To create an identity system truly reflective of Flodesk brand values and strategy, we partnered with the Swiss-based type foundry Optimo to develop a custom typeface. It was important to us that our brand and product had a clear connection with a custom typeface that renders crisply in tiny product use cases while maintaining an aesthetic quality in larger brand communications.

Flodesk Sans was designed as our main typeface and it straddles a delicate line between friendliness and functionality. The typeface intentionally taps into the antique feel of late 19th-century grotesques, combined with geometric forms closely related to Richard Neutra's architectural work. The result is something that feels contemporary while evoking its historical roots. The typeface functions seamlessly in all settings, from tiny product UI to large-scale branded collateral, without losing its aesthetic quality.

We also designed Flodesk Serif, an altered version of JJannon that adjusts the x-height of it to fit perfectly with Flodesk Sans in all typesetting situations. Conceptually, each of our typefaces reflects a key brand attribute—Flodesk Sans reflects our company's design rigour, while Flodesk Serif reflects the community’s voice. The result is something that feels contemporary while evoking its historical roots. Flodesk’s logo animation illustrates the flow and inherent connection between the two. 

While Flodesk Sans and Flodesk Serif are our foundation, we also wanted to elevate our typographic voice with a system that supports our concept and references our product features.

We leveraged intrinsic elements and established a subtle but highly refined signature motion behavior that can be activated within both brand and product at various levels of expression. We created a rich shape library that can be used graphically or as frames for content and then expand out into a secondary shape library that mirrors our product. This motion behavior flows and fills in our shapes and helps us transition through content.