User-Friendly Gurmukhi Typeface Design
Budget / Salary$30–250
TypeFreelance project
LocationRemote
Posted2 hours ago
Project Title: Gurmukhi (Punjabi) Font Design: Learner-Friendly, Flowy, and Distinct
Compensation Type: Fixed Price | Hourly
Estimated Duration: 2-4 Weeks
Project Overview:
We are seeking a skilled and imaginative typeface designer to create a new, modern Gurmukhi (Punjabi) font for a language-learning application. Our primary goal is to make Gurmukhi letters easier for absolute beginners to identify and distinguish.
Standard Gurmukhi fonts (like Lohit) use a heavy top bar (Shirorekha) that connects letters within a word. This creates visual clutter that is difficult for new readers to unpack. We require a font that eliminates these connectors, uses ample letter-spacing, and introduces a friendly, illustrative, and "flowy" aesthetic inspired by the brushstroke style common in friendly Japanese (kana) fonts. It should be a clean, modern design sort of inspired by the SUSE system font.
We want letters to be distinct, like English alphabet blocks, but with a friendly, crafted feel.
Detailed Requirements:
A successful proposal will address these key points (see the attached images for a visual guide):
NO SHIROREKHA (NO CONNECTING TOP BAR): This is the most critical requirement. Standard Gurmukhi looks like ਕਸਮ. We want it to appear like ਕ ਸ ਮ, where each letter stands on its own.
FLOWY, BRUSH-STROKE INSPIRED AESTHETIC: Standard fonts have rigid, sharp, blocked strokes. We want a "softer," more illustrative approach. The letters should show the trace of the hand with soft, defined curves and subtle brush-like flares at the ends. Imagine if a friendly Japanese Kana (like こ or ん) and a modern Latin sans-serif had a Gurmukhi child.
LETTER SPACING (KERNING): A bit of consistent, built-in space between all letters within a word. Word spacing should be clearly distinct, similar to standard English.
CONSISTENT PRIMARY LETTER BOUNDS: The core body of all characters (when not modified by a Laga like Aunkar or Kanna) should be roughly the same width and height. They must fit a regular grid or block structure for easy use on educational charts.
LAGA (VOWEL MODIFIER) CLARITY:
Sub-vowels (Aunkar ੁ, Dulankar ੂ) are fine.
CRITICAL RULE: Post-vowels (like Kanna ਾ) and surrounding vowels (like Sihari ਿ, Bihari ੀ) must clearly "belong" to their base consonant. The design must make it physically impossible to mistake which letter a Laga is attached to. For instance, in ਕਾ (Kaka + Kanna), the Kanna must be clearly and distinctly attached to or grouped visually with the Kaka, even if the Kaka is separated from the next letter, say Sassa, in ਕਾ ਸਮ.
"FRIENDLY" TONE: The overall weight and feel should be light-to-medium and non-threatening. Avoid bold, mechanical, or heavy traditional styles.
Reference Visuals Guide (A Visual Brief):
Compensation Type: Fixed Price | Hourly
Estimated Duration: 2-4 Weeks
Project Overview:
We are seeking a skilled and imaginative typeface designer to create a new, modern Gurmukhi (Punjabi) font for a language-learning application. Our primary goal is to make Gurmukhi letters easier for absolute beginners to identify and distinguish.
Standard Gurmukhi fonts (like Lohit) use a heavy top bar (Shirorekha) that connects letters within a word. This creates visual clutter that is difficult for new readers to unpack. We require a font that eliminates these connectors, uses ample letter-spacing, and introduces a friendly, illustrative, and "flowy" aesthetic inspired by the brushstroke style common in friendly Japanese (kana) fonts. It should be a clean, modern design sort of inspired by the SUSE system font.
We want letters to be distinct, like English alphabet blocks, but with a friendly, crafted feel.
Detailed Requirements:
A successful proposal will address these key points (see the attached images for a visual guide):
NO SHIROREKHA (NO CONNECTING TOP BAR): This is the most critical requirement. Standard Gurmukhi looks like ਕਸਮ. We want it to appear like ਕ ਸ ਮ, where each letter stands on its own.
FLOWY, BRUSH-STROKE INSPIRED AESTHETIC: Standard fonts have rigid, sharp, blocked strokes. We want a "softer," more illustrative approach. The letters should show the trace of the hand with soft, defined curves and subtle brush-like flares at the ends. Imagine if a friendly Japanese Kana (like こ or ん) and a modern Latin sans-serif had a Gurmukhi child.
LETTER SPACING (KERNING): A bit of consistent, built-in space between all letters within a word. Word spacing should be clearly distinct, similar to standard English.
CONSISTENT PRIMARY LETTER BOUNDS: The core body of all characters (when not modified by a Laga like Aunkar or Kanna) should be roughly the same width and height. They must fit a regular grid or block structure for easy use on educational charts.
LAGA (VOWEL MODIFIER) CLARITY:
Sub-vowels (Aunkar ੁ, Dulankar ੂ) are fine.
CRITICAL RULE: Post-vowels (like Kanna ਾ) and surrounding vowels (like Sihari ਿ, Bihari ੀ) must clearly "belong" to their base consonant. The design must make it physically impossible to mistake which letter a Laga is attached to. For instance, in ਕਾ (Kaka + Kanna), the Kanna must be clearly and distinctly attached to or grouped visually with the Kaka, even if the Kaka is separated from the next letter, say Sassa, in ਕਾ ਸਮ.
"FRIENDLY" TONE: The overall weight and feel should be light-to-medium and non-threatening. Avoid bold, mechanical, or heavy traditional styles.
Reference Visuals Guide (A Visual Brief):
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