Responses by Tasos Varipatis, senior type designer, The Northern Block.
Background: Selestin is a contemporary serif type family designed primarily for editorial, cultural and identity-driven applications. We aimed to develop a typeface that performs reliably in long-form reading while maintaining a distinctive, confident presence at display sizes. It is suited to editorial and branding projects as well as cultural and luxury-led environments where tone, refinement and typographic nuance are essential. It bridges classical typographic sensibilities with modern usage requirements.
Design thinking: The solution grew organically from experimentation, with the intention of letting form, rhythm and contrast guide the design rather than adhering to a strict historical model. Selestin synthesizes calligraphic movement, engraved precision and Art Nouveau’s expressive flow, merging structure with ornament in a carefully balanced way. Distinctive features—such as its ball terminals, high contrast strokes and sculpted curves—are not merely decorative but structural elements that control rhythm and guide the reader’s eye. We wanted to create a typeface that feels alive, harmonious and emotionally resonant while remaining technically robust across modern digital environments.
Challenges: Harmonizing Selestin’s expressive qualities with the demands of readability and consistency across a full type family. The design relies on fine detailing, strong contrast and organic forms, all of which require careful control to avoid visual noise in text settings. It required required continuous refinement to translate these hand-drawn forms into a precise digital system while retaining their warmth and elasticity. Achieving this balance between freedom and discipline ultimately shaped Selestin’s distinctive character.
Favorite details: I am most proud of the way Selestin’s expressive features feel both intentional and natural as if they were discovered rather than engineered. The ball terminals, for example, draw from the natural pooling of ink at the end of a stroke, giving the typeface an organic rhythm that guides the reader’s eye. The engraved-inspired serifs, sculpted curves and subtle ornamental qualities work together in harmony without overwhelming the text. These elements create a typographic tone that is elegant, warm and emotionally evocative—qualities that make Selestin instantly recognisable.
New lessons: Selestin highlighted how deeply expressive a typeface can become when experimentation takes the lead instead of strict planning. The project highlighted that type design can feel closer to sculpture than drawing—constantly shaping, smoothing, carving and refining until the form reveals its identity. It also reaffirmed the value of allowing instinct to guide structural decisions; many of the typeface’s defining characteristics emerged unexpectedly from playful exploration. Seeing how these early experiments evolved into a cohesive, functional system was a powerful reminder of the creative potential within type design.
Visual influences: Selestin draws heavily on the flowing energy of Art Nouveau and the crisp, structured nature of engraved metal type. Influences from Beardsley, Gaudí and Mucha can be felt in its curves, its ornamental sensitivity and the sense of motion within the letterforms. At the same time, calligraphic principles and pen-based drawing rhythms inform the internal logic of its strokes. The result is a synthesis of organic movement and precise craftsmanship, combining the freedom of the pen with the clarity of a scalpel.
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