How 58.com Built the ‘Smile’ Chinese Font: A Step‑by‑Step Journey

01

Chinese font libraries differ from typical font design; a complete set must contain thousands of glyphs. The GB2312 standard defines 6763 basic characters, and a usable Chinese font requires at least 3500–4000 glyphs, making the task daunting.

02

We set the goal of designing a font covering the 3500 most common characters. The workflow was broken into three major phases: concept definition, design, and encoding, with sub‑steps such as style ideation, glyph design, standard creation, batch production, coding, and release.

意在笔先

To design a typeface for 58.com—a leading lifestyle platform—we first defined the font’s purpose: convey the company’s mission of “making life simple and beautiful” through visual language. We chose a headline‑type approach, aiming for a bold, versatile style that could be applied across products.

微笑绽放

After a brainstorming session, 12 designers produced 40 concepts. The “Smile” typeface, created by Yang Zhe, stood out with a balanced, slightly rounded heavy‑weight style that reflects 58’s optimistic brand spirit.

立规矩成方圆

Post‑design, we established a set of standards to ensure consistency when expanding beyond the initial 3500 glyphs. The standardization toolkit includes:

Basic strokes : simplified, unified components that retain recognizability while improving aesthetics.

Glyph box : precise proportions, baselines, and central alignment, with extended upper and lower regions to add dynamism.

Radical library : a curated collection of common radicals for designers to reuse.

Design principles : guidelines that balance form, meaning, and readability, allowing flexible adaptation of stroke cuts based on character context.

开枝散叶

To handle the massive workload, we split the 3500 characters into groups of ten, assigning each group to a designer via an online document. Designers worked in small teams, consolidating their outputs weekly, and adhering to a unified file template (consistent glyph box size, spacing, and layer order) to streamline batch processing.

滴水成海

Encoding was the final step. Designers used vector tools (AI or Sketch) to create glyphs, then imported them into font‑encoding software, adjusting metrics and generating the final OTF file.

发布

In April, 26 designers completed the 3500‑glyph set, producing a 1.2 MB OTF file. On May 8, 2021—World Smile Day—the “Smile” typeface (concept version) was released, aiming to bring a touch of sunshine after the pandemic.

未来可期

The project demonstrates how systematic planning, clear design language, and collaborative tools can turn a massive typographic challenge into a tangible product, and it hopes to inspire further growth in Chinese type design.

致谢

Special thanks to the design leadership, project managers, and all participating designers for their dedication.

参考资料

《中国字体设计人：一字一生》廖洁连

《治字百方》左佐

《超全面！这可能是最完整的字体设计基础知识》钱浩Hawking

《汉字设计中的度量标准》厉致谦

《会呼吸的汉字》叶天宇

《字体基础知识》研习社K先生

《字体设计门与路》知乎圆桌