Browse both original articles and linked articles below. Want to write for us? Reach out to connect@vernaculartypeproject.com.
Written by contributors to the Vernacular Type Project.
In this interview design educator and typographic researcher Steffi Neukirchen discusses her Signs of Saigon project, and what made her interested in vernacular typography in Vietnam. She shares her experience photographing and documenting signs in a wet market in Vietnam, and the discoveries she made along the way.
In the spring of 2026 I had the great pleasure of meeting Brahim Boucheikha, a type designer, graphic designer and educator from Morocco who splits his time between Paris and Marrakesh. In this conversation with Brahim, we discuss his interest in typography and design, as well as the unique visual culture of Morocco.
In an essay in the book Walker Evans: Signs, cultural critic Andrei Codrescu describes the 20th century as one of “popular writing… lettering that invaded every nook and cranny and even wrote the skyline.” Evans’ photographs didn’t just record signs—they taught viewers “how to see America.”
The Vernacular Type Project aims to contribute to the global graphic design canon and extend its vision beyond 20th century modernism, elevating the lived, human design experience in cultures around the world, and thus “centering” their contributions to design.
An interview with sign painter Vu Pham Y Di in Ho Chi Minh City highlights how this art form preserves memory and human imperfection.
A lifestyle gallery posted by The Indian Express about the work of sign painter Kafeel Ahmed Ansari.
The cultural significance of Saigon’s disappearing hand-painted signage and the efforts undertaken to preserve this often-overlooked dimension of urban heritage.
Vernacular type on Lagos transportation systems functions as an archive of the city.
A story about the banning of Rótulos—public art painted by hand on street food stalls—in Mexico City in 2022.
An article showcasing the stories behind three hand-painted, vintage signs in Ho Chi Minh City.