Kreatif Beats

13/06/2026

An Ode to Master Yuen Kheng Seng (1949–2026)

"We often sat at the mamak stall, talking endlessly about ideas. Yuen called these gatherings “Type Tarik Sessions.”

I was probably 30 years old when I met Yuen. I had just joined the Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA) on a full-time basis; if memory serves, it was late 2002 or early 2003. Before that, I had been teaching at MIA part-time for about six months and working full time at Willam Harald-Wong & […]

05/06/2026

"When Letters Become Landscapes: Turning Typography into a Physical Experience" by Jovanna Tania Martindo

"What fascinated me was how both typography and topography rely on lines, spacing, and form to communicate something invisible."

09/04/2026

"Designing Life into Letters: An Experimental Typeface Inspired by Cells" by Lee Rong Zi

"Typography is often perceived as something rigid—defined by grids, rules, and precise systems. But what happens when letterforms are allowed to behave more like living organisms?"

Typography is often perceived as something rigid—defined by grids, rules, and precise systems. But what happens when letterforms are allowed to behave more like living organisms? This question became the starting point for Cell, an experimental typeface inspired by biological cells and organic gro...

09/03/2026

"A Case for Reviewing Malaysia’s Flag Protocol" by Vinod J. Nair

During Merdeka month 2025 (Independence month), two incidents involving the Jalur Gemilang being flown upside down [...] drew significant political attention [...] these incidents point to a concern: the lack of clear and consistent guidance.

Does it trouble you to see the symbol of the nation — your flag — flown tattered in the wind?

03/03/2026

"Creating A “NuWay” for Malaysia: A Wayfinding Font" by Dave C. Moniaga

"NuWay is more than a modern redesign of an existing signage system. It reflects how even small design interventions can contribute to national identity and shape how citizens perceive their environment."

A revelation struck during my Advanced Typography class when I learned about Malaysia’s crude pictogram system for road signage. This observation became the main inspiration behind my journey to create a typeface suited for Malaysia’s wayfinding environment.

09/02/2026

"NOMAD: Where Letters Find Their Own Way" by Nicole Ng

"I wanted to design a bold, fat typeface that screams “Look at me!” but in a polite way (if you get what I mean)."

NOMAD is a font designed for the final project of my Advanced Typography module, expanded from the wordmark I designed for a previous task. It is also one of my proudest achievements in my design journey.

02/02/2026

"Exploring Art Nouveau Through Experimental Typeface Design" by Caitlin Lung Su Ying

"One particular piece of feedback was repeated several times: “I thought it was another letter.” Stylistic ambiguity without sacrificing readability was the goal from the start, so I had to make adjustments based on the feedback I received to achieve that balance."

For our final task in Advanced Typography, we were required to create a typeface that either solves a problem, explores an existing letterform, or is an experimental design.

27/01/2026

"Blocky: Translating Handwritten Marker Strokes into Digital Type" by Tsen Ken Yee

"Even well-designed letterforms can appear unbalanced if spacing and kerning are not properly considered."

Typography is more than the construction of letters; it is a process of translating emotion, personality, and intention into visual form. Blocky is a typeface that emerged from this understanding, combining handcrafted techniques with digital refinement.

16/01/2026

"Letters in the Water: Designing Sünny" by Ahmed Saneeh

"I realized that the level of perfection I aimed to achieve required countless hours, days, and nights of careful refinements, many of which may appear insignificant at first glance."

Design process behind Sünny, an experimental typeface inspired by water and the sun, exploring visual expression in typography.

08/12/2025

"The Great UX Design Clash: Typography, Super Apps, and the Myth of Universal Principles." by Razif Mohamed

"For anyone who has lived through multiple waves of mobile design, from the slow days of Symbian to the speed of modern super apps, typography has never been a decorative option. It is the structure that holds a digital product together."

Recently, I attended a discussion on UI and UX design where an industry expert downplayed the importance of typography. He described it as the act of creating fonts. The statement stayed with me because it reminded me how easy it is to forget the fundamentals when our tools become more advanced.