Unilever: Designing Structure with Personality

Unilever’s branding is anything but quiet. Their identity is full of vivid colors, energetic iconography, and a logo composed of swirling shapes that come together to form a bold, unified “U.” When they approached Monotype for a custom typeface, the initial brief was surprisingly restrained: they wanted a very geometric sans serif—something simple, functional, and clean. But as I listened more closely to how they described their brand, I realized they weren’t just asking for geometry. They were asking for balance.

Unilever approached Monotype looking for geometric sans serif, something conventional, perhaps in the style of Futura or Avant Garde. Once I reviewed Unilever’s broader visual system, I noticed a strong sense of personality embedded in their identity. Their “U” mark is composed of dozens of curving, layered, sometimes even whimsical forms. A strictly mechanical font might not just feel mismatched—it could actively clash.

I began to consider how to retain the rational clarity of geometry while softening its edges to reflect the human energy of their visual language. This, while designing something that could recede from the rest of the brand’s bright, flowing activity.

One of the ways I approached this balance was by echoing specific design cues from Unilever’s identity. For instance, I introduced a tail on the lowercase “a” as a subtle nod to the swooping flourishes embedded in their logo. In other characters, I shaped curves and joints with a bit more fluidity than you’d typically find in a rigid geometric sans. These were not exaggerated gestures—but they gave the typeface just enough individuality to stand comfortably alongside the vibrancy of Unilever’s other brand elements.

There was no drawn-out revision process or heavy pushback. They gave me the space to explore these ideas, and the result was a typeface that does exactly what it needs to: it holds its own amid the boldness of the Unilever brand, without competing for attention.

The font was completed around 2019. Like many global brands, Unilever didn’t make a splashy public announcement about their new typeface, but they’ve begun integrating it across packaging and communications—quietly and effectively. That’s often the nature of this kind of work: the satisfaction comes not from headlines, but from knowing the type performs across dozens of use cases, in alignment with the company’s voice.

This project stands out to me because it’s a clear example of how listening carefully to a client—even beyond their written brief—can lead to a stronger result. It wasn’t just about designing a geometric font. It was about creating something with the structure they needed, and the personality they didn’t yet know they were asking for.

The Next Project

If you need a custom typeface that balances brand personality with top-notch engineering, I am ready to help. Reach out and start a conversation.