Contro
Contro is a nine-weight typeface, designed by Harsh Patel and Michael Cina, and available exclusively through Public Type. This abstract typeface bridges utopian pre-war modernism with the complex realities of capitalist post-war modernism, drawing deeply from historical roots while pushing resolutely into the future.
Taking inspiration from early 20th-century Italian typography, Contro expands its reach to embrace global writing traditions. However, it is not a revival typeface. These letters do not look back to replicate; they look forward to innovate. The first alphabet, drawn by Harsh Patel in November 2023, served as the foundation for Michael Cina’s intuitive and imaginative exploration, resulting in a fully realized glyph set that reflects the designers’ shared vision of multiculturalism and experimentation.
Contro’s glyphs and styles were crafted with many typographic cultures in mind, acknowledging the turn of the 20th century as a pivotal moment in industrialization and its influence on practical typography. This is not a typeface that rests on its historical laurels; it challenges designers to engage in new methods of language construction and to question their typographic choices. It supports legible Latin text, but its potential lies in the hands of the user, who must navigate its nuances, spacing, and layout decisions with intentionality.
The conceptual backbone of Contro references iconic figures such as Tschichold, Renner, Bill, and Bayer. These names surfaced during the designers’ initial discussions, alongside explorations of skeletal Latin alphabets and critical typographic experiments. The typeface, however, transcends these influences, encouraging a forward-thinking approach that aligns with its creators’ shared ethos.
Collaboration has been central to the creation of Contro. Harsh and Michael’s partnership, spanning over two decades, is rooted in a mutual understanding of visual form and an almost psychic dialogue. More than half of Contro’s glyph set was designed by Michael Cina within just a few days of seeing Harsh’s initial letters, exemplifying his staggering intuitiveness and ability to balance high precision with creative freedom.
Their shared history includes moments of profound artistic influence, such as Michael introducing Harsh to Lissitzky’s Proun series and gifting him his first Bill book. These experiences underscore the realness and generosity that drive their collaborative process and inspire them to continually push boundaries.
Contro invites you to explore its glyph set with curiosity and intention. It is a typeface designed to inspire dialogue, experimentation, and meaningful typographic choices. As you engage with Contro, ask yourself the big questions—about form, meaning, and the role of typography in a global context. The possibilities are boundless.
Harsh Patel
Harsh Patel (born Nairobi, living and working in Los Angeles) is a graphic designer, design educator, and publisher. His work circuits acceptance and collaboration within graphic design and fine arts, and overground and underground operations. He has collaborated with galleries, artist studios, fashion designers, non-profit organizations, musicians, and cultural institutions. He has lectured extensively on how design history is continually reshaped by issues of equality and representation.
Michael Cina
Michael is an internationally recognized Creative Director and Artist who is currently leading a multi-disciplinary design studio, Cina Associates. His design portfolio includes many prominent Fortune 500 companies including Disney, Apple, American Express, ESPN, Pepsi, Coke, Hewlett Packard, and Microsoft. Over his career, he has applied and synthesized typography, branding, illustration, motion, web, music, photography, art and typefaces to produce an integrated approach to his design. Cina’s work is consistently featured in numerous publications, Emmy winner, Grammy nominee and he has spoken at many global design conferences about his unique vision for design.