Speech Bubbie: Redefining Typography with Graphic Elements

A Fusion of Comic Book Dialogue and Font Strokes

Inspired by the ubiquitous presence of speech bubbles in various forms of communication, such as text messages, social chat software, and comic books, Xu Hanmin recognized the potential to integrate these graphical elements into the strokes of fonts. By simplifying strokes into generic speech bubble shapes while maintaining the original stroke direction, Speech Bubbie retains the readability of characters while infusing them with a dynamic and expressive quality.

Unlike traditional fonts that rely solely on the arrangement of letters, Speech Bubbie adds a visual layer of meaning to written language. Each character becomes a dialogue graphic, evoking emotions and enhancing the overall communication experience. Whether appearing in mobile phone text messages, social software chats, or comic books, Speech Bubbie brings a new level of engagement to written conversations.

Realized using Adobe Illustrator and hand-drawn drafts, Speech Bubbie offers variable sizes to accommodate different design needs. Its versatility makes it suitable for a wide range of applications, from digital interfaces to print media.

The development of Speech Bubbie began in Shenyang in 2012 and was completed in Shenzhen in 2021. Throughout the project, Xu Hanmin faced the challenge of integrating figurative graphics into font strokes. The design had to strike a balance between recognition and conveying the intended conceptual graphics. Through meticulous research and experimentation, Xu Hanmin successfully achieved this fusion, resulting in the unique and captivating Speech Bubbie type design.

Recognizing the significance of this design, Xu Hanmin has applied for copyright protection to safeguard the intellectual property behind Speech Bubbie. Its originality and ingenuity have also been acknowledged by the prestigious A' Design Award, where Speech Bubbie was awarded the Bronze in the Graphics, Illustration, and Visual Communication Design category in 2023. This accolade celebrates designs that showcase exceptional creativity, technical skills, and contributions to improving the quality of life through art, science, design, and technology.

Image Credits: Xu Hanmin