Christian Boer

Creating a Typeface for Dyslexie

When Christian Boer was a student at the Design Academy in Utrecht he read an article about his own affliction, dyslexia, and experienced exactly what was being described: the letters turned and twisted before his eyes. They seemed to rise up out of the text like helium-filled balloons, and Boer suddenly realized what was needed: the letters had to be anchored to the ground.

For many years after graduating, Boer believed that the typeface he had designed, aptly called Dyslexie, was only of benefit to himself. But he gradually came to realize that it might also help others afflicted with dyslexia. The letters are so distinctive and well anchored to the baseline that they no longer cause confusion in the dyslectic brain.

After the Jeugdjournaal, a Dutch news program for children, devoted an item to Boer’s typeface, various national and international media picked up the story. Today, the Dyslexie typeface is helping children at schools all over the world to overcome reading disabilities caused by dyslexia.

Boer now has his own studio where he not only coordinates the business aspects of the Dyslexie font, but also designs logos, house styles, theater posters and websites.