How to Design Arrows
The article explores the history, symbolism, and design principles of arrows in graphic design. It traces their evolution from ancient cave paintings to modern typography and signage, highlighting best practices for creating clear and effective arrow symbols.
Background
- The article is from Pangram Pangram, an independent type foundry (a company that designs and sells digital fonts) known for modern, geometric typefaces popular with graphic designers.
- "How to Design Arrows" covers the craft of creating arrow symbols for typefaces — a niche but telling detail in typography. Most fonts include arrow glyphs (→, ←, etc.), but their design is often an afterthought; this article argues they deserve the same care as letters.
- The post is aimed at designers and type enthusiasts, offering technical specifics: stroke weight, angle, balance with the font's overall style, and how arrows need to work at small sizes or in UI contexts.
- Key context: Arrows are among the most-used symbols in interfaces, wayfinding, and documentation, yet they are rarely discussed in typography education. The article fills that gap by treating arrow design as a serious typographic problem rather than a trivial flourish.