreshing approach to representing Monotype’s offerings through a purposefully simple navigation and information structure. Designed to flex and shift to accommodate changing priorities, user’s entry points such as search, and the plethora of devices with which the user may be reading the content.

The visual language of the new website is built on two simple ideas: ‘Let the user try it’, and ‘Let the type be the hero’. Throughout the site, starting with the homepage, the user is invited to try the typefaces the company offers by way of a type tester. They can change the text, change the typeface and weights – all with a view of allowing them to get their hands on digital type in the same way they would with wood type in a workshop. Secondly, typefaces and typography take centre stage on the new website. Through bold use of interesting glyphs the new visual language is crisp and refreshing.

The new website has increased visitors by 68%* since launch, and has had an increase of 20% of engagement from users. **

Notable press from: Design Week, FormFiftyFive

* Compared to same time, 2014.
** Duration on site / session time

Notable press coverage includes Design Week and FormFiftyFive