New Cordial combines sinuous lines and organic details in a geometric framework evoking an extraordinary moment in Italian typography when Art Nouveau letterforms blended with emerging European Modernist ideas. Rather than reviving an existing wood or metal typeface, it is a contemporary design informed by historical research. 

New Cordial retains several distinctive features of the 2008 design, including the curved stem of A and the egg-shaped round letters. The low centre of gravity of the rounded letterforms – including lowercase letters such as b, d, p and q – contrasts with the higher centre of gravity of squarer letters such as E, H, K, M and N. Other notable letterforms are narrow S and s, typical of several 1930s-inspired designs, and the slightly slanted second stems of h and n, echoed in the equivalent stems of a and m. Finally, as in certain Art Nouveau ideas, the forms of a, e and g pick up a medieval calligraphic tradition. New Cordial also has alternative lowercase letters with more conventional designs, such as a and g, as well as alternative u and y with slightly slanted left stems, designed to pair with m and n.

Inspired by a convergence of Italian ‘Stile Liberty’ and early Modernism, New Cordial transforms historical influences into a surprisingly contemporary display typeface.