Fadgod

I released Fadgod on January 7, 1999. It was an experiment in pushing geometric Art Deco design toward extremes by relying almost entirely on triangular forms. I used a single master triangle, copying and scaling it to keep the angles consistent across the alphabet. The result was a set of harsh, angular letterforms with sharp Latin serifs interspersed. While the triangular approach might suggest a link to the Def Leppard logo, my intent was closer to a stylized lounge aesthetic. The martini glass element grew out of the same triangular logic; it wasn’t planned but emerged naturally from repeating that motif.

One feature that set Fadgod apart was its small caps. Instead of behaving like traditional lowercase, they were vertically centered against the capitals, creating a layered rhythm when combined. Their purpose was stylistic rather than functional, adding variety to otherwise rigid shapes. Spacing and kerning were difficult given the unusual geometry, and about ten years after release I went back to rework the metrics. During that revision I also adjusted some outlines and added punctuation and proper accents to make the font more complete.

The name Fadgod was deliberately ambiguous. It could mean a deity presiding over passing fashions, or it could itself be a passing fancy; I left the interpretation open. I released Fadgod with a free commercial use desktop license, and in November 2022 I placed it in the public domain. It has not been taken up in notable projects, but for me it was a study in how far a single geometric idea could be pushed.