Real Beef

2024 | The Design Museum of Chicago

Real Beef is a typeface inspired by Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood. Meatpacking production, commercial and political signage, and the Chicago-style hot dog influenced the creation of these meaty letterforms. From the complex origins of the Union Stock Yards to the contemporary hold of Vienna Beef Inc., labor and production played a significant role in the hot dog’s journey to becoming a staple commodity in the city. This mystery meat typeface aims to blur the line between suspicion, banality, and admiration. This project was based on contemporary and historical research from special collections at the Chicago History Museum, Harold Washington Library and more.

This work is currently being exhibited at the Design Museum of Chicago's exhibition Letters Beyond Form: Chicago Types curated by Amira Hegazy. The exhibition runs through April 4, 2025 and is free and open to the public. So come on by and grab yourself a poster + type specimen of Real Beef. For commercial inquiries, please contact me.