Built

I released Built on November 18, 2008. The family ranged from Extra-Light to Bold, with each lighter weight drawn narrower than the heavier ones. This allowed editors to adjust weight and size together, making headlines appear taller without requiring extended versions. One distinctive feature was the pointed N, inspired by the Chanel logo, which allowed the diagonal stroke to remain strong while fitting into a narrower form. The italics were first created by mechanically slanting the uprights, then redrawn with narrower proportions and looser spacing so they could function effectively in headlines without needing a steep angle.

Built was intended specifically for news headlines in print and digital media. I envisioned it being paired with serif body text, serving as a compact headline companion that could adapt to different column widths. Despite the effort, sales of the full family were weak, and it never gained much traction among designers.

A few years later, I introduced Built Titling, an all-caps version of the family with a free commercial use license. That release proved far more successful, since most users had no need for lowercase. Built Titling became common in YouTube thumbnails and video titles, and I also noticed it in broadcast graphics on some American news programs, particularly in lower-third captions.

The original Built family was never updated after its release. Built Titling, however, demonstrated how simplifying a design to match real-world use cases could give it far greater visibility.