Beginning a brand or design project using capsule design elements has many benefits. Creatives can experience timelessness, reduced stress, increased creativity, reduced revisions, and an improved ability to deliver on time and on budget. Additionally, non-creative team leaders can benefit from being more specific and strategic in project requests. This knowledge can help them guide their teams from making false starts and avoid rabbit holes caused by excessive research and exploration.

You might be wondering about the elements that make up the capsule design toolbox. Well, there are various elements. 

Each Capsule Collection is the Same but Different

Just like each person's wardrobe is unique, there is a high probability that you will find classic items such as a button-up shirt or button-down blouse, jeans, sweaters, sneakers, or classic tee shirts. In addition, these items will be found in classic materials such as denim, cotton, cashmere, and leather. Moreover, you will likely find these items colored in classic black, red, white, grey, or other neutrals.

This applies to design as well. A designer or creative director will have unique elements in their style toolbox. Within each toolbox, you will likely find fonts, colors, and design styles commonly found in other's repertoire. They are also the elements educators reference year after year when teaching an introduction to typography, graphic design, or photography because they yield consistent results. Additionally, they rarely go out of style.

You do not need to sign up for an introduction to graphic design or photography class. If you are a seasoned creative, you likely possess a personal preference for design elements that you never took the time to gather together to identify your style. I hope this reference guide will give creatives a North Star to start your projects. I also hope this guide will allow non-creatives to communicate more effectively with the creatives in their life. 

The Ambi Studio Capsule Design Collection

Again, this is the "Ambi Studio" capsule design collection. While other designer's collections will vary, I am confident that these elements will be more commonly found than not.

Without further sandbagging, I give you the Ambi Studio Capsule Collection...

Capsule Typefaces:

Per Britannica, Typography is the design, or selection, of letter forms to be organized into words and sentences to be disposed of in blocks of type as upon a page. 

For this guide, we will focus on the selection of typefaces. We prefer typefaces, or fonts, that are classic, timeless, and enduring.

There are three types of fonts in the Ambi Studio Capsule Design Collection:

• Sans-Serif Fonts
• Serif Fonts
• Slab Serif Fonts

Sans-Serif Fonts

Sans-serif (without serifs) typefaces are like the classic tee, button-up shirt, or denim jeans of typefaces. They are incredibly versatile. They can be casual or classy, all fun or all business.

Sans-serif fonts can convey friendly, welcoming, neutral, casual, modern, or youthful feelings. 

Designers love their clean, readable, and minimalist qualities. 

You will find Helvetica just about everywhere.

The current lineup of sans-serif fonts in the Ambi Capsule Collection are:

• Aktiv Grotesk
• Avant Garde
• Bebas Neue
• Berino Sans
• Depot New
• Forma DJR Deck 
• Franklin Gothic Compressed
• Futura 
• Helvetica
• Lato
• Montserrat
• Museo Sans Rounded
• Open Sans
• Proxima Nova
• Roboto 
• Semplicita
• Tisa Sans

Serif Fonts

Serif fonts are the suit and tie or formal dress and pumps of typefaces. These old-style fonts command respect and let everyone know you are a pro and mean business.

Serif fonts convey classy, sophisticated, traditional, professional, respectable, and/or nostalgic feelings. 

Brands love serif fonts for their established, enduring, and authoritative qualities.

Serif fonts currently in the Ambi Capsule Collection are: 

• Abril
• Baskerville
• Bodoni
• Caslon
• Didot
• Garamond
• Lust
• Mrs. Eaves
• Utopia

Slab Serif Fonts

Slab serif fonts are a variant of serif fonts. They are characterized by their thick, block-like serifs. They feel much bolder and more angular than standard serif fonts. One could say they are like the leather jacket of fonts. Too bold to be casual. Too rebellious to be formal.  

Slab serif fonts convey feelings of strength, stability, prominence, authority, and individuality. 

Brands like Honda and Volvo love slab serif fonts for the strong, sturdy, and reliable qualities they portray.

Slab serif fonts in the Ambi Studio capsule collection are: 

• Adelle
• Bree
• Clarendon
• Courier
• Crete
• Roboto Slab
• Rockwell

I encourage you to create your own capsule design typography toolbox. This will not only save you time making decisions and help you get started more quickly, but it will also assist you in defining your design style. Your capsule design toolbox should be adaptable. Feel free to add or remove elements as your style develops. You get to set the rules for your design toolbox.

In the next chapter of capsule design, we will cover the topic of colors!