Hey! Yes, every element of this typeface was labored over and discussed in detail again and again throughout its three year design process.
On page 6 of the specimen PDF (http://grillitype.com/sites/default/files/specimen/GT-Sectra...) you can read about some of the design elements and why we chose them. The ink trap in the lowercase y is one of the stylistic ink traps, designed to create a higher contrast and add visual sharpness to the typeface.