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An animation in which the alphabet is displayed in a grid against a bright blue background. The letters are composed of small, interlocking geometric shapes that shift in colour and pattern.

Type designer Zin Nagao wants to prove just how fun letters can be

From having never touched letters to rapidly becoming an expert typographer, the Japanese designer's journey is a lesson in perseverance.

Type design is usually something that those who practise it describe as having an instant affinity for; a love of words that naturally translates into a deft usage of letters. However, designer Zin Nagao says that type design was something he was in fact “not good at”. But, determined to become so, he set himself a rigid structure of daily training tasks to fully hone his skills. And now, looking through Zin’s diverse and multi-faceted portfolio, you would have no clue that Zin’s talent didn’t come naturally.

Today, the designer’s love of letters is so passionate that one of his works main aims is to “convey the joy and fun of letters” to his audience. Zin achieves this through paying homage to Japanese video games and retro visual media, and through the unique presentation of his designs; letters twist, morph, flip and switch right in front of your eyes, creating both a playful visual experience as well as proving the vast possibility of each individual letter.

An animation in which a bold, rounded alphabet and punctuation marks shift in colour and form against a red background. The letters flicker between solid black, blue, green and white, while some morph into geometric construction lines.
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Zin Nagao: Experimental Work, Experimental Type Animation (Copyright @ Zin Nagao, 2022)

An animation in which black abstract shapes and Chinese characters shift and morph against a bright yellow background. The forms flicker and change in weight, alternating between sharp lines and organic, textured blobs.
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Zin Nagao: Experimental Work, Experimental Type Animation (Copyright @ Zin Nagao, 2022)

An animation of a bright green capital “R” against a solid blue background. The letter glitches and distorts with pixelated edges and chromatic aberration.
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Zin Nagao: Experimental Work, Experimental Type Animation (Copyright @ Zin Nagao, 2022)

An animation in which red, green and blue geometric shapes shift and morph against a black background. The shapes resemble stylized, vertical pillars that warp and distort in a repeating sequence.
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Zin Nagao: Website, foznt.com (Copyright © Zin Nagao, 2020)

An animation in which bold, red 3D letters morph and shift against a white background. The shapes transition between a structured serif “R” and a cluster of glossy, red spheres.
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Zin Nagao: Website, foznt.com (Copyright © Zin Nagao, 2020)

An animation in which a series of typographic posters flash on screen. It begins with an orange poster reading “Polter Type at Other”, then cycles through various experimental alphabets in different colours and 3D styles.
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Zin Nagao: Typeface, Poltertype at Gallery Other (Copyright ©︎ Zin Nagao, 2023)

An animation in which a series of design sheets on a bright orange background showcase a psychedelic typeface. The sequence moves through sections titled “Pattern”, “Type”, “All Glyphs”, “Sample”, “Parts” and “Assembly”, detailing the construction of the font “Serpentictornado”.
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Zin Nagao: Typeface, Smake (Copyright ©︎ Zin Nagao, 2022)

A graphic design layout featuring a grid of black, white and yellow panels. The panels contain a mix of historical text, dates, diagrams and bold typographic elements.
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Zin Nagao: Typeface, Yon Yon (Copyright ©︎ Zin Nagao, 2022)

An animation in which black pixelated shapes morph and shift against a bright cyan background. The forms transition between arcs, straight lines and abstract geometric arrangements.
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Zin Nagao: Experimental Work, Experimental Type Animation (Copyright @ Zin Nagao, 2022)

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Zin Nagao: Animation, Alphabet Knot at Dice&Dice -TDSNBXDXD- (Copyright © Zin Nagao, 2023)

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About the Author

Olivia Hingley

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Olivia (she/her) is associate editor of the website, overseeing the day-to-day editorial projects as well as Nicer Tuesdays events. She joined the It’s Nice That team in 2021. [email protected]

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