TYPOGRAPHY | PRINT | BRANDING | ILLUSTRATION
NIMBUS: A MODULAR TYPEFACE
Nimbus is magical and modular typeface that draws inspiration from ornate old-style fonts and the classic vaudeville aesthetic. It’s as mysterious as witnessing a magic trick for the first time. Combine modules to unfold enchantment.
Based on the modernization of the classic magic aesthetic. Indents were added to create a mysterious and ornamented appearance. The high contrast (thin to thick) creates a sense of sophistication and edgy.
This resulted in a magic kit that allows users to create letters using modular elements, doing magic, bringing the enchanted world right before their eyes.
Materials:
Box structure & board: Letramax
- Box, board, & dice label: blueback paper
- Cards & cards box: card stock
Fabrication:
Box structure & board: laser cutter
- Cards: laser printing & edge cutter
Project Nature: Personal
Nimbus Typeface
This typeface was crafted using five basic shapes derived from a square. These shapes served as the foundation for designing all the letters, numbers, and symbols. By adhering to this set of five shapes, a balance between consistency and dynamism was achieved.
All uppercase letters have the same properties, serving as the base for the rest of all design decisions for the other characters, being 8 units tall.
The numbers operate on a similar principle as the uppercase letters, but they also have distinct traits, like the unique features found in 0, 1, 5, and 7.
Since lowercase letters have descenders, they require additional traits and decisions when compared to uppercases.
Although the symbols keep the same style and language, they also introduce new attributes to create the necessary intricate shapes.
Cap-height
X-height
Baseline
Descender
The illustration, inspired by the Mandrake comic series, blends vintage concepts with a modern aesthetic. It features a doodle-style depiction of the magician “Mandrake” to capture these qualities.
The comic series follows a renowned fictional magician with hypnotic abilities and remarkable magic skills. Mandrake employs his mystical powers to solve mysteries and combat villains, embodying a fusion of classic mysticism and modern heroism.
Modular Spellblocks: Five building blocks magically forming characters.
Divination Deck: Three decks for uppercase, lowercase, and symbols, as reference for letter construction.
Cosmic Dice: Complements the system for magic tricks.
Transfigurative Cloth: Rearranges Spellblocks for letter formation.
Arcane Gridboard: Guides alignment for letterform creation.
