![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e3d510a7e42ecf47c343a915da2f0539ecb0165bb9d291257408795ad28a9d6f/Venusville_3-LeeQiuWen.png)
Concept Design
Art Direction
Type Design
Art Direction
Type Design
2023 – Present
Type West Project
Type West Project
Venusville
Type as Expression
Context
Venusville was a typeface created during my time at Type West Online (a year-long online postgraduate Type Design course by Letterform Archive).
At Type West, I was very inspired by my classmates who grew up with insane lettering environments overseas. I wanted to create a typeface full of life.
Outcomes
Venusville is a typeface inspired by Cyber Noir, a film genre that combines Film Noir and Cyberpunk. It embodies the genre’s dark, dystopian ambiance through reverse contrast, and unconventional forms.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0952d6137024d851104eeba1f96ccaaa521eb718e6b11f290b2d986d5fecfeab/Frame-1171278356.png)
Cyber Noir deals with dark themes in a futuristic landscape and combines the moody atmosphere of Film Noir and the techno aspects of Cyberpunk.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/0c9108265049e3a192a8b214876277962609275b9ef702fdef971227a3ec9139/Frame-1171278357.png)
To condense this genre into a typeface, I first broke down the visual/conceptual aspects that I can draw out from each genre. I decided that the idea of entrapment/contrast of Film Noir + resistance towards something that’s failing is a rather good base to start from.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e23e2aa470aef4cb3381c04916c225a7df7a0d8bba2284943007ec6aad3d783c/Frame-1171278371.png)
References: (Top Left to Bottom Right): Boogey Brut by Julien Priez, High on Type’s Workshops, CoFo Chimera by Contrast Foundry and Zalfia by Neva Zidic.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/7a64d699c2ae6388ce00135d1af3610f4849cf6af6a12fc7d24f9536c293240c/Frame-1171278358.png)
First Sketch features an O that looks like it’s decaying at opposite ends and gives an interesting texture to the rest of the letterforms.
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/979a29e65b735c8ed3e2a2260915a65908e4346e8ffad5bdf07a874113875e5b/Frame-1171278359.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/d14d88af47a7e2c61781902c8f250b1e7fc06f5a74cf0aa627c62b4026dd8929/sdsds.png)
Uppercase letters in Regular, Bold and Italics
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6adc9fa6756f44f339cad6f921643f5eb1937352e70d7132a097de074f7c789a/Frame-1171278368.png)
Lowercase letters in Regular, Bold and Italics
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e3d510a7e42ecf47c343a915da2f0539ecb0165bb9d291257408795ad28a9d6f/Venusville_3-LeeQiuWen.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/8aaa20c06ff57ecc69b9e9401ff3b89d2c0072c01de2780ef80bbe5d36fb5cd2/Venusville_Updated2-1.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e8b46f34e0c6688caef4eaf686e8ac42a10accdc636ff6676db1734af8093c19/Venusville_4-LeeQiuWen.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f71edd434998f3235c204a863966bfc5a64c5c9167cd062250c607a2a90e1881/Venusville_7-LeeQiuWen.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/669e24b4389130f799478d0b5296255de5e2580091c9f67a9c8ab625972b5174/Venusville_6-LeeQiuWen.png)