Alexei Vanyashin
Typeface designer based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Graduated Type&Typography at BHSAD Moscow in 2010. He has worked closely with Swiss Typefaces, Optimo, Dalton Maag, and Google Fonts for over 10 years, spoken on typographic events from Madrid to Hong Kong. Currently he is Cyrillic Scipt Chair at Granshan Foundation, runs Cyreal Type Foundry.
His interest in letterforms sparkled since 2001 during his academic studies in Graphic Design, and coincided with his curiosity in learning languages. Drawing letters with linguistic awareness brings more sense to the process.
Personal type projects: Florian Geo Text Junge Schmale Antique Adamina Vidaloka
At Google Fonts his Cyrillic work includes: Nunito and Nunito Sans with Manvel Shmavonyan, Rubik and Rubik Mono One Lora with Olga Karpushina, Mulish Raleway Libre Franklin Lobster with Gayaneh Bagdasaryan, Caveat and Amatic SC with Eugene Spizhovy, Play Yanone Kaffeesatz
His input on Cyrillic was beneficial for foundries like Optimo, Dalton Maag, TypeMates, Mota Italic, ArrowType, Huerta Tipográfica, Catharsis Fonts, &DISCOVER, Google Fonts
He collaborated on Cyrillic Extentions with Swiss Typefaces: Euclid TF Stockholm Type SangBleu Sans Suisse Int'l Condensed Simplon PZSP New Paris Skyline, Newlyn: New Rubrik, facetype Strangelove, PhilaType: Merge, TypeBy (formely OurType): Coutea, Schriftlabor: Tirol Sans
Work Activity
- 2022-2023
- Kolesa Group Rebranding project
- 2019-2021
- YouTube Sans Font Redesign
- 2016-2017
- Font Improvement Project at Google Fonts
- 2016-
- Cyrillic Script Chair at Granshan Foundation
- 2015-
- Cyrillic Consultant at Optimo
- 2014
- Cyrillic Jury Expert at Granshan Foundation
- 2012-2016
- Collaborated with Swiss Typefaces on Cyrillic Extensions
- 2011
- Founded Cyreal Type Foundry
- 2003–2010
- Freelance Graphic Designer
Teaching
- 2013-2016
- Crafting Type
- 2012-2014
- Typography Tutor at BHSAD Moscow and screamschool
- 2011
- FontLab Instructor at BHSAD Moscow
Select Public Talks
- 2017
- Variant Forms of Cyrillic. Granshan Conference, Yerevan, Armenia
- 2015
- Crafting Type. Hong Kong
- 2013
- Libre Graphics Meeting '13 Madrid, Spain
- 2012
- Mota Italic, Berlin, Germany
- 2012
- Why do we (still) use Cyrillic at TypoLub conference Lublin, Poland
- 2012
- Mistetsky Arsenal Gallery Kyiv, Ukraine
- 2010
- Rutenia Festival Kyiv, Ukraine
Select Typographic Workshops
- 2023
- Kolesa Academy Almaty, Kazakhstan
- 2017
- Adobe San Jose, USA
- 2016
- TUMO Yerevan, Armenia
- 2015
- Crafting Type, School of Design, HKPU, Hong Kong
- 2013
- Dalton Maag, London, UK
- 2013
- School of Visual Communications, Kyiv, Ukraine
- 2013
- Mota Italic, Berlin, Germany
- 2013
- Libre Graphics Meeting '13 Madrid, Spain
- 2011
- KABK, Netherlands
Education
- 2009-2010
- Type&Typography CPD Programme, BHSAD Moscow
- 2004-2008
- Graphic Design Institute of Design MABIU / Moscow
- 2002
- School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- 2001–2004
- Stroganov Moscow State University of Arts and Industry
Select Awards
- Modern Cyrillic 2014. Excellence in Type Design. Suisse Int'l Condensed Cyrillic
- European Design Awards 2014 (as part of Ermolaev Bureau)
- Grand Prix: Red Dot 2014 (as part of Ermolaev Bureau)
- Red Dot Award 2013, Tea Funny (as part of Ermolaev Bureau)
- European Design Awards, Bronze, 2013, Tea Funny (as part of Ermolaev Bureau)
- Russian Design Rating 2010 / Short List #4
- Granshan Award 2010. Florian. Best in Cyrillic Text Typefaces
- Rutenia 2010. Kyiv / Nominant
- Strelka Design 2008 / Finalist
Publications
- Hand to Type. Jan Middendorp. Gestalten | The history of Cyrillic | 11.2012
- PAGE | Cyrillic Type p. 52 ff | 30.07.2010
- Typodaruim 2012. Amperisk, 11 June 2012
- Typodaruim 2013. Junge, 9 October 2013
- Size-Specific Adjustments to Type Designs. Tim Ahrens Geo Text and Geo Display
- Caveat and Amatic on Google Design
- LibreGraphicsMag January 2015