NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fast Company has announced that it will honor revered nonprofit Braille Institute of America (Braille Institute) and New York-based creative agency Applied Design Works (Applied) in its 2019 Innovation by Design Awards. This year, the companies partnered to create Atkinson Hyperlegible, a typeface designed to increase legibility for those readers with low vision. The development has received recognition in the Graphic Design category.
Named for the founder of Braille Institute, J. Robert Atkinson, Atkinson Hyperlegible breaks with centuries of typographic tradition, with a focus on letterform distinction as opposed to standardized harmony. This typographic design was created specifically to increase legibility for the visually impaired. Atkinson Hyperlegible consists of four fonts, including two weights, as well as 992 total glyphs across all fonts and 248 glyphs per font.
Created in concurrence with Braille Institute’s centennial, Atkinson Hyperlegible affirms the nonprofit’s commitment to transforming the lives of those with vision loss and impairment as it embarks on its second century of service.
“As we celebrate our centennial year, we remain determined to find new and innovative ways to serve those who are blind and visually impaired,” said Peter Mindnich, President of Braille Institute. “In looking towards our next 100 years, our mission is increasingly critical, and our new Atkinson Hyperlegible typography exemplifies this commitment.”
“Working alongside a courageous, forward-thinking partner like the Braille Institute gave us the opportunity to test the limits of our own creativity,” said founder Brad Scott at Applied. “Atkinson Hyperlegible honors Braille Institute’s long history of pioneering work on behalf of those with visual impairment while advancing its commitment to providing inventive, effective solutions and services to its clients for the century ahead.”
This year’s applicant pool proved the most competitive ever, with Fast Company’s editors receiving more than 4,300 entries. Winners, finalists, and honorable mentions will appear online and in the October issue of Fast Company magazine, on newsstands September 17th.
About Braille Institute
Braille Institute is a nonprofit organization that has been positively transforming the lives of those with vision loss for 100 years. We offer hundreds of programs and services, all free of charge, at seven centers and hundreds of community outreach locations in Southern California, thanks to the support of donors, volunteers and staff members. Each year Braille Institute serves over 37,000 people of all ages and demonstrates that vision rehabilitation is a beginning, not an end. We don’t see boundaries, we imagine possibilities.
About Applied Design Works
Applied Design Works is a passionate group of innovators, designers, developers and doers who wake up every morning excited by the challenges that lie ahead. We work closely with our clients to apply their collective expertise and imagination towards solving problems in ways that are creative, purposeful, beautiful, and pragmatic. Put another way, Applied’s clients inspire them to find solutions that are as original and practical as they are “magical” …and then, together, make them happen.
For more information on Applied Design Works, please visit www.applieddesignworks.com.