Founder · Type Designer
It’s rare for a typeface of an independent type foundry to become part of something that’s so culturally significant.
After spending years developing a typeface, seeing it take on a life outside the studio is always incredibly rewarding.
It’s always fascinating to watch a typeface move from the slow and often solitary process of drawing letters into a broader cultural context where it then truly comes alive.
The unique situation we were in as a type foundry was to not only create a custom typeface, but also the environment it is used in.
Cursor wants to visually reflect being the industry-leading company in their niche, and these interactive product elements demonstrate that – a next-level way of making their product experienceable on the web.
We faced a chicken-and-egg situation... we had to find the best proportions and complexity of the prison grid suited for constructing a type system.
The article profiles Munich-based type foundry Kimera and its founder Michael Clasen, focusing on the use of their typeface Waldenburg in the Oscar-winning film 'Sentimental Value'. It explores Kimera’s research-driven approach to type design and how Waldenburg’s humanist yet precise qualities complemented the film’s tone. The feature highlights the significance of an independent foundry’s work reaching a global cinematic audience.
Kimera collaborated with AI code editor Cursor to refresh its brand identity, centering the system around a custom typeface family derived from Waldenburg. The project integrated brand and product design through Cursor Gothic and Cursor Mono, a logo system, and interactive web elements that mirror the coding environment. The result balances technical precision with human warmth, redefining how typography can unify brand and product experiences.
Serviceplan Innovation, in collaboration with Moby Digg and Eat, Sleep + Design, created the digital campaign 'Space Trash Signs' to raise awareness about space pollution. The interactive website visualises real space debris as constellations, combining data from Privateer with motion design and editorial storytelling. Using the Apparat typeface and a bright orange wordmark, the project aims to make the invisible issue of orbital debris tangible and urgent.
Serviceplan Group created the brand identity for Freedom Grams, a not-for-profit cannabis initiative that raises awareness of cannabis incarceration in the U.S. The identity features a generative typeface inspired by prison bars and a striking orange palette referencing prison jumpsuits. The design system is open source and adaptable, combining social impact with innovative typography and digital technology.