Celebrating the flourish and flair of our first script font, courtesy of our very own Francesca Bologni , we’re proud to launch the Playground dice set , a collectable art piece that is not only incredibly satisfying but perfectly encapsulates the typeface itself – promising to revolutionise how we perceive and interact with design elements in our daily spaces. Transforming an everyday object into a source of endless inspiration and enjoyment.

Speaking to Pangram Pangram founder Mat Desjardins, the mind behind the dice and the Playground itself – an initiative that embodies the belief that ‘Play is the Highest form of Research’ – we dive into the thought process behind choosing dice as not just a tool for randomness but as a centrepiece of design and utility, enhancing the aesthetics of a workspace while serving as a tangible source of inspiration and stress relief.

Merch is often just seen as tees and totes; how do you come up with the weird and wonderful ideas for the Playground?

The initial idea behind The Pangram Playground was to create a studio/practice that wouldn’t be bound by such notions. We don’t want to just create merch but collectable art pieces.

Playground is a place to explore and create anything we feel works and follows the ethos: Play is the Highest form of Research. Celebrating mistakes and the creative process as a whole. The dice is a good representation of that I think – sometimes there’s luck involved in the whole process as well.

So, why dice?

Why not dice! Haha! No but seriously, we just thought it would make a great office piece that you can play with as a stress relief while you’re working. It’s unique and collectible and a very fun way to showcase PP Playground ’s beautiful numerals. The etched magnetic acrylic case also adds to the whole experience and beauty of the piece. The weight and material were selected carefully to make sure they felt substantial enough. We even thought of a little game to go along with it. Make a list of 6 (Pangram Pangram!) fonts. Roll 2 dice. The first number is your main font, second your pairing. Et voilà! Creative block over!

How’re you feeling about the final product, now it’s in your hands and out IRL?

Like I mentioned, a lot of thought went into each detail, from the angle of the corners to the weight and casing. I’m super happy with the result! They are definitely one more step in the direction I want to take Playground . It definitely feels like a premium experience/product that is meant to last a lifetime.

What were the material considerations going into production? Why did you opt for the textures you went for?

At first we had a different kind of finish, size and engraving on the dice. Are the numbers engraved and painted black or just left as is? Are the edges shaper or rounder? Are the dice polished or brushed? We had to explore all these avenues before coming up with the right combination. Lived with each of them for a bit to get a feel.

I feel the end result is the best representation of what we had in mind for this. The right combination of weight, feel and polish. (you might want to use white gloves though haha!)

Since all sets come with the complete PP Playground Typeface font files, is it fair to call it a type specimen as well? What features of Playground’s numerals do you find most interesting?

The angle, the elegance, the refinement and the alternates.

These numerals are so well made and detailed that I feel each of them are compelling enough to be showcased on their own. Which is another reason why we did the dice.

If Pangram Pangram was a board game, which would it be?

Hmmmmm, good question! Part of me wants to say Monopoli without the money/capitalism aspect of it – and the jail haha! More the aspect of collecting typefaces (properties), pairing them to get better results and growing/evolving as you play. A bit like a designer’s journey.

What else can we expect from the Playground this year?

I usually try not to reveal too much in advance but I can spill a bit of tea here if you made it this far down in your reading! We have a lot in the works actually. We already teased the candles but there will be a very nice collectible addition to that drop. And then there’s the Euro coming this summer so we might do something football-related. We also have a classic stationery kit coming with a lot of goodies and nice ideas. And if we have time, we might release a “print shop” inspired perfume. There will be a few “merch things” throughout. We’ll see!

Get playing!
Check out the Playground Dice here.

PP Playground Script is here too!