Manie Typeface: Celebrating the Intricacy of Serif

An Exploration of Typography Inspired by Wonder

Manie is a personal project born out of Snidvongs' passion for serif typefaces. In a world dominated by clean and minimalistic san-serif typefaces, Manie aims to celebrate the intricacy and details of serif typefaces while maintaining a friendly and simple aesthetic.

The round and friendly features of Manie reflect the sweet and heartwarming nature of the story in Wonder. The straight edge cut on the shoulder and the half curved, half straight serif characteristics add a twist to the voice of the author. The calligraphic quality incorporated in the typeface portrays the softness and kindness of the main character.

Creating Manie involved a meticulous process. Before building the typeface digitally using Robofont, Snidvongs sketched hundreds of lettering variations to understand the interaction between letters and within each letterform. This hands-on approach allowed for a deeper appreciation of the shapes and qualities of the typeface.

The completed Manie typeface includes two sets of numbers, lowercase and uppercase letters, special characters, and ligatures. Its round and curvy letters make it easy for readers to follow, making it suitable for body text. However, the intricate details hidden within each letter also make it worth considering for display purposes or headings.

The Manie project began in February 2018 and was completed in June 2018 in Providence, USA. Snidvongs dedicated many hours to learning the principles of type design and practicing lettering and calligraphy under the guidance of Professor Richard Lipton at the Rhode Island School of Design. This research and exploration of typography allowed for the translation of joyful and positive moments from the movie Wonder into the design of Manie.

One of the main challenges in designing Manie was capturing the abstract essence of the movie and translating it into a typeface. However, through research on the language of typography and the understanding of emotions, Snidvongs successfully found the common ground between the two.

Manie typeface is a testament to the importance of serif typefaces in today's design landscape. It pays homage to the personality and evolution of serif typefaces while incorporating the simplicity and functionality of san-serif typefaces. With its unique characteristics and attention to detail, Manie stands as a beautiful example of the artistry and effort that type designers put into creating the typefaces we use every day.

Image Credits: Pornmanie Snidvongs, 2018.

Awards and Accolades: Manie Typeface was awarded the Bronze A' Design Award in the Graphics, Illustration, and Visual Communication Design category in 2022. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding and creatively ingenious designs that contribute to quality of life improvements. Manie Typeface showcases strong technical and creative skills, incorporating best practices in art, science, design, and technology.