Jul 3, 2014 6:30 AM

Gallery: This Typeface's Letters Are the Average of the World's Handwriting

Illustration: BIC
01
Screen Shot 2014-06-25 at 5.12.25 PM
BIC, the office supply company that makes the world’s most ubiquitous ballpoint pen, has launched a website to find the "universal typeface."
Illustration: BIC
02
Screen Shot 2014-06-25 at 5.12.51 PM
The Universal Typeface Experiment lets anyone, from anywhere in the world, draw the letters of the alphabet and then submit them into a massive database. The site's software then creates the mean, global letter.

Illustration: BIC
03
Screen Shot 2014-06-25 at 5.14.13 PM
The site sorts all contributions by gender, country of origin, and age group. Your own contribution will appear against the rest of the world's in blue.
Illustration: BIC
04
Screen Shot 2014-06-25 at 2.27.58 PM
There’s a measurement, shown in percentages, that shows how your letters compare in width and height to the average letter.

Illustration: BIC
05
Screen Shot 2014-06-25 at 5.14.27 PM
BIC will keep the site up until August; after that, they’ll release the final universal typeface as a font for anyone to download.

A Lot of Shops Won't Fix Electric Bikes. Here's Why

Bike shop mechanics have lost fingers and their shirts while repairing ebikes of dubious origins. Make sure yours is repairable and third-party certified.

Stephanie Pearson

The Audacity Is the Broligarchy Takedown You Were Waiting For

AMC’s new black comedy about a manchild tech titan spinning out of control is a skewering Silicon Valley’s billionaire class deserves.

Miles Klee

It’s a Tablet! It’s a Laptop! After Testing the Best 2-in-1s, Here’s What I Recommend

Whether you want a detachable tablet or a laptop screen that spins, these 2-in-1 devices manage to balance being both a tablet and a laptop.

Luke Larsen

There’s a Secret Ingredient to Making Luxury Ice at Home

Nice ice is big business, but you can get perfectly clear cubes at home without freezing your assets.

Jeremy White

The Screenmaxxers Who Spend Every Waking Hour on Their Phones

As debates over social media addiction rage, people with extreme screen times tell WIRED they have no plans to cut back.

Miles Klee

Mammotion’s Spino E1 Pool Cleaner Isn’t Bad for the Price—It's Just Not That Good

This compact pool robot keeps its price down, but its performance doesn’t match that of more capable cleaners.

Christopher Null

The Best Coffee Mug Warmers Are Smart. But They Don’t Need an App

The first rule of coffee is that it must stay hot. After weeks or even years of testing, these are the three coffee warmers that will best keep it that way.

Matthew Korfhage