ALIBABA GROUP FONTS 2.0
PARTNER
Hanyi
YEAR
2021
BACKGROUND
Alibaba Sans and Alibaba PuHuiTi gained immense popularity and success, leading to the release of an upgraded version of Alibaba PuHuiTi 2.0 in 2021. The latest version features refined character design, four new weights, and supports Thai and Vietnamese, effectively expanding its language coverage to 175.
2.0 is free to use commercially on all platforms. You can download Alibaba PuHuiTi 2.0 here.
WHAT
Typography
Art direction
Project management
We enhanced the font design of PuHuiTi by implementing various improvements.
Overall, we fine-tuned and refined the overall design to create a more cohesive and complete look. Selected improvements are highlighted below.
01 DESIGN IMPROVEMENTS
We increased the space between strokes in characters such as "约" and "钉" to improve legibility.
We also improved the readability of characters such as "不" and "原" by modifying the articulation of their strokes.
To enhance the versatility and adaptability of the font family in various design and layout contexts, we expanded the number of weights to a total of nine. Among these, we introduced 45 Light, 65 Medium, 85 Bold, and 105 Heavy, aiming to augment the range and diversity of the font family.
02 NEW WEIGHTS
We expanded the PuHuiTi font family by introducing the Alibaba Sans Vietnamese and Thai fonts. Our motive behind creating these fonts was to enhance the experience of buyers and sellers on the Lazada platform, a subsidiary company of Alibaba, in the Southeast Asian market.
We were mindful of the local cultures and reading preferences of the target audience while designing these fonts. Our aim was to provide maximum convenience and ease to the end users of the platform.
03 NEW LANGUAGES
Alibaba Sans Vietnamese and Thai
LOOPED AND LOOPLESS STYLES
There are two main styles in Thai font design: looped and loopless. Compared with looped designs, loopless font designs align with the modern and youthful brand image we wanted to build.
However, after thoroughly examining the usage habits of Thai locals and interviews with our Lazada colleagues, we favoured a looped style over the loopless one as the looped style is more widely used and recognised in Thailand.
We collaborated with our internal videography team and an external vendor to create Alibaba PuHuiTi 2.0 launch video. The video showcased the enhancements we made to existing Chinese characters to improve readability and announced the addition of Thai and Vietnamese languages, facilitating expansion for Chinese businesses into Southeast Asian markets.
OTHER PROJECTS
04 FUTURE
DEVELOPMENTS
Expansion of the PuHuiTi font family is underway, with plans to add support for additional languages. Japanese, Korean, and traditional Chinese versions are currently in development and expected to be released in Aug 2022.
