National anthems, state birds, state trees – flags. These elements are all packaged by design to brand and differentiate one nation, group or state from another – so why not a national typeface?
Enter Sweden Sans. The team of designers at the Soderhavet agency was recently commissioned to design a national identity for the nordic country well known for its design prowess. The typeface that emerged is what you would expect from the Swedes – modern and fresh but with a warm and inviting aspect. Kind of like eating a cinnamon roll in an Eames chair.
The font is straightforward, but with a few simple flourishes. Clearly depicting the aesthetic style we have come to know from Sweden – even if it’s by way of the blue and yellow of Ikea.
Courtesy of Soderhavet
The idea of national identity – in particular a typeface, is truly an interesting one. With regard to branding, we know that a specific typestyle can powerfully evoke sentiment and convey a point of view, and the application of these standards to a country, which effectively, is a brand – is no different from packaging a product that will be on store shelves.
While its a viable prospect, the idea of the actual implementation of dedicated typefaces could be as hotly debated as that of a highly visible branding project. Emotions, personalities, egos and finances all go along with the package – leaving the idea of a national branding project as more appropriate for recreational and sentimental use than official business application.

Erin
Erin Lentz is the Executive Director of Design at ArtVersion. As the main anchor of the ArtVersion team, Erin oversees all of the firm’s internal and client communications. She designed and engineered major strategic shifts for our clients, including Hilton, TransUnion, Caterpillar, and Volvo. To drive user engagement and help evolve their brand experiences by expanding a base of digital offerings and creating new global capabilities utilizing data science, research, and design.
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