Typography is a vital element of design. It’s a great way to attract readers and hold their attention. More importantly, it allows you to effectively convey a mood and communicate your message. However, most typefaces are fixed, with minimal stylistic sets available—limiting designers from unlocking creative possibilities. That’s why Odysseas Galinos Paparounis, founder and CEO of the Greece-based branding agency Høly, designed Futuracha Pro, a font that comes to life with each keystroke.
This whimsical typeface automatically modifies itself depending on the preceding and following letter. So, as you type, the letters magically evolve before your eyes. Swirl embellishments that didn’t exist early on suddenly start appearing. Some letters also then begin to stretch in width and length, while others remain the same. Indeed, it’s an interactive typeface that features multiple combinations of letters and playful ligatures.
Futuracha Pro is a font that comes to life with each keystroke, automatically modifying itself depending on the preceding and the following letter
It takes inspiration from the typeface Futura and, surprisingly, from the quirky antennae of a cockroach
As the name suggests, Futuracha Pro combines one of the world’s most geometric typefaces, Futura, with art deco principles. But that’s not all. Surprisingly, Paparounis has also taken inspiration from an unlikely source—a Madagascan cockroach. So, the designer incorporated his fascination with the insect’s antennae into his project, resulting in the font’s overall quirkiness. And as you might have already guessed, “Futuracha” is a combination of “Futura” and “cucaracha,” which means “cockroach” in Spanish.
Apparently, Paparounis designed Futuracha Pro in 2012 as an experimental typeface “to give creative people the chance to explore and create.” So, the company made it available as a free EPS file, mainly for the use of graphic designers. Much to their surprise, the creative industry loved their project, with over 250,000 downloads by creatives from over 180 countries.
In 2017, the company created a funding page to further develop it into an Open Type Font for everyone’s use. Designers and non-designers alike. In just two months, it became “the most successful crowdfunded font in history.” And in 2019, Høly released a newer and better version of Futuracha Pro and renamed it Decoracha.
In 2019, the company released a new and improved version of the font and renamed it Decoracha
Now, the font includes capital letters, numbers and varied diacritics, supporting 28 languages, including English, Spanish, German and French. In addition, it also now comes with contextual alternates, as well as four stylistic sets. Decoracha is currently available in three licensing options—student use, personal use and commercial use. Feel free to check out Høly’s website to find out how you can get your hands on this new and improved interactive typeface.